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HISTORY 


OF 


Du  PAGE  COUNTY, 


NOIS. 


BY    IR/QIFUS 


CHICAGO : 

O.   L.   BASKIN  &  CO.,   HISTORICAL  PUBLISHERS, 

LAKESIDE  BUILDING. 

1882. 


PREFACE. 


A  FTER  several  months  of  laborious  research  and  persistent  toil,  the  history  of  Du  Page 
Count}'  is  complete,  and  it  is  our  hope  and  belief  that  no  subject  of  general  importance  or 
interest  has  been  overlooked  or  omitted,  and  even  minor  facts,  when  of  sufficient  note  to  be 
worthy  of  record,  have  been  faithfully  chronicled.  In  short,  where  protracted  investigation 
promised  results  commensurate  witli  the  undertaking,  matters  not  only  of  undoubted  record, 
but  legendary  lore,  have  been  brought  into  requisition.  We  are  well  aware  of  the  fact  that  it  is 
next  to  impossible  to  furnish  a  perfect  history  from  the  meager  resources  at  the  command  of  the 
historian  under  ordinary  circumstances,  but  claim  to  have  prepared  a  work  fully  up  to  the 
standard  of  our  engagements.  Through  the  courtesy  and  assistance  generously  afforded  by  the 
residents  of  Du  Page,  we  have  been  enabled  to  trace  out  and  put  into  systematic  shape,  the 
greater  portions  of  the  events  that  have  transpired  in  the  county  up  to  the  present  time,  and  we 
feel  assured  that  all  thoughtful  persons  interested  in  the  matter  will  recognize  and  appreciate 
the  importance  of  the  work  and  its  permanent  value.  A  dry  statement  of  facts  has  been 
avoided,  so  far  as  it  was  possible  to  do  so,  and  anecdote  and  incident  have  been  interwoven  with 
plain  recital  and  statistics,  thereby  forming  a  narrative  at  once  instructive  and  entertaining. 

To  the  many  friends  who  have  contributed  special  portions  of  the  matter  herein  contained, 
and  to  those  who  have  assisted  Mr.  Blanchard  with  dates  and  other  memoranda,  our  thanks 
are  due,  and  we  trust  that  the  earnest  endeavors  that  we  have  exercised  to  present  our  patrons 
with  a  work  worthy  in  all  respects  will,  in  part,  repay  them  for  their  kindness. 

NOVEMBER,  1882.  O.  L.  RASKIN  &  CO. 


"4 


CONTENTS. 


PART  I. 

HISTORICAL.  PAOE. 

CHAPTER  1.— Du  Page  a  Spanish  Possession— The  French  Take 
Possession  of  the  Northwest — The  Country  Comes  Under 
English  Rule— George  Rogers  Clarke — Territorial  Subdi- 
visions— First  Conveyance  of  Lund  in  Du  Page  County— 
The  Pottawatomies — Great  American  Treaty  of  1833— 
The  Chicagon  Portage — The  Removal  of  the  Indians — 
Their  Present  Condition— Origin  of  the  name  Du  Page — 
Spanish  Conquest  and  Its  Aims— Baron  de  Carondelet— 
The  Spanish  Close  the  Lower  Mississippi— County  Organ- 
ization and  Subdivision— Northern  Limits  of  Illinois — 
The  French  Traders— Act  Organizing  Du  Page  County  ..  11 

CHAPTER  II.— The  Pioneer— Stephen  J  Scott— The  Scott  Set- 
tlement— Blodgett  Hauley— Bailey  Hobson,  the  First  Set- 
tler of  Du  Page  County— Building  the  First  Cabin— Cross- 
ing a  Slough— Williard  Scott— Social  Entertatuments— 
Corn  Pancakes— The  Napers— First  Ground  Plowed— The 
First  School — Joseph  Naper — John  Naper — The  First 
Stove— Christopher  Paine— The  First  Saw-Mill—Home- 
made Spinning  Wheels  and  Looms— Cold  Winter  of  1830- 
31 — Portage  to  Chicago — The  Lawtons — The  Pottawato- 
mies — Flight  to  Fort  Dearborn — Horrible  Massacre  at 
Indian  Creek— Exploits  of  Col.  Beaubien 25 

CHAPTER  III.—  Capt.  Paine  arrives  at  the  Naper  Settlement 
— Fort  Paine  Built — James  Brown  Shot  by  the  Indians — 
Expedition  to  Half  Day's  Village— Maj.  William  Whistler 
Arrives  at  Fort  Dearborn — Oapt.  Paine's  Company  Return 
to  Danville — Gen.  Scott  arrives  at  Chicago— The  Cholera 
— Gen.  Scott  Encamps  on  the  Desplaiues— Gen.  Scott  at 
Fort  Paine — Gen.  Scott's  Army  at  Rock  Island — John  K. 
Clark— Black  Hawk  Sent  to  Fortress  Monroe — His  Death 
— Poll-Lists— The  Pre-emption  House— Claimants— The 
Prairie  Schooner— The  First  Grist-Mill—Fowler's  Grap- 
ple with  the  Wolf— The  Pioneer  of  Pioneers— Early 
Preachers 42 

CHAPTER  IV.— Public  Land  Surveys— The  Land  Claim  Sys- 
tem—Necessity for  the  Higher  Law— The  Big  Woods 
Claim  Protecting  Society — The  Land  Pirate  Company — 
Land  Speculators— Indian  Burying  Grounds — The  Fox 
River  Country — Method  of  Grinding  Corn — Indian  Vil- 
lages— Indian  Agriculture — Indian  Modes  of  Travel — 
The  Country  North,  East  and  South  of  the  Du  Page  Bat- 
tlements—The Du  Page  County  Society  for  Mutual  Pro- 
tection—The Hognatorial  Council 55 


CHAPTER  V.— First  Introduction  of  Slavery  into  the  Colony 
of  Virginia  — First  Anti-Slavery  Literature  — Southern 
Origin  of  Anti-Slavery  Societies — Action  of  the  Quakers 
— "The  Genius  of  Universal  Emancipation  " — Early  Abo- 
litionists—The Old  Federal  Party— Origin  of  the  Demo- 
cratic and  Whig  Parties — Origin  of  the  Republican  Party 
— Gov.  Coles — Elihu  B.  Washburne — Stephen  A.  Douglas 
— Abraham  Lincoln — The  Western  Citizen  Introduces 
Abolitionism  into  Chicago— Its  Effect— Illinois  the  First 
State  to  Take  Political  Action  in  the  Abolition  Movement 
— John  Brown — Fort  Sumter 68 

CHAPTER  VI.— Record  of  Du  Pago  County  in  the  War  of  the 

Rebellion 90 

CHAPTER  VII.— The  First  Election— County  Commissioners' 
Court— The  County  Line  Surveyed— The  County  Divided 
into  Precincts — Townships  Organized — List  of  County 
and  Town  Officers— Valuation  of  Taxable  Property— The 
First  Grand  Jury— Public  Schools— The  Old  Stage  Coach 
— Railroads — Removal  of  the  County  Seat — The  County 
Fair— Geology  of  the  County 139 

CHAPTER  VIII.  — Milton  Township  — Its  First'  Settlers  — 
Wheaton— How  It  Received  Its  Name— The  Galena  & 
Chicago  Union  Railroad  —  Churches  of  Wheaton  —  Pio- 
neer School — Stacy's  Corners — Babcock  Grove — Prospect 
Park— Its  Churches „ 163 

CHAPTER  IX— Downer's  Grove  Township— The  Old  Indian 
Boundary  —  Caes  —  Pierce  Downer  —  Thomas  Andi  us — 
Chicago  Reminiscences — The  Village  of  Hinsdalc — Brush 
Hill  Memories  —  Clarendon  Hills  — Fredericksburg— 
Downer's  Grove  Village — An  Ox  Team  Hitched  to  an 
Oak  Log— What  Grew  Out  of  It— The  Underground  Bail- 
road 194 

CHAPTER  X  — Napcrville  Township— List  of  Early  Settlers- 
Village  of  Naperville — Churches — Schools — Manufacto- 
ries—  The  Northwestern  College  —  Temperance  Move- 
ments— Newspapers — Fire  Department — Military  Com- 
pany— Nurseries — The  Lodges — Bank — Stone  Quarry 218 

CHAPTER  XI.— Lisle  Township— The  First  Settler— His  Hardi- 
hood—Thanksgiving— A  Female  Pow-wow— The  Old  Grist 
Mill— The  Chronic  Pioneer— His  Generosity 240 


S66063 


iv 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XII.— York  Township— Origin  of  Its  Name— Its 
Early  Si-ttlers— The  Uesplaines  Bridged— Sun.lay  Service 
on  Slab  Seats—  The  Pioneer  School  Mistress— The  Widow- 
er's Cabin— Praying  Matches — Suicide — Bursting  Forth 
ofaSpring— Elmhurst— German  Evangelical  Seminary- 
Lombard  248 

CHAPTEB  XIII.— Winfleld  Township— Warrenville— Water 
Cresses — Their  Consequences — Newcomers  and  Distant . 
Neighbors — Parties  and  Raisings— Railsplitting— Fourth 
of  July— The  Schoolgirl's  Handkerchief-  The  Old  Saw- 
Mill— The  Hotel  and  Dancing  Hall—  What  was  in  a  Trunk 
of  Old  Papers — Churches — The  Warrenville  Academy — 
Gary's  Mills— Methodist  Church  at  the  Place — A  Shylock 
Member  Excommunicated— Wlnfield— Turner  Junction 
—John  B.Turner 255 

CHAPTER  XIV.— Wayne  Township— Pioneer  Life  of  Ite  Set- 
tlers— Corner  on  Whisky  and  Its  Result — Indian  Burtal 
— Indian  Importunity — Wolves  on  the  Rampage — Going 
to  Mill— Father  Kimball—  Pioneer  School — Gimletvillv — 
Ite  Hopes  Dashed  to  the  Ground— Hillocks,  Spas  and 
Rivulets—  Wayne  Station— Relics  of  the  Stone  Age 268 

CHAPTEB  XV.— Bloomingdale  Township— Indian  Burying- 
Grounds — The  Meachams — Pioneer  Burials — Early  Road 
Districts — Scene  in  a  Sunday  Service — Tragical  Termi- 
nation of  a  Law  Suit — School  Districts — Petrifactions — 
Bloomingdale  Village — Churches  — Business  Men  of 
Bloomingdale — Roselle — Its  Business  Men — Meacham — 
Strange  Phenomenon  on  Kelley's  Farm 274 

CHAPTER  XVI  —  Addiaon  Township— The  Mountain  Daisy- 
Indian  Encampment — The  Army  Trail— The  Soldier's 
Grave — The  Log  Cabin — Home  Talent — The  German 
Vanguard— The  Pioneer  Tavern— The  Old  Galena  Trade 
—Salt  Creek— Francis  Hoffman,  a  Lay  Preacher— The 
Village  of  Addison— The  German  Evangelical  Teachers' 
Seminary — The  Orphan  Asylum — Professional  and  Busi- 
ness Men  of  Addison — Itasca — Its  Business  Men — Lester's 
— Bensonville— Schools 284 


PAET   II. 

BIOGRAPHICAL.  PAOI. 

Naperville  Township 3 

Milton  Township 46 

Downer's  Grove  Township 77 

Lisle  Township 130 

York  Township 1S3 

Winneld  Township .7. 112 

Wayne  Township 195 

Bloomingdale  Township 214 

Addison  Township 227 


PORTRAITS. 

Albro,  Ira 17 

Bates,  Gerry , 89 

Bites,  Frederick  H 117 

Benjamin,  R.  Y 279 

Blanchard,  Walter 99 

Carr,  John 107 

Cnrtiss,  Samuel 35 

Fischer,  Henry  D 135 

Graue,  Frederick 243 

Greue,  Deidrick 261 

Greene,  Daniel  M 53 

Middaugh,  H.  C 125 

Patrick,  W.  K 153 

Robbins,  W 81 

Scott,  Willard 225 

Smith,  John 143 

Struckmann,  Deidrich 63 

Thatcher,  A.  T 45 

Walker,  James  B 27 

Warne,  John 189 

Warne,  Sarah 207 

Wheaton.J.  C.,  Sr. 171 

Wiant,  Joel 71 


PART  I. 


HISTORY  OF  Du  PAGE 


TY, 


CHAPTER  I. 


DU   PAGE  A  SPANISH    POSSESSION— THE   FRENCH    TAKE  POSSESSION  OF  THE   NORTHWEST— THE 
COUNTRY   COMES   UNDER  ENGLISH  RULE  — GEORGE  ROGERS  CLARK— TERRITORIAL  SUBDI- 
VISIONS—FIRST CONVEYANCE   OF  LAND  IN  DU  PAGE  COUNTY— THE  POTTAW ATOMIES 
—GREAT  AMERICAN  TREATY  OF  1833— THE  CHICAGOU  PORTAGE— THE  REMOVAL 
OF   THE   INDIANS— THEIR    PRESENT   CONDITION— ORIGIN   OF  THE  NAME 
DU  PAGE— SPANISH  CONQUEST  AND  ITS  AIMS— BARON    DE  CARON- 
DELET  — THE    SPANISH    CLOSE    THE    LOWER     MISSISSIPPI  — 
COUNTY    ORGANIZATION  AND  SUBDIVISION— NORTHERN 
LIMITS  OF  ILLINOIS— THE  FRENCH  TRADERS— ACT 
ORGANIZING    DU   PAGE  COUNTY. 

fl  ^HE  history  of  the  world  has  a  grandeur, 
-L-  like  a  distant  landscape — too  far  away  for 
the  eye  to  take  in  its  infinite  detail— such  as 
the  delicate  tracery  of  plant  life  or  the  stub- 
born structures  of  rock  formations  which  make 
it  up. 

But  the  history  of  our  age,  and  especially 
our  own  locality,  comes  home  to  us  personally. 
Commonplace  as  it  may  seem  to  us  now,  in 
the  distant  future,  it  will  help  to  make  up  a 
whole;  deepening  in  interest  as  time  chops  off 
the  centuries,  one  after  another.  All  great 
men  must  have  a  constituency,  but  little  if 
any  inferior  to  themselves  in  intellect,  and  it 
is  the  actions  and  deeds  of  the  citizen  which 
speak  through  some  representative  whose 
talent  for  becoming  their  advocate  has  given 
him  a  famejustly  to  be  shared  by  his  cotern- 


poraries,  and  of  these,  county  history  is  to 
speak.  They  constitute  the  delicate  tracery 
and  details  of  the  historic  landscape  destined 
some  day  to  be  as  grand  as  it  is  distant. 

We  propose  to  give  a  history  of  Du  Page 
County  from  the  earliest  records  pertaining  to 
it,  to  the  present  time. 

Not  long  ago,  comparatively,  as  to  the  world's 
chronology,  but  primitively  as  to  our  history, 
this  county  was  lost  for  want  of  a  suit  of 
clothes,  nor  was  it  but  a  small  part  of  the  loss 
for  such  default.  The  circumstances  are  these: 
When  Columbus  was  casting  about  from  king 
to  king  in  Europe  to  obtain  patronage  where- 
with to  pursue  his  plans  of  discovery,  he  had 
dispatched  his  brother  Bartholomew  to  the 
court  of  Henry  Vllth  of  England  to  beg  his 
royal  favor  and  material  aid.  On  his  way 


14 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


The  Pottawatomies,  or  Peuteowatamis  as 
they  were  sometimes  called,  were  found  by  the 
French  adventurers  along  the  shores  of  Lake 
Michigan  when  the  country  was  first  discovered 
by  them.  The  position  they  held  was  a  "com- 
manding one  as  to  locality,  as  it  is  known  that 
their  hunting-grounds  extended  at  one  time  all 
around  the  Southern  extremity  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan, though  shared  at  various  times  with  the  j 
Ottawas,  the  Cherokees  and  the  Miamis. 

When  Alouez  was  exploring  the  shores  and 
islands  of  Lake  Superior,  even  before  the  inte- 
rior of  the  country  had  been  entered  except  by  . 
Nicolet,  he  met  a  delegation  of  300  Pottawato- 
mies at  Chagouamigon  (an  island  in  Lake  Su- 
perior) as  early  as  1668.  Among  them  was  an 
old  man  of  100  winters.  Says  the  relation  : 
He  appears  to  have  been  a  great  "  medicine  j 
man  "  among  his  tribe,  and  was  regarded  by 
them  as  a  wonderful  prophet.  He  could  fast 
for  twenty  days,  and  often  saw  the  Great  Spirit. 
This  venerable  seer  died  while  on  the  island  on 
his  visit  to  Alouez  here. 

Father  Marquette  makes  frequent  mention  of 
the  Pottawatomies  in  his  journal,  which  he 
kept,  in  the  winter  of  1674—75,  at  "  Chicagou,1' 
and  to  them  and  the  Illinois  tribes  was  he  in- 
debted for  many  acts  of  kindness  extended  to 
him  during  his  detention  at  Chicago  on  account 
of  sickness. 

This  tribe  continued  to  be  the  transcend- 
ent Indian  power  along  the  Southern  shores 
of  Lake  Michigan  from  its  first  discovery  till 
the  final  removal  of  all  the  Indians  from  the 
country  by  Col.  Russell  in  1836.  They  took 
sides  with  the  British  in  the  war  of  1812,  and 
struck  heavy  blows  against  the  Americans  in 
that  war,  of  which  the  massacre  at  Fort  Dear- 
born and  other  casualties  in  the  early  part  of 
that  war  bear  testimony. 

They  had  joined  with  other  tribes  in  ceding 
six  miles  square  at  the  mouth  of  Chicago  River 
to  the  Americans  at  the  treaty  of  Greenville  in 
1795,  as  already  told,  and  when  the  progress 


and  development  of  the  country  demanded  fur-- 
ther  cessions  of  territory,  it  was  to  them  chiefly 
that  the  Government  looked  as  the  highest  au- 
thority to  apply  to  for  the  purchase  of  needed 
lands. 

As  late  as  1833,  they  had  only  sold  to  the 
United  States  Government  the  small  part  of 
their  Illinois  hunting-grounds  contained  within 
the  limits  of  the  treaty  of  1816,  and  up  to  this 
time  they  owned,  perhaps,  in  common  with  the 
Ottawas  and  Cherokees,  all  that  part  of  North- 
ern Illinois  which  lies  east  of  Rock  River  and 
northwest  of  the  strip  of  land  ceded  by  the 
three  tribes  in  1816.  Settlers  were  coming  in- 
to the  country  and  staking  out  their  claims, 
knowing  full  well  that  the  Government  would 
soon  extinguish  the  Indian  title. 

Under  this  pressure,  the  United  States  Gov- 
ernment summoned  the  Pottawatomies,  Ottawa 
and  Chippewa,  tribes  to  a  great  council  to  be 
held  at  Chicago  in  September,  1833.  This  was 
the  greatest  event  the  little  then  mushroom 
town  had  ever  seen.  Besides  the  interest  the 
Indians  felt  in  the  treaty,  there  were  scores  of 
white  men  gathered  around  the  spot  to  put  in 
various  speculative  claims  as  to  property  al- 
leged to  have  been  stolen  by  the  Indians,  or  to 
bring  in  enormous  charges  for  services  ren- 
dered to  the  Government  by  virtue  of  contracts 
of  an  indefinite  character. 

The  Government  had  made  immense  prepa- 
rations to  feed  the  Indians,  of  whom  three  tribes 
were  on  the  ground  with  their  squaws  and  pa- 
pooses stretched  on  boards  or  slung  in  pocket- 
shaped  blankets. 

After  several  days  of  palaver  in  which  the 
whims  of  the  Indians  were  artfully  humored, 
and  the  bright  side  of  their  natures  had  been 
brought  to  the  front  by  those  arts  which  had  the 
result  of  years  of  practice,  the  Indians  finally 
affixed  their  sign  to  the  treaty,  by  which  they 
sold  the  entire  northeastern  portion  of  Illinois  (an 
area  embracing  more  than  ten  of  its  present 
counties,  among  which  Du  Page  was  one)  to 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


15 


the  Government.  G.  B.  Porter,  Thomas  J.  V. 
Owen  and  William  Weatherford,  in  behalf  of 
the  Government,  negotiated  the  treaty.  It 
bears  date  of  Chicago,  September  26, 1833.  It 
was  the  last  treaty  of  importance  ever  held 
with  the  Indians  in  the  Northwest,  and  was  the 
instrument  by  which  the  Indian  title  to  the 
country  became  extinguished  after  its  joint  oc- 
cupation by  the  red  and  white  races  (the  latter 
including  the  French)  ever  since  1673,  more 
than  a  century  and  a  half. 

At  no  other  place  in  America  had  the  In- 
dians lingered  so  long  after  the  advent  of  the 
whites,  and  it  is  not  strange  that  a  great  variety 
of  associations  had  sprung  up  between  the 
triple  alliances  of  native,  French  and  English 
races,  as  they  had  mingled  together  at  the 
"  Chicagou  "  portage.  Here  was  the  great  carry- 
ing-place between  the  immense  prairie  country 
to  the  southwest,  and  the  lakes  and  along  the 
shores  of  Lake  Michigan,  from  "  Chicagou  "  to 
the  straits.  Indian  canoes  were  frequently 
passing  to  and  fro  during  the  summer  season, 
and  Mud  Lake  and  the  Desplaines  Eiver  was 
in  this  direct  line  of  travel.  The  first  interest 
that  drove  the  American  element  to  Chicago 
was  the  Indian  trade,  and  the  American  Fur 
Company  was  its  first  representative.  Most  of 
those  engaged  by  this  company  were  men  bred 
on  the  frontier,  and  felt  no  repugnance  toward 
the  Indians,  but  on  the  contrary  not  a  few  felt 
a  friendship  for  them,  strengthened  by  years  of 
companionship  in  the  fascinating  sports  of 
border  life,  which  not  only  level  social  distinc- 
tions, but  accept  a  good  fellowship  through  a 
rough  exterior,  intolerable  to  the  uninitiated 
civilian,  whose  motto  is  "  the  tailor  makes  the 
man."  Many  of  the  Indians  could  make  nice 
discriminations  in  issues  when  natural  rights 
were  at  stake,  and  the  higher  law  to  them  was 
a  tribunal  from  which  there  was  no  appeal. 
This  is  not  too  much  to  say  of  them  till  they 
were  brutalized  by  bad  whisky,  and  their  morals 
corrupted  by  the  vices  without  being  elevated 


by  the  virtues  of  the  whites.  The  former  they 
could  imitate,  but  the  latter  were  sealed  books 
to  them.  The  amount  of  goods  dispensed  to 
them  at  Chicago  to  fulfill  treaty  stipulations, 
was  often  very  large,  and  in  order  to  distribute 
them  equitably,  men  were  chosen  for  the 
service  whose  personal  acquaintance  with  the 
Indians  would  enable  them  to  do  it  in  the  most 
satisfactory  manner.  On  these  occasions  the 
hugh  piles  of  goods,  consisting  largely  of  In- 
dian blankets  were  dispensed  by  peace-meal 
to  the  different  Indian  families,  according  to 
their  necessities,  but  sometimes  a  discarded 
Indian  lassie,  whose  place  had  been  substituted 
by  a  white  wife,  came  in  for  an  extra  share  of 
finery  as  an  offset  for  lacerated  affections — a 
cheap  way  of  satisfying  such  claims.  Nowa- 
days it  costs  as  many  thousand  dollars  as  it 
did  then  yards  of  cheap  broadcloth. 

The  removal  of  the  Pottawatomies  from  the 
country  was  effected  in  1835-36,  as  before 
stated  by  Col.  J.  B.  F.  Russell. 

Previous  to  the  death  of  his  widow,  which 
took  place  in  the  present  year  1882,  she  al- 
lowed the  writer  to  take  items  from  her  hus- 
band's journal,  and  the  following  is  one  of  the 
items  : 

"  The  first  party  of  Indians  left  Chicago  Sep- 
tember 21,  1835,  with  the  Chiefs  Robinson, 
Caldwell  an.d  La  Fromborse,  and  proceeded  to 
their  place  of  rendezvous  twelve  miles  from 
Chicago,  on  the  Desplaines — a  place  of  meeting 
usual  on  such  occasions.  I  met  them  in  coun- 
cil and  presented  to  them  the  object  of  the 
meeting,  and  the  views  of  the  Government  re- 
lative to  their  speedy  removal  to  their  new 
country.  They  wished  to  defer  answering  what 
I  had  said  to  them  for  two  days,  to  which  I 
consented.  Sunday,  28th,  provided  teams  and 
transportation  for  the  removal  of  the  Indians." 

The  journal  next  proceeds  to  detail  the  par- 
ticulars of  his  thankless  toil  in  satisfying  the 
real  and  whimsical  wants  of  his  captious  charge, 
who  honored  him  with  the  appellation  of  father, 


16 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUXTY. 


and  vexed  him  with  complaints  continually. 
Their  course  lay  westward  through  Du  Page 
County,  and  their  first  stopping  place  was  on 
Skunk  River,  in  Iowa.  Patogushah  started 
with  his  band  to  winter  at  this  place.  His  was 
the  first  party  to  start  independent  of  Govern- 
ment assistance.  Robinson  had  command  of  a 
separate  party,  Caldwell  another,  Wabuusie 
another,  and  Holliday  another,  and  Robert  Kin- 
zie  and  Mr.  Kirchival  assisted  Mr.  Russell  in 
superintending  the  whole.  Fort  Des  Moines  lay 
on  their  route  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  near  which 
was  their  reservation  on  the  Missouri  River. 
They  were  to  draw  their  supplies  from  the  fort 
as  stipulated  by  the  Government  at  the  treaty, 
after  the}-  had  settled  themselves  in  their  new 
home  adjacent  to  it. 

Two  years  after  their  settlement,  owing  to 
feelings  of  hostility  which  the  frontier  settlers 
felt  toward  them,  they  were  removed  to  Council 
Bluffs,  from  whence,  after  remaining  a  few 
years,  they  were  again  removed  to  the  Kansas 
Territory,  where  they  now  live,  diminished  in 
numbers  from  5,000  at  the  time  they  left  Illi- 
nois to  less  than  half  that  number,  but  they  are 
now  in  a  prosperous  condition.  The  report 
from  the  office  of  Indian  affairs  in  Kansas  Sep- 
tember 1,  1878,  says  :  "  The  Pottawatomies 
are  advancing  in  education,  morality,  Christian- 
ity and  self-support.  A  majority  of  them  have 
erected  substantial  homes,  planted  fruit  trees, 
and  otherwise  beautified  their  surroundings. 
The  average  attendance  at  a  school  which  the 
Government  has  provided  for  them  is  twenty- 
nine,  from  an  enrollment  of  forty-four.  The 
school  buildings  are  well  supplied  with  facili- 
ties for  boarding  and  lodging  the  pupils,  and 
also  for  teaching  the  females  household  duties. 

This  reservation  contains  77,357  acres  of  laud 
in  Jackson  County.  Their  wealth  in  individual 
property  amounts  to  $241, 650.  On  their  farms 
they  have  reapers,  mowers,  planters,  cultiva- 
tors, and  other  agricultural  machinery,  all  of  the 
latest  approved  patterns.  Such  is  the  history, 


and  present  condition  of  the  people  we  drove 
from  the  soil  of  Du  Page  County,  or  rather  our 
civilization  obliged  them  to  sell  out  to  us,  in- 
asmuch as  we  were  mutually  unendurable  to 
each  other.  The  bones  of  their  fathers  are 
now  a  component  part  of  the  dust  beneath  our 
feet,  with  no  stone  to  perpetuate  their  memory, 
except  those  of  Alexander  Robinson  and  Sha- 
bonee,  both  of  whom  were  esteemed  by  all  who 
knew  them  for  their  many  manly  and  benevo- 
lent traits  of  character,  and  whose  lofty  virtues 
deserve  historic  acknowledgment.  A  tomb- 
stone marks  the  grave  of  each,  which  is  still 
beheld  with  respect  by  many  who  well  remem- 
ber them.  As  already  stated,  ere  the  Indians 
had  left  the  country,  their  grounds  had  begun 
to  be  claimed  by  the  pioneer  settlers,  and  his 
plowshare  had  already  scarred  the  soil  never 
before  turned  up  to  the  mellowing  influence  of 
the  sun. 

The  Du  Page  River  had,  from  time  imme- 
morial, been  a  stream  well  known.  It  took  its 
name  from  a  French  trader  who  settled  on  this 
stream  below  the  fork  previous  to  1800.  Hon. 
H.  W.  Blodgett,  of  Waukegan,  informs  the 
writer  that  J.  B.  Beaubien  had  often  spoken  to 
him  of  the  old  Frenchman,  Du  Page,  whose  sta- 
tion was  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  down  toward 
its  mouth,  and  stated  that  the  river  took  its 
name  from  him.  The  county  name  must  have 
the  same  origin.  Col.  Gurdon  S.  Hubbard,  who 
came  into  the  country  in  1818,  informs  the 
writer  that  the  name  Du  Page,  as  applied  to  the 
river  then,  was  universally  known,  but  the 
trader  for  whom  it  was  named  lived  there  before 
his  time.  Mr.  Beaubien  says  it  is  pronounced 
Du  Pazhe  (a  having  the  sound  of  ah,  and  that 
the  P  should  be  a  capital).  This  was  in  reply 
to  Mr.  Blodgett's  inquiry  of  him  concerning  the 
matter. 

The  county  organization  of  the  great  North- 
west grew  into,  or,  rather,  was,  reduced  into  its 
present  conditions  by  successive!}-  subdividing 
the  immense  areas  over  which  its  first  courts 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


17 


held  jurisdiction  after  Territories  and  States 
had  been  established. 

After  the  conquest  of  the  Illinois  country  by 
Gen.  George  Rogers  Clark,  in  1778,  according  to 
the  old  Virginia  claim,  the  whole  Northwest  was  a 
part  of  her  territory.  This  claim  rested  on  her 
original  charter  from  King  James  (which,  ac- 
cording to  the  view  taken  of  it  by  Thomas 
Paine,  was  absurd).  But,  without  discussing 
its  merits,  let  us  record  the  commendable  part 
this  State  took  to  preserve  the  fruits  of  Clark's 
conquest. 

In  the  spring  succeeding  it  (1779),  Col.  John 
Todd,  under  a  commission  from  Patrick  Henry, 
then  Governor  of  Virginia,  came  to  Vincennes, 
on  the  Wabash  and  Kaskaskia,  111.  (over  both  of 
which  places  the  American  flag  waved),  for  the 
purpose  of  establishing  a  temporary  govern- 
ment, according  to  the  provisions  of  the  act  of 
the  General  Assembly  of  Virginia,  bearing  date 
of  October,  1778.  On  the  15th  of  June,  1779, 
he  issued  the  following  proclamation  : 

ILLINOIS  COUNTY,  To  WIT: 

Whereas,  from  the  fertility  and  beautiful  situation 
of  the  lands  bordering  on  the  Mississippi,  Ohio,  Illi- 
nois and  Wabash  Rivers,  the  taking  up  of  the  usual 
quantity  of  land  heretofore  allowed  for  a  settlement 
by  the  Government  of  this  country: 

I  do  therefore  issue  this  proclamation,  strictly  en- 
joining all  persons  whatsoever  from  making  any  new 
settlements  upon  the  flat  lands  of  the  said  rivers  or 
within  one  league  of  said  lands,  unless  in  manner 
and  form  of  settlements  as  heretofore  made  by  the 
French  inhabitants,  until  further  orders  herein 
given.  And  in  order  that  all  the  claims  to  lands  in 
said  county  may  be  fully  known,  and  some  method 
provided  for  perpetuating  by  record  the  just  claims, 
every  inhabitant  is  required,  as  soon  as  conven- 
iently may  be,  to  lay  before  the  person,  in  each 
district  appointed  for  that  purpose,  a  memorandum 
of  his  or  her  laud,  with  copies  of  all  their  vouchers; 
and  when  vouchers  have  never  been  given  or  are 
lost,  such  depositions  or  certificates  as  will  tend  to 
support  their  claims — the  memorandum  to  mention 
the  quantity  of  land,  to  whom  originally  granted, 
and  when;  deducing  the  title  through  the  various 
occupants  to  the  present  possessor.  The  number  of 
adventurers  who  will  shortly  overrun  this  country 


renders  the  above  method  necessary,  as  well  to  as- 
certain the  vacant  lands  as  to  guard  against  tres- 
passes, which  will  probably  be  committed  on  lands 
not  on  record. 

Given  under  my  hand  and  seal  at  Kaskaskia  the 
15th  day  of  June,  in  the  third  year  of  the  Common- 
wealth, 1779.  JOHN  TODD,  JR. 

The  foregoing  is  the  first  official  act  of 
the  Americans  to  organize  civil  government 
over  the  Northwest.  The  Virginia  cession  of 
1784,  rendered  it  a  nullity,  and  the  entire  coun- 
try with  its  2,000  French^inhabitants,  and  its 
10,000  Indian  population  was  virtually  under 
no  national  jurisdiction  during  a  period  of 
several  years. 

Even  when  St.  Clair  was  appointed  Gov- 
ernor in  1787,  the  English  still  held  possession 
of  Detroit,  Michilimadnac,  St.  Joseph  on  Lake 
Michigan,  Prairie  du  Chien  and  Sandusky, 
and  contrary  to  treaty  stipulations,  retained 
these  posts  till  July,  1796.  This  retention  did 
not  bring  on  any  conflict  of  authority  between 
St.  Clair  and  Lord  Dorchester,  who  then,  as 
Governor  of  Canada,  extended  his  rule  over  all 
the  towns  on  the  upper  lakes,  and  Oswego  on 
Lake  Ontario.  The  reason  for  this  was  because 
Washington  gave  instructions  to  St.  Clair  to  do 
nothing  which  might  offend  the  English,  but 
wait  until  amicable  negotiations  should  secure 
our  rights.  The  attitude  of  Spain  was  then  a 
constant  menace  and  threat  against  the  North- 
west. This  power  held  the  mouth  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi River,  and  all  the  Territory  on  its  west 
side  indefinitely — perhaps  to  the  Pacific  coast, 
(if  she  could  circumvent  the  English  in  her 
claims  to  what  she  ultimately  held  there).  Early 
in  1779,  war  was  declared  between  these  two 
powers ;  and  the  Spanish  of  St.  Louis,  in  their 
zeal  to  strike  a  blow  at  the  English,  formed  an 
expedition  against  the  British  post  at  St.  Joseph, 
under  command  of  Capt.  Don  Eugenio  Pierre. 
It  started  January  2,  1781,  with  a  force  of 
sixty-five  men,  surprised  and  took  the  place, 
and  by  virtue  of  this  conquest  made  an  attempt 
(absurd  as  it  was  fruitless)  to  annex  the  terri- 


18 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUXTY. 


tory  intervening  to  Spain,  which  would  be  all 
Northern  Illinois.  Balked  in  this  attempt  at 
the  treaty  of  Paris,  which  established  the  Mis- 
sissippi as  our  Western  boundary,  Spain  sub- 
sequently closed  the  port  of  New  Orleans 
against  the  commerce  of  the  Northwest,  and 
contrary  to  treaty  stipulations  of  1795,  retained 
possession  of  Natchez  and  one  other  port  on 
the  east  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  at  the  same 
time  forbidding  the  navigation  of  the  river  to 
the  western  people,  except  on  condition  that 
they  would  secede  from  the  Atlantic  States 
and  make  themselves  an  independent  nation 
under  protection  of  the  Spanish  Government. 
These  were  the  conditions  on  which  they  might 
secure  the  Mississippi  as  a  thoroughfare  to  the 
seas. 

Gen.  James  Wilkinson,  after  the  death  of 
Gen.  Wayne,  succeeded  to  the  command  of  the 
United  States  forces  in  the  West,  and  to  him 
the  Baron  de  Carondelet,  the  Spanish  Govern- 
or of  Louisiana,  sent  a  messenger  named  Thomas 
Powers,  with  a  request  that  he  would  send  no 
force  against  the  posts  on  the  east  bank  of  the 
Mississippi,  held  by  Spain,  but  would  wait  for 
the  delivery  of  the  posts  till  the  matter  could 
be  negotiated  amicably.  Powers,  at  the  same 
time,  tried  to  bribe  the  people  of  the  Northwest 
to  declare  themselves  independent,  and  offered 
them  $100,000  and  the  free  navigation  of  the 
Mississippi  if  they  would  do  so — a  paltry  sum 
whereby  to  corrupt  a  State,  even  if  the  State 
were  capable  of  the  treachery,  and  its  record 
serves  rather  to  reveal  the  low  Spanish  esti- 
mate of  patriotism  than  any  honor  of  which  an 
American  need  be  proud,  for  having  rejected 
the  bribe.  Orders  were  issued  for  the  arrest  of 
Powers,  as  soon  as  the  nature  of  his  mission 
became  known  to  Washington,  but  he  evaded 
pursuit  and  found  his  way  back  to  his  master, 
the  feeble  old  dotard,  who  was  Spanish  Gov- 
ernor of  New  Orleans  at  the  time. 

Great  as  his  folly  was  in  attempting  to  divide 
the  union  of  the  States,  the  matter  was  a  cause 


of  much  solicitude  and  anxiety  in  the  minds  of 
our  statesmen  at  the  time,  and  it  required  their 
utmost  exertions  to  prevent  armed  expeditions 
from  the  Northwest  from  going  down  the 
river  and  forcing  a  passage  to  the  gulf.  John 
Jaj*,  one  of  our  ablest  men,  counseled  mod- 
eration, under  an  assurance  that  by  waiting 
a  short  time,  the  force  of  events  would  secure 
our  rights  without  war.  These  rights  on 
the  Lower  Mississippi  were  not  secured  fully 
till  1798,  during  the  summer  of  which  year 
the  Spaniards  reluctantly  gave  up  their 
forts  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Mississippi, 
and  Gen.  Wilkinson  erected  Fort  Adams  on  the 
spot  occupied  by  one  of  them,  which  was  just 
above  the  thirty-first  degree  of  north  latitude. 
From  that  time  henceforward,  the  navigation 
of  the  Mississippi  was  never  closed  against  the 
commerce  of  the  Northwest,  till  by  the  rebels 
in  1861,  who  kept  it  closed  three  years,  when 
by  the  courage  of  not  a  few  Du  Page  County 
soldiers,  with  others,  it  was  opened. 

It  has  already  been  stated  that  the  whole 
Illinois  country  had  been  officially  organized 
as  Illinois  County  by  action  of  the  Governor  of 
Virginia  in  1779,  which  became  annulled  in 
1784  when  that  State  ceded  the  Northwest  to 
the  United  States. 

Then  there  followed  a  hiatus  in  organized 
government  here  till  St.  Clair,  who  was  ap- 
pointed Governor  in  1787,  had  established 
courts  in  the  Northwest  the  next  year,  in  1788. 
These  courts  did  not  extend  their  jurisdiction 
to  the  Illinois  country  till  1790,  at  which  time 
Illinois  Territory  became  organized  as  one  of 
the  four  counties  in  the  Northwest,  and  was 
named  St.  Clair  County,  and  was  represented 
in  the  Territorial  Legislature  held  at  Fort 
Washington  (Cincinnati),  by  Shadrack  Bond. 

On  May  7,  1800.  when  the  Territory  of  In- 
diana was  set  off,  which  embraced  both  of  the 
present  States  of  Illinois  and  Indiana,  the  same 
genera]  laws  which  had  hitherto  prevailed  in 
the  Northwest  were  continued  in  operation  in 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUXTY. 


19 


Indiana  Territory,  and  no  civil  subdivisions  into 
new  counties  were  made,  till  the  28th  of  April, 
1809,  at  which  time  Illinois  Territory  was  set 
off  and  divided  into  two  counties — Randolph 
and  St.  Clair — by  Nathaniel  Pope,  Secretary 
under  Ninian  Edwards,  its  Governor. 

St.  Clair  County  embraced  its  Northern  por- 
tion, including  the  present  county  of  Du  Page, 
which  then  had  only  transient  white  inhabitants 
in  the  employ  of  French  fur  traders. 

The  next  change  in  counties  made  was  Sep- 
tember 14,  1812,  when  Governor  Edwards  es- 
tablished the  county  of  Madison,  which  em- 
braced the  whole  portion  of  the  territory  north 
of  a  line  extending  along  the  south  side  of  the 
present  county  of  Madison  due  eastwardly  to 
the  Wabash  River,  which  included  the  present 
county  of  Du  Page. 

No  further  civil  divisions  were  made  while 
Illinois  remained  a  territory,  but  an  issue  came 
up,  on  bringing  it  into  the  Union,  of  vital  im- 
portance not  only  to  the  locality  of  Du  Page 
and  its  adjacent  counties,  but  to  the  nation 
itself. 

The  terms  by  which  the  Northwest  was 
ceded  by  Virginia  to  the  United  States  pro- 
vided for  the  number  of  States  into  which  it 
might  be  subdivided,  which  was  to  be  five  at 
most,  and  the  ordinance  also  provided  that  in 
the  event  of  five  States  being  made  of  the  ter- 
ritory, two  should  be  constituted  out  of  the 
territory  north  of  a  due  east  and  west  line 
drawn  through  the  territory,  intersecting  the 
southern  extremity  of  Lake  Michigan. 

This  being  the  law,  the  people  of  Illinois 
had  no  expectation  that  the  northern  boundary 
of  the  State  could  go  farther  north  than  this 
point  when  it  should  apply  for  admission  into 
the  Union.  Wisconsin  Territory  had  already 
been  set  off  in  1805,  with  its  southern  limits 
on  a  line  due  west  from  the  southern  limits  of 
the  lake,  in  accordance  with  what  nobody  had 
yet  questioned  as  the  construction  of  the  law. 

Thus  matters  stood  when  it  was  proposed  to 


bring  Illinois  Territory  into  the  Union,  in 
1818.  Judge  Nathaniel  Pope  then  analyzed 
the  whole  situation,  and,  by  the  force  of  his 
logic,  explained  away  the  legal  objections  to 
the  extension  of  the  State  of  Illinois  to  a 
point  farther  north  than  the  act  of  cession 
from  Virginia  had  provided  as  just  told. 

First  let  us  state  his  arguments  for  the 
change,  and  these  were  the  substance  of  them  : 
Lake  Michigan,  connected  by  water  communi- 
cation with  the  Eastern  States,  and  indissolu- 
bly  bound  the  interests  of  the  country 
adjacent  to  it  to  them.  The  Mississipppi 
River  and  its  tributaries  exerted  the  same  in- 
fluence in  a  southern  direction  with  the1  South. 
Give  Illinois  a  good  frontage  on  Lake  Michi- 
gan, with  the  port  of  Chicago  the  terminus  of 
the  canal  to  be  built,  and  a  mighty  State  would 
be  formed,  holding  the  destinies  of  both  sec- 
tions within  its  grasp — the  middle  link  in  the 
chain,  and  the  strongest  one.  Here  was  an 
object  worth  working  for,  and  he  laid  the  case 
before  Congress  to  bring  it  about.  He  con- 
tended that  Illinois  could  claim  the  whole  of 
Wisconsin  if  Congress  chose  to  give  her  such 
dimensions,  inasmuch  as  the  ordinance  left  it 
optional  with  the  United  States  to  divide  the 
territory  into  only  three  States,  in  which  case 
Indiana  must  reach  from  the  Ohio  River  to  the 
British  possessions,  and  Illinois  from  Cairo  to 
the  British  possessions.  But  that  Wisconsin 
was  powerless  to  establish  a  boundary  which 
should  conflict  with  the  powers  of  the  United 
States,  who  had  power  to  embrace  her  whole 
area  within  the  limits  of  Illinois.  He  carried 
his  measure  through  both  Houses,  and  the 
northern  line  of  Illinois  was  established  on  the 
parallel  of  42°  30',  where  it  now  is.  If  he 
had  failed  in  this,  Du  Page  County  would  now 
have  been  a  part  of  Wisconsin,  and  perhaps 
Illinois  would  not  have  had  so  strong  a  Union 
element  when  the  issue  came  up  in  1861 
whether  the  United  States  was  to  be  divided  or 
rent  in  two. 


20 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


The  following  are  Judge  Pope's  words  on 
the  subject,  which,  as  we  look  back  upon  the 
events  which  have  since  taken  place,  seem  to 
have  been  prophetic :  "  A  very  large  com- 
merce of  the  Center  and  South  would  be  found 
both  upon  the  lakes  and  upon  the  rivers.  As- 
sociations in  business,  in  interest  and  of  friend- 
ship would  be  formed,  both  with  the  North  and 
the  South.  A  State  thus  situated,  having  such 
a  decided  interest  in  the  commerce  and  in  the 
preservation  of  the  whole  confederacy,  can 
never  consent  to  disunion ;  for  the  Union 
cannot  be  dissolved  without  a  division  and 
disruption  of  the  State  itself." 

Du  Page  County  is  a  part  of  this  strip  of 
laud,  the  title  of  which  was  held  in  dispute  be- 
tween the  States  of  Illinois  and  Wisconsin,  and 
on  the  decision  of  the  issue  which  decided  the 
question  of  ownership  to  it,  being  a  momentous 
one  ;  for  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  when  the 
"  tug  of  war "  came  in  the  Legislature  of  the 
State  as  to  vital  questions  on  sustaining  the 
Union,  the  loyalists  had  nothing  to  spare  in  or- 
der to  turn  the  scale,  and  then  it  was  that  the 
influence  of  the  part  of  the  State  which  laid  be- 
tween its  northern  line  and  a  line  drawn  due 
west  from  the  southern  limits  of  Lake  Michigan, 
suddenly  arose  into  prominence,  and  verified 
the  arguments  that  Judge  Pope  made  in  1818 
in  favor  of  the  line  of  42°  30',  as  the  northern 
line  of  the  State ;  and  here  it  should  not  be 
omitted,  that  the  influence  of  our  Mr.  Lincoln 
himself,  potent  as  it  was,  in  the  immaculate 
foot-prints  which  he  had  left  behind  in  the  State, 
before  he  left  it  for  the  White  House,  though  it 
had  an  equal  share  with  the  northern  tier  of 
counties  in  preserving  the  unconditional  loyalty 
of  the  State,  was  barely  sufficient.  These  remin- 
iscences are  no  dream  ;  they  are  founded  on 
reality,  and  must  ever  stand  as  a  memento  that 
our  county,  together  with  adjacent  ones,  was  in 
that  crisis  the  local  hinge  on  which  the  issue 
turned,  and  to  record  this  in  history  is  but  an 
act  of  justice. 


Crawford  County  was  among  the  first  organ- 
ized on  the  admission  of  the  State  into  the 
Union,  and  included  all  the  territory  north  of 
its  present  locality.  It  was  soon  reduced  in  its 
area  by  the  organization  of  Clark  County,  whose 
dimensions  extended  from  its  present  boundary 
over  the  entire  northern  part  of  the  State  like 
its  predecessor,  which  had  in  turn  been  laid  out 
on  a  grand  scale,  and  reduced  in  proportion  as 
the  progress  of  settlements  had  made  it  neces- 
sar3r  to  subdivide  the  great  northern  wilderness 
into  new  counties. 

The  next  change  in  counties  affecting  the 
northern  part  of  the  State  was  January  31, 
1821,  under  Gov.  Bond,  at  which  time  Pike 
County  was  organized,  which  took  in  all  the  ter- 
ritory in  the  State  north  of  the  southern  line  of 
the  present  Pike  County,  the  Illinois  and  the 
Kankakee  Rivers. 

Du  Page  was  then  a  part  of  Pike  County  till 
the  28th  of  January,  1823,  when  the  county  of 
Fulton  was  established,  comprising  all  of  Pike 
County  except  the  portion  south  of  the  north 
line  of  the  present  Fulton  County,  which  change 
brought  Du  Page  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Ful- 
ton County,  of  which  Lewistown  was  the  county 
seat. 

All  these  civil  changes  were  previous  to  any 
permanent  white  settlement,  and  there  is  no 
record  that  any  of  the  traders  or  Indians  whose 
erratic  habits  gave  a  temporary  residence  in 
what  is  now  our  county,  ever  applied  to  the 
constituted  authorities  for  any  purpose.  Why 
should  they  ?  If  any  of  the  traders  had  a  dis- 
pute, they  settled  it  on  the  spot,  perhaps  by  a 
"  knock  down  argument,"  or  if  they  wanted  to 
marry  any  of  the  brunette  beauties  of  the  prai- 
rie, first  they  must  be  accomplished  in  the 
manly  arts  of  hunting,  or  their  chances  would 
be  slender  of  winning  them.  Next  (to  do  the 
Indians  justice),  if  any  of  the  daughters  of 
the  higher-minded  class  of  Indians  had  made 
themselves  indispensable  to  the  happiness  of 
any  of  the  traders,  either  French  or  American, 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


21 


it  required  no  small  measure  of  circumspec- 
tion to  gain  the  father's  consent  to  the  marriage, 
and  to  do  this  a  sound  body  and  a  reasonable 
discrimination  of  the  principles  of  justice  on 
the  part  of  the  suitor  was  necessary. 

These  essentials  being  satisfactorily  ar- 
ranged, the  marriage  itself  was  only  a  promise 
of  fidelity  on  both  sides,  and  did  not  in  the  es- 
timation of  these  sons  of  the  wilderness  need 
the  record  of  official  authority  either  to  make 
it  binding  or  to  strengthen  its  force.  A  few  of 
these  marriages  were  permanent,  and  the  writer 
has  interviewed  the  offspring  of  some  of  them 
who  are  now  esteemed  members  of  society 
amongst  us. 

Peoria  County  was  the  next  civil  division 
under  which  Du  Page  fell.  It  was  organized 
June  13,  1825,  with  the  following  boundaries: 
"  Beginning  where  the  line  between  Town- 
ships 11  and  12  north  intersects  the  Illinois 
River  ;  thence  west  with  said  line  to.  the  range 
line  between  Ranges  4  and  5  east ;  thence 
south  with  said  line  to  the  range  line  between 
Townships  7  and  8  ;  thence  east  to  the  line  be- 
tween Ranges  5  and  6  ;  thence  south  to  the 
middle  of  the  main  channel  of  the  Illinois 
River  ;  thence  up  along  the  middle  of  the 
main  channel  of  said  river  to  the  place  of  be- 
ginning." On  the  7th  of  December,  thecounty 
was  divided  into  three  Election  Precincts,  of 
which  Alexander  Woolcott,  John  Kinzie  and 
John  Baptiste  Beaubien  were  Judges. 

John  Dixon  was  Clerk  of  the  county,  and  so 
remained  till  his  resignation,  May  1, 1830,  when 
Stephen  Stillman  was  appointed. 

Cook  was  the  next  organized  county  of  the 
now  reduced  area  of  Northern  Illinois  wilder- 
ness. It  took  in  at  first  the  present  counties 
of  Lake,  McHenry,  Will.  Du  Page  and  Iroquois, 
the  act  organizing  it  bearing  date  of  March  1, 
1831.  It  had  three  voting  precincts — the  Chi- 
cago, the  Hickory  Creek  and  the  Du  Page,  the 
latter  of  which  included  the  present  county  of 
Du  Page  and  portions  of  Will. 


On  the  8th  of  the  same  month.  Samuel  Miller 

7  ) 

Gohlson  Kircheval  and  James  Walker  were 
sworn  in  as  Commissioners,  who  promptly  pro- 
ceeded to  legislate  for  the  wholesome  regula- 
tion  of  the  infant  county.  Prominent  among 
the  laws  they  passed  were  those  regulating  the 
prices  of  spirituous  liquors,  which  they  took  as 
good  care  should  not  be  extortionate,  as  did 
the  French  Revolutionists  the  price  of  bread 
during  the  Jacobin  Reign  of  Terror  in  Prance. 
It  was  "ordered  that  the  following  rates  be 
allowed  to  tavern-keepers,  to  wit :  Each  half 
pint  of  wine,  rum  or  brandy,  25  cents  ;  each 
pint  of  wine,  rum  or  brandy,  37£  cents  ;  each 
half  pint  of  gin.  18|  cents ;  pint  of  gin,  31£ 
cents  ;  gill  of  whisky,  6^  cents  ;  half  pint  of 
whisky,  12£  cents  ;  pint  of  whisky,  18f  cents. 
For  each  breakfast  and  supper,  25  cents  ;  each 
dinner,  37£  cents  ;  each  horse  feed,  25  cents  ; 
keeping  horse  one  night,  50  cents  ;  lodging  for 
each  man  per  night,  12£  cents  ;  for  cider  or 
beer,  one  pint,  6J  cents  ;  one  quart  of  cider  or 
beer,  12£  cents." 

The  Commissioners  also  soon  issued  permits 
to  Alexander  Robinson,  J.  B.  Beaubein  and 
Madore  Beaubein  to  sell  goods,  who,  added 
to  six  merchants  already  established  in  the 
county,  made  nine.  From  the  records  of  the  same 
year,  1831,  subsequent  to  those  already  men- 
tioned, appears  the  name  of  Joseph  Naper,  of 
Naper  settlement,  who,  it  appears,  was  then  a 
licensed  merchant  and  the  first  in  the  present 
county  of  Du  Page. 

Such  are  the  first  laws  ever  enacted  to  pre- 
vail over  this  county  after  settlers  came  to  it. 
At  that  time,  Chicago,  Canal  Port,  Naperville, 
Desplaines,  Keepotaw  and  Thornton,  were  re- 
ported as  the  towns  of  Cook  County.  It  was 
named  after  Daniel  P.  Cook,  the  same  who,  with 
the  election  of  Shadrack  Bond  for  Governor,  in 
1818,  had  been  elected  Attorney  General.  To 
him  the  country  along  the  canal  owes  a  lasting 
obligation.  At  a  session  of  the  Legislature, 
January  17,  1825,  a  law  was  passed  iucorpo- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


rating  the  Illinois  &  Michigan  Canal  Associa- 
tion, with  full  power  to  build  the  canal.  By 
the  seventh  section  of  their  charter,  it  was  pro- 
vided that  all  immunities,  etc.,  hitherto  made 
by  the  General  Government  to  facilitate  the 
building  of  the  canal,  should  revert  to  the  asso- 
ciation to  which  the  State  had  granted  the  char- 
ter to  build  it.  This  excess  of  State  authority 
to  dispose  of  the  large  amount  of  land  (every 
alternate  section  of  a  strip  six  miles  wide  on 
each  side  of  the  canal,  which  the  Government  had 
given  to  aid  in  building  it),  by  placing  the  lands 
at  the  disposal  of  a  private  company,  was  not 
looked  upon  with  favor  by  the  General  Govern- 
ment, and,  had  it  not  been  for  the  efforts  of  Mr. 
Cook,  the  State  would  have  lost  the  lands,  and 
the  canal  project  would  have  been  indefinitely 
postponed.  He  was  then  Member  of  Congress, 
and,  seeing  the  danger,  he  used  his  powerful  in- 
fluence among  his  constituents  to  have  the  act 
repealed  which  the  State  had  passed.  In  this 
he  was  successful,  and  the  corporations  were 
obliged  to  surrender  their  charter. 

We  come  now  to  the  organization  of  Du  Page 
County — the  last  subdivision  of  Cook.  In  1 838, 
this  was  considered  and  talked  over  by  the  peo- 
ple, and  a  plan  to  make  four  counties  out  of 
the  area  of  Cook  was  looked  upon  with  favor. 
To  effect  this  object,  committees  were  appointed 
from  each  respective  locality  proposed  as  the 
territory  to  be  occupied  by  them. 

It  was  first  proposed  by  the  Commissioners 
to  create  one  county  of  nine  townships  in  the 
northwest  corner  of  Cook,  which,  had  it  been 
done,  would  have  taken  the  three  present  town- 
ships, viz.,  Wayne,  Bloomingdale  and  Addison, 
together  with  the  present  townships  of  Hanover, 
Schaumberg,  Elk  Grove,  Barrington,  Palatine 
and  Wheeling  in  Cook,  for  one  of  the  four  new 
counties.  Du  Page  County  was  to  come  im- 
mediately south  of  this,  and  take  in  nine  town- 
ships, in  which  case  Naperville  would  have 
been  not  very  distant  from  the  center  of  the 
county. 


For  some  cause  not  known  to  the  writer,  the 
Commissioners  appointed  to  mature  this  plan  of 
subdividing  Cook  County  never  met  at  the  ap- 
pointed place  of  rendezvous,  which  was  to  have 
been  at  a  certain  hotel  in  Chicago.  The  conse- 
quence was,  the  subject  of  setting-off  Du  Page 
County  came  before  the  Legislature  under  differ- 
ent forms,  and  the  action  of  that  body  specified 
the  limits  of  the  county  according  to  the  act  of 
which  the  following  is  a  copy  : 

SECTION  1.  Be  it  enacted  by  tfte  people  of  the 
State  of  Illinois  represented  in  the  General  Assem- 
bly :  That  all  of  that  tract  of  country  lying  within 
the  following  boundaries,  to  wit:  Commencing  on 
the  east  line  of  Kane  County  at  the  division  line 
between  Sections  18  and  19,  in  Township  37  north,  of 
Range  9  east,  of  the  Third  Principal  Meridian,  pur- 
suing the  same  line  eastward  until  it  strikes  the 
Desplaines  River;  thence  following  the  said  river  up 
to  the  range  line  between  Township  11  and  12  east, 
of  the  Third  Principal  Meridian;  thence  north  on 
said  line  to  the  township  line  between  40  and  41; 
thence  west  on  said  line  to  the  east  line  of  Kane 
County;  thence  south  on  the  east  line  of  Kane 
County  to  the  place  of  beginning,  shall  constitute  a 
new  county  by  the  name  of  Du  Page;  provided  al- 
ways that  no  part  of  the  county  above  described, 
now  forming  a  part  of  Will  County,  shall  be  in- 
cluded within  the  said  county  of  Du  Page,  unless 
the  inhabitants  now  residing  in  said  part  of  Will 
County  shall,  by  a  vote  to  be  given  by  them  at  the 
next  August  election,  decide  by  a  majority  of  legal 
voters  that  they  prefer  to  have  the  said  territory 
make  a  part  of  the  said  county  of  Du  Page. 

SEC.  2.  An  election  shall  be  held  at  the  Pre- 
emption House,  in  Naperville,  on  the  first  Monday 
in  May,  next,  by  the  qualified  voters  of  said  county, 
for  county  officers,  who,  when  qualified,  shall  hold 
their  offices  until  the  next  general  election  ;  said 
election  shall  be  conducted  and  returns  thereof 
made  to  the  Clerk  of  the  County  Commissioners' 
Court  of  Cook  County,  as  in  other  cases,  and  said 
Clerk  shall  give  certificates  of  election;  and  when 
said  County  Commissioners  shall  be  elected  and 
qualified,  the  said  county  of  Du  Page  shall  be  duly 
organized.  S.  M.  Skinner,  Stephen  J.  Scott  and 
Loren  J.  Butler,  are  hereby  appointed  Judges  of 
said  election. 

SEC.  3.  Said  county  of  Du  Page  shall  be  at- 
tached to  the  Seventh  Judicial  District,  and  the 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


23 


Judge  of  said  circuit  shall  fix  the  terms  of  said 
court  therein,  two  of  which  shall  be  held  in  said 
county  annually  at  Naperville,  where  the  County 
Commissioners  may  direct,  until  the  county  build- 
ings are  completed. 

SEC.  4.  For  the  purpose  of  locating  the  per- 
manent seat  of  justice  for  said  county  of  Du  Page, 
the  following-named  persons  are  hereby  appointed 
Commissioners,  to  wit:  Ralph  Woodruff,  of  La 
Salle  County;  Seth  Read,  of  Kane  County,  and 
Horatio  G.  Loomis,  of  Cook,  who,  or  a  majority  of 
them,  shall  meet  at  the  Pre-emption  House,  in  Na- 
perville, on  the  first  Monday  of  June,  or  within 
thirty  days  thereafter,  and  first  being  duly  sworn  by 
some  Justice  of  the  Peace,  shall  proceed  to  locate 
the  seat  of  justice  for  said  county  at  the  most  eligi- 
ble and  convenient  point,  provided  the  said  Com- 
missioners shall  obtain  for  the  county  from  the 
claimant  a  quantity  of  land,  not  less  than  three 
acres,  and  $3,000  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  county 
buildings,  which  sum  shall  be  secured  to  the  County 
Commissioners  and  paid  out  under  their  direction 
for  the  purposes  aforesaid. 

SEC.  5.  The  Commissioners  appointed  to  locate 
said  county  seat,  shall  each  be  allowed  the  sum  of 
$3  per  day  for  each  day  by  them  necessarily  em- 
ployed in  the  performance  of  that  duty,  to  be  paid 
out  of  the  treasury  of  said  county. 

SEC.  6.  The  qualified  voters  of  the  county  of 
Du  Page,  in  all  elections  except  county  elections, 
shall  vote  with  the  district  to  which  they  belong 
until  the  next  apportionment,  and  shall  in  all 
respects  be  entitled  to  the  same  privileges  and  rights 
as  in  general  belong  to  the  citizens  of  other  counties 
in  this  State.  WILLIAM  L.  D.  Ewrso, 

Speaker  of  the  Home  of  Representatives. 
8.  H.  ANDERSON, 

Speaker  of  the  Senate. 

Approved  February  9,  1839. 

THO.  CARLIN. 


STATE  OF  ILLINOIS,  ) 

OFFICE  OF  SECRETARY  OF  STATE,  ( 
I,  Alexander  P.  Field,  Secretary  of  State,  do  here- 
by certify  the  foregoing  to  be  a  true  and  perfect 
copy  of  "An  act  to  create  the  county  of  Du  Pa?e," 
now  on  file  in  my  office.  In  testimony  whereof  I 
have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  the  seal  of  State  at 
Vandalia  February  18,  1839. 

[L.  s.]  A.  P.  FIELD, 

Secretary  of  State. 

Previous  to  the  passage  of  this  act,  there  had 
been  considerable  canvassing  of  public  opinion 


as  to  the  division  of  Cook  County,  and  among 
those  who  took  part  in  this  discussion  was  Mr. 
J.  Filkins,  who  owned  property  in  Wheeling—- 
the northern  part  of  Cook  County.  His  plan, 
as  well  as  that  of  many  others,  was  to  create  a 
count}-  in  the  northern  part  of  Cook,  which  should 
include  the  present  three  northern  townships  of 
Du  Page  County,  with  Wheeling  for  the  count}1 
seat,  and  in  accordance  with  this  proposition,  a 
representative  from  Naperville  and  one  from 
the  southeastern  part  of  Cook  County  had 
agreed  to  meet  at  a  certain  hotel  in  Chicago  to 
agree  on  some  concert  of  action  in  the  matter. 
The  Naperville  representative  was  promptly  at 
the  place  of  rendezvous,  but  the  others  did  not 
attend,  and  no  systematic  plan  of  action  was 
determined  on. 

Pending  these  ambitious  schemes,  which 
local  interests  as  well  as  real  necessities  set  on 
foot,  the  citizens  of  Chicago  were  in  a  flutter 
of  perturbation  lest  they  should  lose  some  of 
their  territory,  doubtless  feeling  their  ability 
to  govern  more  instead  of  being  shorn  of  a  part 
of  what  they  then  had. 

A  convention  now  being  about  to  assemble 
at  Vandalia,  to  take  into  consideration  plans 
for  public  improvements,  it  was  necessary  for 
the  Chicagoans  to  call  a  public  meeting  to 
appoint  delegates  to  attend  it.  Such  a  call  at 
Chicago  would  then,  as  well  as  now,  bring  out 
their  big  guns  as  well  as  a  full  regiment  of 
small  arms  to  make  a  rattle  of  musketry  after 
the  cannons  had  been  shot  off ;  or,  in  other 
words,  to  do  the  cheering  after  the  orators  had 
spoken.  In  obedience  to  the  call,  a  meeting 
assembled  on  the  3d  of  December.  1836,  and, 
as  the  pith  of  a  woman's  letter  may  be  found 
in  the  postscript,  so  the  chief  object  for  which 
this  meeting  was  called,  was  reserved  for  the 
closing  business.  After  a  few  vehement  speech- 
es had  been  made,  the  animus  of  which  was 
to  protest  against  any  further  division  of  Cook 
County,  resolutions  were  adopted  in  accord- 
ance with  these  sentiments,  and  a  committee 


34 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


of  three  was  appointed  to  circulate  a  petition  to 
be  sent  to  the  Legislature,  expressive  of  the  will 
of  the  people  of  Cook  Count}-  on  the  subject. 

Unfortunately  for  the  people  of  Chicago, 
Joseph  Naper  was  then  representing  Cook 
County  in  the  Legislature,  and  it  was  like  strik- 
ing on  a  drum  that  wouldn't  sound,  to  talk 
"such  stuff"  to  him.  He  himself  was  a  power, 
and  two  of  the  most  influential  members 
of  the  Senate  were  his  strong  friends.  One  of 
these  was  Peter  Cartwright,  of  Carlinville,  who 
had  all  the  Methodists  in  the  State  at  his  back, 
and  the  other  was  old  John  Barker,  from  Union 
County,  who  was  regarded  by  the  Egyptians 
as  a  host. 

Nothing  more  was  heard  about  the  county 
to  be  set  off  from  the  northern  part  of  Cook — 
it  being  probably  thought  best  not  to  amputate 
another  limb  from  her  body  at  that  time. 

It  is  worthy  of  record  that  of  the  committee 
appointed  at  the  Chicago  meeting,  Gurdon  S. 
Hubbard  was  one,  but  for  some  reason  best 
known  to  himself,  he  declined  to  serve.  Per- 
haps Mr.  Hubbard,  in  advance  of  any  of  the 
rest,  saw  the  impolicy  as  well  as  impractica- 
bility of  the  scheme  in  question.  He  came  to 
Chicago  in  1818,  and  is  still  an  active  man  at 
the  place,  which  has  grown  from  a  post  of  the 
American  Fur  Company  to  what  it  now  is  under 
his  eye.  As  might  be  supposed,  the  petition 
was  like  seed  sown  in  stony  ground. 

In  due  course  of  legislation,  Du  Page  County 
was  organized  as  per  the  act  already  stated,  the 
first  section  of  which  gave  the  inhabitants  of 
the  three  northern  tiers  of  sections  in  Will 
County,  the  power  to  choose  by  a  popular  vote> 
in  the  following  August,  to  which  county  they 
would  belong.  Had  the  election  taken  place 
immediately,  it  is  almost  certain  that  the  people 
of  the  territory  in  question  would  have  annexed 
themselves  to  Du  Page  County,  to  whose  inter- 
ests at  Naperville  the}'  had  been  allied  by  his- 
toric as  well  as  social  relations  from  the  first; 
but  the  time  between  the  passage  of  the 


act  and  the  August  election,  which  was  to  cast 
the  die,  was  utilized  by  the  Will  County  inter- 
ests and  a  formidable  opposition  to  the  Du 
Page  interests  was  the  result.  To  add  to  the 
discomfiture  of  the  Du  Page  advocates,  some 
one  brought  a  bottle  of  whisky  into  the  arena 
on  election  day,  which  roused  the  indignation 
of  the  teetotalers  of  the  Will  County  interests, 
and  brought  out  their  full  force  with  their 
thunder  thrown  in. 

The  autumn  sun  dipped  into  the  western 
green,  the  polls  were  closed,  votes  counted, 
and  one  majority  for  Will  County  was  the  re- 
sult. There  wasn't  much  poetry  about  the 
canvass.  It  need  not  be  claimed  that  Johnny, 
with  the  love  of  his  inamorata  in  his  heart, 
voted  to  please  his  would-be  father-in-law  or 
any  such  kind  of  moonshine.  It  was  a  sharply 
defined  local  and  temporal  issue,  and  for  a 
small  one,  large  results  have  grown  out  of  it ; 
for  had  the  county  limits  extended  south  of 
Naperville,  as  the  original  bill  intended,  no 
attempt  would  ever  have  been  made  to  re- 
move the  county  seat,  or  if  made,  would  not 
have  been  successful. 

The  parties  authorized  by  the  fourth  section 
of  the  act  creating  the  new  county  to  locate 
the  county  seat,  met  on  the  17th  of  June,  1839, 
at  the  Pre-emption  House  in  Naperville,  and  lo- 
cated it  at  that  place.  At  the  same  time,  a 
deed  was  executed  to  the  county  of  an  undi- 
vided half  of  the  public  square  on  which  the 
county  buildings  were  erected  the  same  year 
by  voluntary  subscription  from  the  citizens  of 
Naperville  to  the  amount  of  $5,000.  Subse- 
quently, the  small  brick  buildings  were  built  for 
storing  the  records,  etc. 

In  vain  may  the  records  of  any  State  in  the 
Union  be  searched  for  a  parallel  in  eventful 
epochs  involving  vital  political  questions  which 
locally  came  up  within  their  jurisdiction  as  has 
been  thrust  upon  the  State  of  Illinois,  and  the 
country  around  Chicago  has  been  the  pivot 
upon  which  these  issues  have  turned.  This  is 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


25 


only  a  just  conclusion  to  deduce  from  the  events 
of  this  chapter.  The  next  will  begin  with  the 
pioneer  work  begun  in  Du  Page  County  under 
a  new  order  of  things  destined  to  subordinate 
wild  nature  to  the  uses  of  man,  and  reproduce 
old-settled  and  time-honored  institutions  on  a 


generous  scale,  there  to  multiply  under  the 
fostering  hand  of  nature.  This  has  been  done, 
but  let  us  take  a  retrospective  view  of  the  proc- 
ess by  which  it  was  accomplished  while  the 
living  witnesses  of  it  are  still  on  the  historic 
stand  to  testify. 


CHAPTER  II. 


THE  PIONEER— STEPHEN  J.   SCOTT— THE  SCOTT  SETTLEMENT— BLODGETT  HAULEY— BAILEY  HOB- 
SON,  THE  FIRST  SETTLER  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY— BUILDING  THE  FIRST  CABIN— CROSSING  A 
SLOUGH  — WILLIARD     SCOTT  — SOCIAL    ENTERTAINMENTS  — CORN     PANCAKES—  THE 
NAPERS— FIRST  GROUND  PLOWED— THE  FIRST  SCHOOL— JOSEPH  NAPER— JOHN 
NAPER— THE  FIRST  STOVE— CHRISTOPHER  PAINE— THE  FIRST  SAW-MILL— 
HOME-MADE  SPINNING  WHEELS  AND  LOOMS— COLD  WINTER  OF  1830-31 
—PORTAGE  TO  CHICAGO-THE  LAWTONS-THE  POTTAWATOMIES 
—FLIGHT  TO   FORT  DEARBORN— HORRIBLE  MASSACRE 
AT  INDIAN  CREEK— EXPLOITS  OF  COL.  BEAUBIEN. 


~TT"7"ITHIN  the  memory  of  men  now  livingj 
VV  the  whole  of  Du  Page  County  was  an 
immaculate  tablet  on  which  to  make  the  first 
footprints  of  progress  in  the  form  of  agricult- 
ure, architecture  and  public  works.  In  ancient 
times,  when  new  countries  were  settled,  it  was 
done  by  nations  who  sent  out  colonies  under 
the  especial  guardianship  of  a  king's  viceroy, 
and  this  was  the  case  with  the  first  new  coun- 
tries settled  in  America  from  Europe.  All 
this  became  changed  when  the  American  nation 
became  the  owner  of  the  vast  plains  of  the 
West.  Then  settlements  began  to  be  made  on 
private  account  for  the  first  time  in  the  world's 
history,  and  such  a  conception  of  human  rights 
put  in  such  universal  practice,  as  it  was  here, 
brought  into  being  a  class  of  men  different  from 
any  hitherto  known.  They  were  the  creation 
of  their  period  in  their  habits,  character  and 
their  self-sustaining  powers.  They  valued 
themselves  not  for  what  their  fathers  had  been, 
but  for  what  they  themselves  were.  It  takes  a 
few  generations  for  mental  force  to  gather  and 
turn  the  thoughtsof  men  into  new  channels,  and, 


by  the  time  Northern  Illinois  was  settled,  the 
thoroughbred  pioneer,  in  his  floodtide  of  glory, 
came  upon  the  scene.  He  is  the  man  referred 
to — the  incarnation  of  freedom  in  its  broadest 
sense,  the  man  who  is  a  law  unto  himself,  who 
takes  a  short  cut  to  the  ends  of  justice  regard- 
less of  technicalities  ;  the  man  who  evinces 
himself  more  by  what  he  does  than  by  what  he 
says,  and  scorns  unfair  distinctions  not  based 
on  merit. 

To  describe  the  American  pioneer  would  re- 
quire the  imagery  of  romance  and  the  force  of 
the  drama.  Behold  him,  as  he  turns  his  face  to 
the  West,  his  gun  on  his  shoulder,  his  dog  by 
his  side,  his  horses  harnessed  to  the  wagon 
that  contains  his  household  goods,  his  wife  and 
babies,  behind  which  follow  at  a  slow  pace  his 
cattle,  driven  by  his  young  sons,  whose  keen 
eyes  often  dart  their  irrepressible  humor  from 
beneath  a  tattered  hat  brim.  This  is  the  true 
pioneer.  His  step  is  firm*;  his  glance  is  keen  ; 
his  whole  appearance  commands  respect, 
though  his  garments  may  be  of  the  coarsest 
stuff.  To  him  belongs  a  singular  fame,  for  he 


26 


HISTORY   OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


is  the  first  to  lay  the  dimension  stone  of 
a  social  fabric  which  is  to  grow  up  where 
he  plants  the  seed,  and  become  a  lasting  mon- 
ument to  perpetuate  his  memory. 

The  first  of  these  pioneers  who  became  ulti- 
mate residents  of  Du  Page  County  were  Steph- 
en J.  Scott,  who  came  with  his  family  from 
Maryland,  and  made  a  claim  on  the  lake  shore 
just  north  of  the  present  site  of  Evanston,  in 
1826.  The  place  was  then  and  is  still  known 
as  Grose  Point.  It  is  an  elevated  sand  ridge, 
making  an  abrupt  bank  on  Lake  Michigan,  but 
not  composed  of  a  soil  adapted  to  the  growth 
of  the  cereals,  which  is  probably  the  reason 
why  Mr.  Scott  left  the  place  and  took  up  a 
claim  at  the  fork  of  the  west  branch  of  Du 
Page  River,  which  he  did  in  the  autumn  of 
1830,  with  his  family,  among  whom  were  his 
sons,  Willard  and  Willis. 

This  became  known  as  the  Scott  settlement, 
and  was  the  first  beginning  made  which  drew 
to  the  place  other  settlers.  Its  locality  was 
just  south  of  the  Du  Page  County  line  in  the 
present  county  of  Will,  but  accretions  to  it 
soon  extended  up  the  stream,  within  the  pres- 
ent limits  of  the  county. 

Early  in  the  following  June,  1831,  Isaac  P. 
Blodgett  came  from  Amherst,  Hampshire  Co., 
Mass.,  and  settled  at  the  fork,  his  son  Henry, 
now  Judge  Blodgett,  of  Chicago,  being  then 
nine  years  old. 

Pierce  Hawley  also  came  to  the  place  about 
the  same  time,  and,  in  the  summer  of  the  next 
year,  1831,  Robert  Strong,  Rev.  Isaac  Scarrett 
Capt.  Henry  Boardman  and  Isaac  Stockwell 
came  to  the  Scott  settlement,  and  became  per- 
manentlj'  identified  with  the  interests  of  what 
was  then  known  as  the  Du  Page  Country. 
These  were  near  neighbors  to  the  settlement 
began  the  same  year  just  above  them  on  the 
Du  Page,  and  soon  fye  little  gap  of  unclaimed 
land  that  intervened  between  them  was  filled 
up  with  new-couiers. 

But  the  first  actual  settler  in  the  county  now 


named  Du  Page  was  Bailejr  Hobson.  His 
widow  is  still  living  in  Naperville,  and  the 
following  is  a  brief  narrative  of  the  events  of 
her  experiences  in  coming  to  the  place,  as  re- 
ported to  the  writer  in  June,  1882. 

Mrs.  Clarinda  Hobson  was  born  in  Georgia 
in  December,  1804.  The  family  emigrated  to 
Orange  County,  Ind.,  in  1812,  where  she 
was  married  to  Mr.  Hobson  in  1821.  In  1830, 
they  removed  to  the  present  site  of  New- 
ark, 111.,  remaining  there  the  succeeding 
winter,  when,  in  the  following  November 
of  the  same  year,  Mr.  Hobson  went  to  the 
Du  Page  River,  about  two  miles  below  the 
present  site  of  Naperville,  and  marked  out 
his  claim,  consisting  of  about  five  hundred  acres, 
lying  on  both  sides  of  the  river.  This  done,  he 
returned  to  his  temporary  home  to  make  the 
necessary  preparations  for  building  a  habitation 
on  his  Du  Page  River  claim.  To  this  end,  he 
again  went  to  the  place  with  a  load  of  shakes 
(clapboards)  with  which  to  make  a  roof  for  his 
intended  cabin,  and  a  hired  man  accompanied 
him  to  help  cut  and  haul  to  the  ground  the  logs 
necessary  for  its  walls.  They  had  only  worked 
one  day,  when  the  cold  was  so  intense  they 
were  obliged  to  abandon  their  plans  and  turn 
their  course  toward  home,  which  they  reached 
in  safety  after  two  days'  toiling  over  the  bleak 
prairie  with  an  ox  team. 

With  the  opening  of  March,  1831,  the  work 
was  again  resumed  by  sending  Lewis  Stewart, 
brother  of  Mrs.  Hobson,  to  the  place  to  cut  the 
logs  for  the  cabin,  while  Mr.  Hobson  himself 
was  to  follow  with  the  ox  team  and  wagon 
loaded  with  their  household  goods.  A  new 
dilemma  now  arose.  More  than  a  hundred  In- 
dians had  just  encamped  hard  by  their  house 
for  the  purpose  of  making  maple  sugar  in  an 
adjacent  grove,  and  she  dare  not  stay  with  her 
five  children  alone  in  their  midst.  Meantime, 
her  husband's  duties  were  imperative.  He  must 
go  to  the  new  home  to  get  the  house  ready  for 
the  opening  of  spring.  .  .  . 


LIBRARV 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ,,UNO|S 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUXTY. 


29 


In  this  emergency,  Mrs.  Hobson  formed  the 
resolution  to  transport  her  family  to  a  small 
settlement  a  few  miles  distant  at  what  was  then 
called  Weeds',  and  now  Hollenback's  Grove. 
Besides  the  family,  were  two  horses  and  four- 
teen head  of  cattle,  the  same  stock  that  had 
been  driven  from  their  home  in  Indiana.  Ac- 
cordingly, her  husband  started  off  with  their 
furniture,  and  she,  with  the  family  and  their 
flock,  by  a  different  route,  to  reach  a  temporary 
abiding  place.  On  the  way,  she  had  a  danger- 
ous slough  to  cross,  where  the  track  was  buried 
beneath  the  flood,  so  deep  that  she  dare  not 
trust  her  little  ones  on  the  horse  alone,  buttook 
them  across  one  or  two  at  a  time  on  her  own 
horse  and  set  them  on  the  opposite  bank  till 
they  were  all  safely  landed.  The  fourteen  cattle 
were  then  driven  over  and  all  herded  safely  in 
the  grove,  where  they  were  kept  on  browse  and 
what  grass  they  could  find  on  the  early  spring 
sward.  Here  she  remained  awaiting  her  hus- 
band's return  to  take  the  family  and  their  stock 
to  their  new  home. 

A  few  da}-s  brought  this  about,  notwithstand- 
ing the  hardships  he  had  encountered  in  camp- 
ing out  on  the  open  prairie  on  his  way,  and 
other  discomforts  not  easily  imagined  by  those 
who  read  of  them  nowadays.  March  was  nearly 
spent  when  they  arrived  at  their  home.  It  was 
a  rough  log  cabin  with  a  puncheon  floor,  but 
no  windows.  The  lack  of  them  was  the  smallest 
of  their  grievances,  for  the  unchinked  crevices 
between  the  logs  let  in  light  enough. 

Willard,  the  son  of  Stephen  J.  Scott,  who  had 
recently  married  the  oldest  daughter  of  Mr. 
Hawlej',  was  then  living  in  the  same  log  cabin 
with  his  father,  and  their  families  being  the 
nearest  neighbors  to  the  Hobson  family,  occa- 
sional visits  were  made  between  them,  and  the 
hospitalities  of  the  wilds  exchanged  in  true  pio- 
neer style.  Their  entertainments  did  not  con- 
sist of  the  modern  aesthetic  styles  of  serving 
their  dishes,  or  of  the  epicurian  qualities  of 
them,  but  were  simplified  down  to  actual  ne- 


cessities. Corn  seems  to  have  constituted  their 
entire  material  for  bread  ;  nor  had  they  vege- 
tables or  fruits  the  first  year,  and  the  corn  it- 
self was  in  the  ear,  as  it  grew  at  Weeds'  (now 
Holderman's)  Grove,  from  whence  it  had  to  be 
transported  by  ox  teams. 

The  problem  now  was  how  to  convert  it  into 
meal,  the  solution  of  which,  however,  did  not 
task  the  ingenuity  of  a  true  pioneer  to  its  ut- 
most by  any  means.  The  first  process  was  to 
shell  it ;  the  next  to  immerse  it  in  hot  water  to 
start  the  hulls.  It  was  then  put  into  an  iron 
kettle  and  pounded  with  the  head  of  an  iron 
wedge  (the  tool  used  for  splitting  rails,)  till  it 
was  made  into  meal.  The  next  process  was  to 
put  this  meal  into  cold  water  and  float  the  hulls 
off,  and  the  meal  was  ready  for  use. 

It  was  made  into  a  batter  with  water  only,  and 
fried  like  pancakes,  or,  for  variety's  sake,  spread 
on  a  wooden  board  and  turned  up  to  a  fire  to 
be  baked  into  bread.  Sifting  this  meal  when 
dried  left  its  coarsest  portions  for  hominy, 
which  gave  them  varieties  improvised  out  of 
corn. 

Such  was  the  first  household  and  home 
made  in  this  county,  of  which  a  faithful  witness 
in  the  person  of  Mrs.  Hobson  is  still  among  us 
in  the  full  enjoyment  of  her  mental  faculties. 

The  next  who  came  to  the  county  were  the 
Napers.  They  were  men  of  broad  ambition 
like  the  pioneers  who  had  preceded  them  in 
th^e  Scott  settlement.  While  residents  of  Ohio, 
they  had  owned  a  sailing  vessel  on  the  lakes, 
named  the  Telegraph,  which  they  had  sold, 
agreeing  to  deliver  it  in  Chicago  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1831,  and  in  this  vessel  on  its  passage  to 
this  place  they  came  with  the  families  of  John 
Murray,  Lyinan  Butterfield,  Henr}-  T.  Wilson 
and  a  Mr.  Carpenter.  It  set  sail  from  Ashta- 
bula,  Ohio,  in  June,  landing  them  in  Chicago 
in  time  to  reach  Du  Page  early  in  July. 

The  spring  preceding,  Joseph  Naper  had 
been  to  the  place,  made  a  claim  and  hired  men 

to  come  from  Chicago  and  put  up  a  log  cabin 

B 


30 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


where  Naperville  now  stands.  The  building 
was  made  ready  and  also  ten  acres  of  ground 
"  broke,"  as  per  a  contract  with  Mr.  Scott,  on 
the  arrival  of  the  colony,  for  such  in  substance, 
was  the  Naper  settlement.  The  season  was  too 
far  advanced  to  plant  corn,  and  in  its  stead, 
buckwheat  was  sown  on  seven  acres  of  it,  and 
the  balance  planted  with  rutabaga  turnips. 
This,  together  with  a  few  acres  of  ground 
planted  by  Mr.  Hobson,  constituted  the  first 
tillage  of  the  soil  of  this  county,  unless  some 
of  its  red  owners,  with  the  assistance  of  their 
loving  brothers — the  French — had  raised  scan- 
ty patches  of  corn,  beans  or  pumpkins  on  it, 
which  is  quite  probable,  for  as'  early  as  1790 
the  Indians  had  cultivated  extensive  fields  on 
the  Maumee,  and  also  on  the  Wabash,  and 
more  than  half  a  century  before  had,  with  the 
aid  of  the  French,  plowed  and  planted  fields  in 
Southern  Illinois,  and  also  reaped  considerable 
income  from  working  the  lead  mines  of  Galena 
on  their  own  private  account,  all  of  which  goes 
to  show  that  the  inevitable  crops  of  corn  so 
essential  to  their  existence  had  ere  this  been 
planted  by  them  on  the  fertile  lauds  of  the  Du 
Page.  Mr.  Naper's  buckwheat  crop  was  a 
bountiful  one,  and  in  the  autumn  drew  to  the 
place  countless  numbers  of  prairie  chickens  to 
get  a  taste  of  the  kind  of  food  then  so  new  to 
them. 

The  Naper  and  Scott  settlements,  being  a* 
they  were  in  such  close  proximit}-  to  each 
other,  with  a  reciprocity  of  interest  in  all  mat- 
ters pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  newly-settled 
countries,  began  in  September  following  the 
arrival  of  the  Naper  colony,  to  lay  plans  for 
the  education  of  their  children.  To  this  end, 
preparations  were  made  to  build  a  schoolhouse 
which  should  accommodate  both  settlements, 
and  the  following  subscription  paper  was  drawn 
up  by  John  Murray,  father  of  our  present 
County  Judge,  to  obtain  support  for  and  to  es- 
tablish the  school. 

The  original  document  is  now  in  possession 


of  William  Naper,  now  a  clerk  in  Messrs.  Scott 
&  Co.'s  dry  goods  store  (son  of  Joseph  Naper, 
deceased): 

SEPTEMBER  14,  1831. 

We,  the  undersigned,  whose  names  are  hereto 
affixed,  do  agree  to  hire  Lester  Peet  to  teach  a  school 
in  our  respective  district  for  the  term  of  four 
months,  for  the  consideration  of  $12  per  month. 
Said  teacher  doth  agree,  on  his  part,  to  teach  a 
regular  English  school,  teaching  spelling,  writing, 
arithmetic  and  English  grammar,  if  required.  And 
the  understanding  is,  that  said  teacher  is  to  board 
with  the  scholars.  School  is  to  commence  by  the 
15th  of  November  next. 

N.  B. — Each  subscriber  doth  agree  to  pay  his 
proportionable  part  of  the  teacher's  wages,  accord- 
ing to  the  number  of  scholars  that  he  subscribes  for 
or  sends,  and  it  is  likewise  understood  that  Joseph 
Naper,  Christopher  Paine  and  Bailey  Hobson  be 
and  are  a  committee  to  superintend  said  school, 
and  to  see  that  there  is  a  suitable  house  built  in  due 
season,  etc. 

Joseph  Naper,  six  scholars;  H.  T.  Wilson,  two 
scholars ;  Richard  Sweet,  two  scholars ;  Daniel 
Landon,  one  scholar ;  James  Green,  one  scholar ; 
Bailey  Hobson,  one  scholar ;  John  Naper,  one 
scholar;  John  Manning,  one  scholar;  Daniel  Wilson, 
one  scholar ;  Christopher  Paine,  three  scholars ; 
John  Murray,  two  scholars;  Edward  A.  Rogers,  one 
scholar. 

Ere  this  school  had  been  established,  both 
the  Naper  and  Scott  settlements  had  been  re- 
enforced  by  new  arrivals,  as  appears  from  such 
names  not  mentioned  in  the  history  found  among 
the  subscribers  to  support  the  school. 

But  ere  we  proceed,  let  us  give  to  the  Napers 
an  historic  recognition  of  their  many  worthy 
traits  of  character. 

Joseph  Naper,  the  oldest  of  the  two  brothers, 
began  his  career  as  a  cabin  boy  on  a  steamer 
on  Lake  Erie.  In  this  occupation  he  was  con- 
tinually exposed  to  danger,  which  accounts  for 
the  bold  and  daring  resolution  which  character- 
ized him  throughout  his  life.  He  remained  on 
the  lakes  till  he  rose  to  the  distinction  of  Cap- 
tain of  a  steamer  on  Lake  Erie  which  plied  be- 
tween Buffalo  and  Detroit  from  1828  to  1830. 
As  has  already  been  told,  he  came  to  the  Du  Page 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


31 


in  1831,  and  here  he  soon  established  a  repu- 
tation as  a  generous  benefactor  to  all  who  came 
within  the  reach  of  his  liberality.     He  donated 
land  to  all  who  wished  to  come  to  the  place 
and  build  on  it,  and  to  those  who  owed  him  | 
debts  which  could  not  be  paid  without  distress,  j 
he  always  extended  clemency,  and  sometimes 
forgave  the  debt  entirely. 

John  Naper  was  also'  a  sailor  in  his  tender 
years  like  his  older  brother,  and  as  soon  as  he 
was  old  enough  commanded  sailing  vessels  on 
Lake  Erie,  and  remained  in  this  employment 
till  1830.  The  two  were  in  partnership  together 
in  their  Du  Page  colony,  bringing  with  them 
to  the  place  the  ironwork  for  the  saw-mill  to 
be  erected  here,  and  also  a  stock  of  goods  with 
which  to  open  trade.  Whatever  may  be  said 
of  the  oldest  brother  as  to  both  his  courage  and 
generosity,  may  also  be  said  of  John,  "  and," 
says  Judge  Murray.  "  the  latter  (John)  had  more 
dash  than  his  older  brother.  His  weight  was 
about  200  pounds,  his  limbs  muscular,  and  his 
whole  frame  almost  as  elastic  as  a  circus  tum- 
bler." 

Mr.  P.  F.  W.  Peck,  afterward  well  known  in 
Chicago,  came  to  the  Du  Page  a  few  weeks 
after  the  arrival  of  the  Napers,  and  formed  a 
partnership  with  them  in  storekeeping,  which 
was  the  first  establishment  of  the  kind  in  the 
country  around.  The  Sauk  war,  which  followed 
the  next  year,  discouraged  Mr.  Peck,  and  the 
partnership  between  him  and  the  Napers  was 
dissolved  by  mutual  consent,  the  latter  giving 
to  Mr.  Peck  three  lots,  each  80x165  feet,  on 
South  Water  street,  Chicago,  for  his  interest  in 
the  store.  It  was  not  without  misgiving  that 
this  offer  was  accepted,  but  it  laid  the  founda- 
tion for  the  princely  fortune  which  he  ultimately  ; 
amassed. 

From  Judge  Murray,  also,  the  writer  has 
learned  of  the  versatile  and  useful  talents  of 
Christopher  Paine  which  are  worthy  of  record, 
inasmuch  as  he  was  a  remarkable  representa- 
tive of  pioneer  ingenuity. 


To  him  the  whole  settlement  looked  for  de- 
vising ways  and  means  to  accomplish  ends. 
Mr.  Naper  set  about  building  a  mill  in  the  au- 
tumn of  1831,  and  to  Mr.  Paine  was  confided 
the  building  of  the  dam.  This  he  did  by  first 
laj-ing  logs,  next  stone  and  after  these  the 
buckwheat  straw  from  the  ground  sowed  in  the 
summer  to  help  hold  the  dirt  in  its  place  when 
laid  on  the  logs  and  stone.  The  dam  served 
its  purpose,  and  in  the  spring  of  1832  Mr.  Na- 
per's  mill — the  first  ever  built  in  Du  Page 
River — was  in  running  order. 

A  grist-mill  was  needed  perhaps  more  than 
a  saw-mill,  and  Hawley  conceived  the  idea  of 
building  it.  But  how  to  get  the  mill  stones — 
"  that  was  the  rub."  He  laid  the  case  before 
Mr.  Paine.  He  scratched  his  head  and  "  his 
jaws  wagged  with  increased  rapidity  while 
he  kept  up  an  incessant  expectoration,"  (says 
Mr.  Murray),  and  exclaimed  "  By  Jinks,  I  can 
make  them  "  (the  stones).  He  then  selected  two 
good  bowlders  from  the  grove,  and  hammered 
and  pecked  on  them  till  he  had  fashioned  them 
into  upper  and  nether  mill  stones. 

The  stone  chisels  to  do  this  were  probably 
made  by  Isaac  Blodgett,  who  was  a  blacksmith 
in  the  Scott  settlement,  of  whom  mention  has 
already  been  made.  The  mill  was  a  success. 
It  was  propelled  by  ox  power,  by  means  of  a 
sweep.  Each  neighbor  brought  his  grain  to  it 
and  ground  it  with  his  own  team. 

As  to  the  toll,  no  one  now  knows  how  it  was 
paid.  Probably  it  was  a  free  mill,  but  without 
doubt  Mr.  Paine  was  rewarded  for  the  service 
he  had  rendered  the  neighborhood. 

The  same  year  he  introduced  the  culture  of 
flax,  and  made  the  necessary  machinery — the 
spinning  wheel  and  loom — with  which  to  make 
H  into  cloth.  His  wife,  not  less  ingenious  than 
her  husband,  spun  the  flax  and  wove  it  into  a 
handsome  cloth,  coloring  a  part  of  the  yarn  or 
thread,  and  weaving  into  the  fabric  a  bright 
plaid  check.  Of  this  cloth  she  made  suits  for  the 
whole  family,  including  herself  and  her  husband. 


32 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE   COUNTY. 


They  were  the  admiration  of  the  neighbor- 
hood, but  they  were  thought  to  be  rather  cool 
for  winter,  though  Mr.  Paine  at  that  season 
wore  a  warm  buckskin  sack,  tanned  and  made 
by  himself,  from  beneath  which  the  check 
linen  vest  showed  conspicuously,  and  is  still 
remembered  bj-  the  old  settlers  of  Naperville. 
Mr.  Paine  was  a  model  of  generosity.  "  Would 
divide  his  last  potato,"  says  Judge  Murray, 
"with  any  one  in  need."  In  the  fall  of  1832,  he 
sold  out  and  settled  on  the  Pox  River  at  the 
present  site  of  Batavia,  where  he  was  subse- 
quently bought  out  by  Judge  Wilson.  He 
then  went  to  Geneva  Lake,  Wis.,  where  he 
started  a  saw  mill.  From  thence,  after  again 
selling  out,  he  went  to  Duck  Creek,  Wis.,  and 
again  built  a  saw  mill.  Here  he  remained, 
still  dispensing  his  utilitarian  labors  with  a 
generous  hand,  till  he  died,  respected  by  all 
who  knew  him.  Returning  again  to  the  Naper 
settlement,  the  severity  of  the  winter  of  1830- 
31  should  not  be  left  without  a  record.  Snow 
fell  to  an  average  depth  of  four  feet,  and  the 
cold  was  intense  from  November  till  April, 
with  but  little  cessation.  The  wild  turkeys  all 
died  for  want  of  forage  ;  and,  up  to  that  time, 
the  country  was  full  of  wild  hogs  bred  from 
those  left  by  the  garrison  when  Fort  Dearborn 
was  abandoned  in  1812.  These  all  died  also, 
for  they  could  not  penetrate  the  deep  snow  for 
acorns  in  the  groves,  and  the  last  one  starved 
to  death. 

The  deer  fared  better  because  they  could  live 
on  browse,  but  many  of  them  died  also.  Mr. 
Willard  Scott,  banker  in  Naperville,  the  son  of 
Stephen  J.,  is  the  authority  for  the  above  ;  and 
further  states  that  for  the  next  four  years  suc- 
ceeding the  winter  of  1830-31,  he  had  often 
passed  from  the  Desplaines  River  through  Mud 
Lake  into  the  Chicago  River  with  the  barges 
of  the  American  Fur  Company. 

John  Baptiste  Beaubien  was  their  agent 
there  at  that  time,  to -whom  some  of  the  In- 
dians brought  their  furs  to  sell,  packed  on  the 


backs  of  ponies,  but  most  of  them  sold  their 
furs  to  the  traders,  who  had  transient  stations 
throughout  the  country.  Bernardus  Lawton 
was  one  of  these  traders,  whose  station  was  at 
Plainfleld,  but  his  headquarters  were  at  Chi- 
cago. David  Lawton  lived  on  the  Desplaines, 
where  he  kept  a  tavern  at  the  present  site 
of  Riverside  from  previous  to  1830  till  his 
death.  Both  were  highly  esteemed  alike  by 
whites  and  Indians.  Says  Mr.  Scott :  "  Ber- 
nardus had  an  Indian  wife,  who  was  a  sensible 
and  discreet  woman,  who  ever  eujoj-ed  the  con- 
fidence of  her  husband." 

From  the  very  first  the  Pottawatomies,  who 
were  frequentl3"  at  the  Naper  settlement,  had 
always  been  friendly,  and  highly  esteemed  Mr. 
Scott,  with  whom  their  acquaintance  had  been 
of  several  years'  duration,  and  likewise  held  the 
Naper  brothers  in  like  favor,  though  their  ac- 
quaintance had  been  shorter.  The  same  may 
be  said  with  regard  to  all  the  old  settlers  with 
whom  the  writer  has  conversed,  all  of  whom 
speak  kindly  of  the  Pottawatomies.  Why 
should  they  not  ?  They  had  settled  on  land 
that  the  Indians  never  had  sold,  and  they  made 
no  attempt  to  molest  them,  but  treated  them 
with  kindness. 

In  speaking  of  an  interview  with  the  In- 
dians, says  Mrs.  Hobson  :  "  The  Pottawatomies 
frequently  called  at  our  house,  and  were  alwa3~s 
friendly  up  to  the  spring  of  1832,  when  strange 
appearances  began  to  be  manifest.  On  one 
occasion,  three  Indians  came  to  her  house 
when  no  one  but  her  two  youngest  children 
were  with  her.  Two  of  them  seemed  friendly 
as  usual,  but  the  third  betrayed  himself  to  be 
of  a  strange  tribe,  and  wore  a  rueful  counte- 
nance. He  would  not  eat  of  the  food  she 
placed  before  the  visitors,  which  behavior,  so 
eccentric  in  an  Indian,  boded  no  good  intent. 
Besides  this,  she  plainly  saw  that  it  required 
an  effort  on  the  part  of  the  two  friendly  Potta- 
watomies to  prevent  an  outbreak  on  the  spot." 

When  the  three  left,  she  saw  him  conceal  a 


HISTORY   OF   DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


carving  knife  under  his  blanket,  with  which  she 
had  been  cutting  off  some  dried  beef  for  her 
visitors,  and,  as  they  were  departing,  she  in- 
formed the  two  friendly  Indians  of  the  theft. 
They  promptly  took  the  knife  from  the  culprit, 
and  restored  it  to  Mrs.  Hobson,  meanwhile 
evidently  rebuking  the  faithless  vagabond  for 
his  perfidy  ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  apologizing 
to  Mrs.  Hobson  by  repeating  to  her  "  me-o-net ' 
— no  good  Indian,  pointing  to  tlie  stranger. 

He  was  doubtless  a  Sauk,  who  had  come 
among  the  Pottawatomies  to  influence  them  to 
take  up  the  hatchet  against  the  whites. 

Two  days  after  this  adventure  at  the  house 
of  Mrs.  Hobson,  the  real  alarm  came. 

Its  incidents  are  so  well  told  in  Kichmond  & 
Vallette's  Early  History,  that  their  relation  of 
it  has  been  transferred  to  these  columns  by 
permission  of  Col.  Henry  Vallette  : 

"  Never  was  a  '  good  time  come '  hailed  with 
more  gladness  than  was  the  spring  of  1832  by 
the  infant  colony.  A  prospect  of  reward  for 
past  hardships  was  before  them.  All  was  busy 
preparation  for  the  approaching  seed  time.  The 
labor  of  breaking  and  fencing  went  briskly  for- 
ward, and  in  due  time  the  new-fledged  grain 
came  peering  from  the  mellow  ground.  But 
long  before  the  growing  fields  stood  ready  for 
the  sickle  of  the  glad  harvester,  the  little  band 
were  obliged  to  relinquish  their  cherished  antici- 
pations, and  flee  from  their  new  homes  for  the 
safety  of  their  lives. 

"  The  news  of  the  breaking-out  of  the  Black 
Hawk  war  caused  great  excitement  in  the  settle- 
ment, and  the  alarm  was  heightened  by  the 
arrival  of  Shata,  an  express  from  the  Pottawat- 
omies, who  were  friendly  to  the  whites,  with 
the  intelligence  that  a  party  of  Sac  Indians 
were  committing  depredations  among  the  set- 
tlers on  Fox  River,  some  ten  miles  distant,  and 
that  the  houses  of  Cunningham  and  Hollenback 
had  been  burned  to  the  ground,  and  their  prop- 
erty entirely  destroyed.  Aware  of  their  ina- 
bility to  carry  on  a  successful  warfare  with  the 


Indians,  as  the  colony  was  in  an  almost  defense- 
less state,  and,  being  liable  to  an  attack  from 
them  at  any  moment,  the  settlers  decided  to 
send  their  families,  with  all  possible  haste,  to 
Chicago,  where  old  Fort  Dearborn  offered  its 
protection  to  any  fearing  the  incursions  of  the 
savages.  The  settlement  was  now  the  scene  of 
universal  disorder  and  alarm.  Bustle  and  con- 
fusion were  the  order  of  the  hour.  Men  were 
hurrying  to  and  fro  in  eager  pursuit  of  their 
wives  and  children,  while  weeping  wives  and 
crying  children  were  hurrying  with  equal  ra- 
pidity and  greater  anxiety  in  pursuit  of  their 
husbands  and  fathers.  Order  was  at  length,  in 
some  degree,  restored,  and  while  the  women 
were  engaged  in  packing  such  articles  of  cloth- 
ing and  provision  as  they  would  require  for  the 
journey,  the  men  were  activety  fitting  out  teams 
to  convey  them  away. 

"  Early  in  the  afternoon  of  the  18th  of  May, . 
the  train  started  for  Chicago.  But  the  family 
of  Christopher  Paine,  who  lived  near  the  place 
of  S.  &  D.  Babbitt,  consisting  of  his  wife  and 
six  children,  were,  in  the  general  confusion  in- 
cident to  their  hasty  departure,  left  behind. 
The  family  were  sent  in  advance  of  the  train, 
with  directions  to  wait  at  a  short  distance  from 
the  settlement  for  its  arrival.  Concealing  them- 
selves in  a  thicket  by  the  roadside,  near  the 
farm  now  owned  by  Capt.  John  Sargent,  and 
not  hearing  the  company  as  it  passed,  they 
were  obliged  to  remain  in  their  place  of  con- 
cealment during  the  night,  which  must  have 
been  one  of  fearful  anxiety  to  the  mother,  as 
the  imaginative  dangers  of  her  situation  mag- 
nified, while  watching  over  her  houseless  and 
defenseless  children.  They  returned  in  safety 
to  the  settlement  next  morning,  but  much  ex- 
hausted by  fatigue  and  hunger. 

"  The  following  incidents  relating  to  the  alarm 
and  sudden  flight  of  Mr.  Hobson's  family,  have 
been  kindly  furnished  by  one  of  its  members. 
Mr.  Hobson,  with  Mr.  Paine  and  son,  had  just 
seated  themselves  at  their  noonday  meal,  relat- 


34 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


ing,  in  the  meantime,  the  intelligence  they  had 
received  while  working  in  the  field  ;  that  a  band 
of  Indians  were  advancing,  and  were  then  only 
thirty  miles  distant,  when  they  were  suddenly 
interrupted  by  the  appearance  of  Paine's  eldest 
son,  who  rushed  into  the  house,  bareheaded  and 
breathless,  informing  them  that  Specie  and 
Ament  had  just  arrived  from  the  Au  Sable 
grove,  having  run  their  horses  down,  and  per. 
formed  a  part  of  the  journey  on  foot,  to  bring 
the  alarming  intelligence  that  a  body  of  Indians 
had  that  morning  passed  through  Hollenback's 
Grove,  killing  several  settlers,  and  burning  every 
thing  in  their  path.  Upon  this  intelligence) 
immediate  preparations  for  safety  were  consid- 
ered expedient.  Hobson  and  Paine  arose  from 
the  table,  leaving  the  dinner  untasted.  Mr. 
Paine,  accompanied  by  his  sous,  started  in  great 
haste  for  their  home,  while  Mr.  Hobson  pre- 
pared to  ride  up  to  the  Naper  settlement  to  see 
what  the  inhabitants  there  had  concluded  to 
do,  but  his  wife  and  children,  clinging  to  him, 
begged  him  not  to  leave  them  ;  whereupon  he 
saddled  the  horses,  and  after  seeing  the  wife 
and  children  all  mounted,  except  the  eldest  son; 
who  was  to  accompany  them  on  foot,  they  started 
together.  They  directed  their  course  through 
the  east  end  of  the  grove,  and  coming  upon  a 
rise  of  ground,  beheld  a  man  on  horseback,  about 
a  mile  distant.  It  immediately  occurred  to  Mr- 
Hobson  that  this  was  an  Indian  spy,  but  it 
proved  to  be  one  of  a  small  party  of  scouts  sent 
out  from  the  settlement.  He,  however,  directed 
his  wife  and  children  to  hasten  out  of  sight. 
They  rode  into  the  grove  and  dismounted.  Mr. 
Hobson  came  up  soon  after,  threw  the  saddles 
into  a  thicket,  turned  the  horses  into  a  neigh- 
boring field,  and  made  all  possible  haste  to  se- 
crete his  family  ;  directing  them  to  use  every 
precaution  to  evade  pursuit,  and  not  to  tangle 
nor  bruise  the  grass  and  weeds  as  the}'  went 
along.  Having  done  this,  his  attention  was 
next  directed  to  his  dog,  a  faithful  and  valuable 
animal.  '  You  have  been,'  said  he,  '  my  com- 


panion and  protector  for  years  ;  you  have  never 
been  unfaithful  to  a  trust,  nor  given  me  cause 
to  question  your  fidelitj- — always  the  first  to 
welcome,  foremost  to  defend.  But  now  you 
may  betray  us,  and,  saddening  as  the  thought 
may  be,  I  must  be  reconciled  to  the  thought  of 
putting  you  to  death.'  So,  taking  the  unsuspect- 
ing victim,  he  went  to  a  cabin  near  by,  which 
had  been  but  recently  occupied  by  the  family 
of  Mr.  Seth  Wescott,  his  object  being  to  pro- 
cure an  ax  with  which  to  do  the  deed  at  which 
his  very  soul  shuddered.  It  was  supposed  that 
the  family  of  Mr.  Wescott  had  received  the 
alarm,  and  fled.  What  then  was  his  surprise 
to  meet  him  at  the  threshold  of  his  door,  with 
gun  in  hand,  just  starting  out  on  a  hunting  ex- 
pedition. At  Mr.  Hobson's  solicitation,  the 
dog  was  shot ;  but  he  died  not,  as  many  pass 
from  life,  without  a  tear  to  consecrate  the  event, 
or  a  heart  to  embalm  the  memory  of  the  de- 
parted soul— his  loss  was  sincerely  lamented. 
Mr.  Wescott  made  immediate  preparation  to 
join  the  settlers,  and  Mr.  Hobson,  fearing  that 
the  report  of  the  gun  might  have  alarmed  his 
family,  hastened  to  meet  them.  Accompanied 
by  his  wife,  he  then  returned  to  the  house  to 
make  preparations,  in  case  it  should  become 
necessary  for  them  to  desert  their  home.  The 
box  had  been  removed  from  the  wagon,  but 
with  his  wife's  assistance  he  was  enabled  to  re- 
place it,  and  after  completing  their  arrange- 
ments, they  again  set  forth,  Mrs.  Hobson  with 
some  food  to  seek  her  children  in  the  grove 
while  her  husband  went  to  the  settlement  to 
see  what  preparations  were  being  made  there. 
On  his  arrival  he  found  that  the  families,  with 
a  part  of  the  men,  had  gone  to  Chicago.  He 
informed  those  that  remained  of  the  condition 
of  his  family,  and  of  his  anxiety  that  they  should 
set  out  that  night,  in  hopes  of  overtaking  the 
advance  party.  Capt.  Naper,  Lieut.  King,  and 
Specie  volunteered  to  return  with  him  to  the 
place  where  he  had  concealed  his  family.  They 
were  all  mounted  except  King,  who  was  on 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


HISTORY  OF  DtJ  PAGE  COUNTY. 


foot.  Having  found  the  family  in  their  hiding 
place,  it  was  a  matter  that  required  considerable 
mathematical  skill  to  determine  how  they  were 
to  be  conveyed.  It  was  at  length  decided  that 
the  two  eldest  children  should  be  placed  on  the 
horse  of  Mr.  Hobson  ;  that  Capt.  Naper  should 
take  two  more  on  the  horse  with  him  ;  and  that 
Mrs.  Hobson,  assisted  by  King,  should  go  on 
foot,  carrying  the  youngest  child,  then  two  years 
old.  They  pressed  on  toward  the  north  end  of 
the  grove,  where  Mr.  Hobson  had  agreed  to 
meet  them  with  his  team.  Emerging  from  the 
grove  they  had  yet  half  a  mile  to  go,  and  Mrs. 
Hobson  being  fatigued  from  the  journey,  one  of 
the  children  was  taken  from  Capt.  Naper's  horse 
and  placed  on  the  horse  with  the  two  others, 
while  Mrs.  Hobson  mounted  behind  Capt.  Na- 
per. They  started  again,  one  horse  carrying 
Capt.  Naper,  with  his  huge  Kentucky  rifle,  to- 
gether with  Mrs.  Hobson,  one  child,  and  sundry 
and  divers  trappings.  It  is  supposed  that  the 
gallant  Captain  never  presented  a  more  formid- 
able appearance  than  he  did  while  riding  along 
on  that  memorable  occasion,  with  his  burnished 
steel  glistening  in  the  moonbeams,  although  he 
has,  since  that  day,  been  the  hero  of  at  least 
three  decisive  battles. 

"  They  arrived  in  safety  at  the  place  appointed 
to  meet  Mr.  Hobson,  who  soon  came  up  with 
his  oxen  and  wagon,  bringing  with  him  such 
things  from  the  house  as  he  could  hastily  pick 
up  in  the  dark.  The  announcement  of  "  all 
aboard  "  soon  followed.  Mr.  Hobson  gave  up 
his  horse  to  Mr.  King,  who  returned  with  Capt. 
Naper  to  the  settlement,  while  the  vehicle  con- 
taining the  family  moved  on  its  slow  and  weary 
way.  The  night  was  cold,  and  rendered  still 
more  uncomfortable  by  a  heavy  fall  of  rain  ; 
but  wet  and  cold  are  of  minor  consideration 
when  compared  with  the  horrors  of  an  excited 
imagination,  which  transforms  every  tree  and 
shrub  into  a  merciless  Indian  foe,  with  toma- 
hawk and  scalping  knife  in  hand,  ready  to  com- 
mit their  deeds  of  cruelty  and  slaughter.  Pass- 


ing a  night  of  the  most  intense  fear  and  anxiet}', 
they  arrived  at  Brush  Hill  at  sunrise.  Crossing 
the  O'Plain,  they  found  a  habitation,  the  only 
one  on  the  whole  route.  They  journeyed  on 
and  soon  reached  the  "  Big  Prairie,"  the  distance 
across  which  is  about  ten  miles.  Crossing  this 
prairie  was  the  most  tedious  part  of  the  way. 
The  wheels,  during  a  greater  part  of  the  dis- 
tance, were  half  imbedded  in  the  marshy  soil, 
rendering  it  almost  impossible  for  the  team  to 
move  on,  even  with  an  empty  wagon.  The  chil- 
dren became  sickened  from  exposure  and  thirst. 
Being  unprovided  with  a  drinking  vessel,  Mrs. 
Hobson  frequently  took  the  shoe  from  her  foot 
and  dipped  the  muddy  water  from  the  pools  by 
the  roadside,  which  they  drank  with  much  ap- 
parent satisfaction.  They  plodded  on  at  a  slow 
pace,  and  reached  their  destination  at  a  little 
before  sunset,  much  exhausted  by  hunger  and 
fatigue,  neither  Mr.  nor  Mrs.  Hobson  having 
tasted  food  for  more  than  thirty-six  hours. 
They  were  safely  quartered  in  Fort  Dearborn, 
and  here  we  leave  them,  and  return  to  the 
settlement. 

"  Some  fifteen  or  twenty  men  remained  be- 
hind, when  the  settlement  was  abandoned  by 
the  families,  in  order  to  protect,  if  possible,  their 
dwellings  and  other  property,  from  the  depreda- 
tions of  the  Indians,  should  they  come  to  de- 
stroy them.  They  quartered  themselves  in  the 
log  house  of  Capt.  Naper,  and  kept  vigilant 
guard  during  the  night.  On  the  following 
morning  the  settlers  were  visited  by  Lawton,  an 
Indian  trader,  living  on  the  O'Plain,  in  company 
with  three  Indians  and  a  half-breed,  named 
Burrasaw.  They  brought  no  news,  but  came 
to  gather  further  particulars  in  relation  to  the 
threatened  invasion  of  the  Sacs.  As  the  set- 
tlers had  heard  nothing  of  their  movements 
since  the  departure  of  Shata's  express,  it  was 
resolved  that  a  part}',  joined  by  Lawton  and  the 
three  Indians,  should  go  to  the  camp  of  the  Pot- 
tawatomies,  near  the  Big  Woods,  some  ten 
miles  distant,  for  information.  Two  men, 


36 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


named  Brown  and  Murphy,  had  been  placed  on 
patrol  that  morning,  and  were  out  on  the 
prairie,  a  little  west  of  the  settlement.  The 
party  setting  out  for  the  Big  Woods  determined 
to  test  their  courage,  and  for  that  purpose,  sent 
the  three  Indians  in  advance  of  the  main  party. 
As  soon  as  the  Indians  came  in  sight  of  the 
patrol,  they  gave  a  most  terrific  war-whoop,  and 
darted  on  after  them  with  the  fleetness  of  so 
many  arrows.  The  patrol,  seized  with  sudden 
consternation,  sprang  to  their  horses  and  fled  in 
the  wildest  dismay — first  toward  the  north,  but 
being  intercepted  by  some  of  the  company, 
whom  they  took  to  be  savages,  they  wheeled 
and  took  an  opposite  direction.  In  this  course 
they  were  again  intercepted  by  the  three  In- 
dians. Concluding  they  must  be  surrounded, 
they  came  to  a  halt,  laid  down  their  arms,  and 
were  about  to  sue  for  mercy,  when  they  chanced 
to  discover  in  the  features  of  their  vengeful 
pursuers  a  striking  likeness  to  those  they  had 
left  at  the  settlement.  The  fact  soon  dawned 
upon  them  that  they  had  been  successfully 
hoaxed,  and  their  duties  '  on  guard  '  terminated 
with  that  adventure. 

'•  The  company  advanced  toward  the  Big 
Woods.  As  they  drew  near  the  timber,  an  In- 
dian was  observed  mounted  on  a  horse,  who,  on 
seeing  them,  turned  and  fled.  The  three  In- 
dians made  instant  pursuit ;  overtaking  him 
before  he  had  gone  far,  they  made  themselves 
known  as  friends,  and  detained  him  until  the 
company  came  up.  Lawton  understood  the 
dialects  of  several  Indian  tribes,  and  in  a  con- 
versation with  him  ascertained  that  he  belonged 
to  the  Pottawatomies,  who  were  encamped  only 
three  miles  distant.  The  Indian  said  the  whole 
of  his  tribe  were  drunk,  and  it  would  be  danger- 
ous for  the  company  to  visit  them.  However, 
after  brief  consultation,  they  decided  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  encampment,  and  the  captured  In- 
dian led  the  way.  Although  the  appearance  of 
the  company  in  the  camp  caused  some  little  ex- 
citement among  that  portion  of  the  tribe  who 


were  sufficiently  sober  to  entertain  an  emotion 
of  any  kind,  yet  they  were  received  with  no  ap- 
parent indications  of  hostility.  On  examination, 
the  testimony  of  the  Indian  was  fully  substan- 
tiated. Indians  were  found  in  a  state  of  beastly 
intoxication  in  every  part  of  the  camp ;  while 
others  were  enjoying  the  pastime  in  the  most 
picturesque,  amusing  and  fantastic  series  of  per- 
formances that  can  be  imagined.  Dancing, 
singing,  whooping  and  screeching,  delightfully 
mingled,  formed  the  grand  offering  which  there 
went  up  at  the  shrine  of  bad  whisky  and  worse 
tobacco.  One  fellow,  who  seemed  to  be  of  a 
decidedly  pugnacious  turn;  was  lying  on  the 
ground,  face  downward,  with  his  hands  secured 
behind  him,  Samson  like,  with  green  withes. 
Frantic  with  rage,  he  seemed  to  utter  the  most 
vehement  and  fearful  denunciations  against  all 
who  came  near  him.  Upon  inquiry,  it  was  as- 
certained that  the  fellow  had  violated  an  im- 
portant law  in  their  code  respecting  these 
orgies,  which  law  forbids  'a  brother  knocking  a 
brother  down,'  and  he  was  suffering  the  penalty 
affixed. 

:'  The  company  were  summoned  into  the 
presence  of  the  chiefs,  who  gave  them  a  friendly 
and  courteous  reception.  A  council  was  called, 
and  Lawton  and  Burrasaw  were  admitted  to  the 
ring.  The  consultation  lasted  for  two  or  three 
hours,  and  the  '  outsiders '  were  becoming  rather 
impatient.  An  old  Indian  woman,  known  to 
Capt.  Naper,  while  passing  near  him,  uttered  in 
his  ear  the  word  '  Puc-a-che,'  which,  being  both 
literally  and  liberally  interpreted,  signifies 
'  Be  off".'  And  the  Captain  began  to  think  it 
time  to  heed  the  advice. 

"  Inquiry  was  made  in  relation  to  the  delib- 
erations of  the  council,  and  Lawton  responded, 
that  'there  were  300  Sac  Indians  in  the  Black- 
berry timber,  some  four  miles  distant,  and,' 
said  he,  '  you  will  see  them  if  you  wait  here 
an  hour.'  These  Indians  will  not  fight  them, 
but  will  "  stop  them  by  talk,"  if  they  can,  from 
burning  your  settlement.'  The  Captain  sigui- 


HISTORY  OF    DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


37 


fied  no  inclination  to  hold  an  interview  with 
300  Sac  Indians,  but  suggested  the  propriety 
of  retreating  to  the  settlement  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible, and  sending  the  most  valuable  property 
there  to  Chicago.  This  plan  received  the  ac- 
quiesence  of  all  the  company,  and  after  making 
arrangements  with  Lawton  to  send  an  express 
to  notify  them  of  any  immediate  danger  from 
the  Sacs,  the  settlers  returned.  The  packing 
of  their  goods  was  immediately  commenced. 
All  the  articles  which  were  inconvenient  to 
convey  were  lowered  into  a  well  parti}'  dug, 
and  all  was  soon  ready  for  loading_the  wagons. 
The  horses  had  been  harnessed,  and  were  then 
feeding  at  a  stable  some  ten  or  fifteen  rods 
from  the  house.  Capt.  Naper  was  in  the  house 
tying  the  corners  of  a  quilt,  which  contained 
the  remnant  of  clothing  left  behind  by  his  fam- 
ily, when  a  man  rushed  wildly  into  the  room, 
shouting  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  "  the  Indians 
are  upon  us!"  The  whole  company  took  in- 
stant alarm  and  with  the  exception  of  Captain 
and  John  Naper,  beat  a  precipitate  retreat  to 
a  thicket  of  hazel  bushes,  which,  in  those  days, 
flourished  in  prolific  exuberance  on  the  soil 
now  known  as  Jefferson  avenue.  The  two 
Napers  were  somewhat  unlike  the  redoutable 
Mr.  Sparrowgrass,  who  was  prone  to  pull  trig- 
ger arfd  make  inquiries  afterward.  They  de- 
cided that  inquiry  should  take  the  precedence, 
and  if  it  came  to  that,  why  they  could  run 
some. 

"As  the  horses  were  near,  they  removed  the 
harness  and  put  on  the  saddles,  that  they 
might  be  in  readiness  in  case  of  emergency. 
They  had  scarcely  accomplished  this,  when 
Alauson  Sweet  came  galloping  up  on  his  fierce 
charger,  exhorting  them  to  instant  flight,  if 
the}'  valued  their  lives.  '  There  are  at  least 
500  Indians  upon  us,'  said  he,  '  and  they  are 
not  more  than  fifteen  rods  off.'  Alanson  rode 
away,  but  the  Napers  resolved  to  investigate. 
They  walked  in  the  direction  from  which  Sweet 
said  the  Indians  were  approaching,  and  soon 


came  upon  a  rise  of  ground  which  had  con- 
cealed the  Indians  from  view,  when  lo  !  the 
dusk}'  visage  of  their  friend  Lawton  appeared 
before  them.  He  was  at  the  head  of  about 
fifty  brawny  Pottawatomies,  and  had  come  to 
warn  the  settlers  of  immediate  danger.  Mes- 
sengers were  sent  out  to  gather  in  the  fugitives, 
that  all  might  listen  to  Lawton's  story.  He 
said  that  at  least  sixteen  of  the  Sacs,  and  how 
man}-  more  he  did  not  know,  had  crossed  Fox 
River ;  that  the  Pottawatomies  could  not  stop 
them.  They  were  determined  to  attack  the 
settlements,  and  their  '  talk '  could  not  pre- 
vent them.  The  settlers,  upon  this,  abandoned 
all  idea  of  saving  their  property,  but  deter- 
mined to  make  every  effort  to  save  the  wife 
and  children  of  Paine,  who  were  still  in  the 
settlemeut.  The  horses  were  attached  to  a 
light  covered  wagon,  in  which  the  family  was 
placed,  and  the  whole  company  set  out  that 
night  for  Chicago.  John  Naper  insisted  upon 
going  on  foot,  and  divested  himself  of  every- 
thing in  the  shape  of  attire,  except  his  shirt 
and  pantaloons.  He  was  earnestly  entreated 
to  ride,  but  upon  his  assuring  the  party  that 
'  he  could  outrun  any  Sac  Indian  in  the  na- 
tion,' further  importunity  was  deemed  useless. 
They  reached  the  O'Plain,  and  encamped  for 
the  night  without  taking  their  horses  from  the 
wagon,  that  they  might  be  ready  to  move  on 
at  a  moment's  warning.  They  had  hastened 
on,  through  fear  of  being  cut  off  on  the  north- 
ern trail  by  the  Indians,  and  being  much  worn 
with  fatigue,  all  hands  slept  pretty  soundly  till 
next  morning.  The  journey  was  then  resumed, 
and  the  party  arrived  at  Chicago  before  noon, 
on  the  20th  day  of  May.  A  company  of  twen- 
ty-five men  was  raised  during  the  day,  to  re- 
turn to  the  settlement.  It  consisted  chiefly  of 
settlers,  accompanied  by  Capt.  Brown  and  Col. 
Hamilton.  They  started  on  Saturday,  May  21, 
and  passed  the  night  at  Lawtou's.  Next  day 
they  went  on  to  the  settlement,  where  they 
found  everything  undisturbed.  Leaving  the 


38 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


settlement  under  the  guardianship  of  several  . 
friendlj'  Indians,  the  company  proceeded  to 
Plainfleld,  where  they  found  the  settlers  safely 
quartered  in  a  fort,  which  the}-  had  just  com- 
pleted. They  then  started  for  Holderman's 
Grove,  to  ascertain  the  condition  of  the  settlers 
there.  Meeting  Cunningham  and  Hollenback 
on  the  way,  the}'  were  informed  that  it  would 
be  of  no  use  to  go  farther,  as  their  property 
had  been  destroyed.  Notwithstanding,  they 
proceeded  to  Holderman's  Grove.  From  this 
place  they  sent  an  express  to  Ottawa,  to  notify 
the  settlers  of  the  safety  of  their  property,  and 
also  sent  a  messenger  to  Chicago  to  apprise 
their  friends  of  their  own  safety.  The  party 
remained  at  Holderman's  house  during  the 
night.  Early  next  morning  the  express  re- 
turned from  Ottawa,  bringing  the  intelligence 
of  the  massacre  at  Indian  Creek.  The  party 
immediately  went  to  Ottawa,  and  thence  pro- 
ceeded to  the  scene  of  the  bloody  tragedy. 
What  they  there  witnessed  was  too  appalling 
to  be  described.  Not  less  than  fifteen  bodies, 
of  men,  women  and  children  were  lying  there, 
cut  and  mangled  in  the  most  shocking  manner. 
It  was  ascertained  that  they  were  the  families 
of  Messrs.  Hall,  Davis  and  Pettigrew,  and  that 
two  daughters  of  the  Hall  family,  Silvia  and 
Rachel,  the  one  about  seventeen  and  the  other 
about  fifteen  years  old,  were  carried  off  as  pris- 
oners. The  party  of  Indians  immediately  re- 
treated into  the  Winnebago  country,  up  Rock 
River,  carrying  the  scalps  of  the  slain  and 
their  prisoners  with  them.  'Indian  wars  are 
wars  of  a  past  age.  They  have  always  been 
characterized  by  the  same  ferocity  and  cruelty. 
To  desbribe  this  massacre  is  only  to  repeat 
what  has  been  written  a  hundred  times  ;  but  a 
brief  account  of  it  may  not  be  deemed  inap- 
propriate in  this  place.  The  Indians  were 
about  seventy  in  number.  They  approached 
the  house,  in  which  the  three  families  were  as- 
sembled, in  the  daytime.  They  entered  it 
suddenly,  but  with  little  notice.  Some  of  the 


inmates  were  immediately  shot  down  with 
rifles,  others  were  pierced  through  with  spears 
or  dispatched  with  the  tomahawk.  The  In- 
dians afterward  related,  with  an  infernal  glee, 
how  the  women  had  squeaked  like  geese  when 
they  were  run  through  the  body  with  spears,  or 
felt  the  sharp  tomahawk  entering  their  heads.  All 
the  victims  were  carefully  scalped,  their  bodies 
shockingly  mutilated  ;  the  little  children  were 
chopped  to  pieces  with  axes,  and  the  bodies  of 
the  women  were  suspended  by  the  feet  from 
the  walls  of  the  houses.  The  'young  women 
prisoners  were  hurried,  by  forced  marches,  be- 
yond the  reach  of  pursuit.  After  a  long  and 
fatiguing  journey  with  their  Indian  conductors, 
through  a  wilderness  country,  with  but  little  to 
eat,  and  being  subject  to  a  variety  of  fortune, 
they  were  at  last  purchased  by  the  chiefs  of 
the  Winnebagoes,  employed  by  Mr.  Gratiot  for 
that  purpose,  with  $2,000,  in  horses,  wampum 
and  trinkets,  and  were  returned  in  safety  to 
their  friends.' 

"  The  company  assisted  in  burying  the  dead 
and  returned  with  sad  hearts  to  Ottawa.  There 
they  found  Col.  Stillman's  command,  consisting 
of  about  two  hundred  men,  under  Col.  John- 
son. The  settlers,  or  Capt.  Brown's  company, 
as  it  was  called,  encamped  on  the  north  side  of 
the  river,  near  where  the  city  of  Ottawa  now 
stands.  Capt.  Brown's  company  being  so  small, 
he  requested  Col.  Johnson  to  send  an  escort 
with  his  part}-  to  Chicago,  as  it  was  expected 
that  they  would  be  attacked  by  Indians  on  their 
return.  Col.  Johnson  refused  to  send  men  for 
that  purpose,  but  paraded  his  company  and 
called  for  volunteers.  Maj.  Bailey  and  twelve 
privates  volunteered  to  go.  But  the  company 
being  still  very  small,  Col.  Johnson  agreed  to 
send  a  detachment  up  the  river  and  meet  Maj. 
Brown's  company  at  Green's  mill.  Upon  this 
assurance,  the  settlers  left  Ottawa  and  followed 
the  river  up  as  far  as  Green's,  but  no  tidings 
came  to  them  of  Col.  Johnson's  detachment. 
Returning  to  Holderman's  Grove,  they  found 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


39 


everything  laid  waste.  The  settlement  there 
was  a  scene  of  complete  devastation  and  ruin. 
They  proceeded  to  Plainfield,  and  found  the 
garrison  in  the  state  of  great  alarm,  occasioned 
by  the  news  of  the  massacre  at  Indian  Creek. 
The  women,  who  appeared  the  more  courageous, 
provided  the  company  with  a  good  supper,  and 
they  remained  there  until  next  da}-.  In  the 
morning  the  settlement  was  abandoned,  and  all 
started  for  Chicago,  except  a  preacher  by  the 
name  of  Paine.  He  refused  to  accompany  them, 
as  he  had,  from  some  cause,  conceived  the  no- 
tion that  the  settlers  at  Chicago  had  all  been 
murdered.  He  started  in  the  direction  of  Hol- 
derman's  Grove,  but  was  found  murdered  some 
days  afterward,  with  one  scalp  torn  from  his 
head  and  another  from  his  face.  Paine  was 
wont  to  wear  a  very  heavy  beard,  which  ac- 
counts for  the  scalp  being  taken  from  his  face. 
There  is  a  tradition  of  this  brutal  affair,  which 
informs  us  that  the  Indians  cut  off  Paine's  head 
and  carried  it  with  them,  supposing,  from  the 
appearance  given  to  the  face  by  its  long  beard, 
that  they  had  killed  one  of  the  gods  of  the 
whites. 

"  The  settlers  all  reached  Chicago  the  same 
da}-  on  which  they  left  Plainfield. 

"  The  Scott  families,  which  should  have  been 
noticed  in  another  place,  did  not  abandon  their 
claims  at  the  Forks,  until  some  time  after  the 
inhabitants  fled  from  the  settlement.  A  son  of 
Robinson,  an  Indian  chief  of  the  Pottawatomie 
tribe,  was  living  with  them,  and  they  knew  that, 
in  case  of  actual  danger  from  the  Sacs,  the  boy 
would  be  taken  away.  When  he  was  removed,  : 
they  concluded  there  would  be  no  safety  in  re- 
maining longer,  and  thereupon  followed  in  the 
trail  of  their  affrighted  neighbors,  to  Port  Dear- 
born." 

The  writer  will  here  state  that  from  Judge 
Blodgett  himself  he  has  learned  that  Half  Day, 
a  Pottawatomie  chief,  attended  a  council  held 
at  this  time  at  Waubonsies  village  (now  Au- 
rora), in  which  Black  Hawk's  emissaries  were 


trying  to  persuade  the  Pottawatomies  to  come 
to  his  assistance.  This  they  declined  to  do, 
advising  the  Sauks  at  the  same  time  to  aban- 
don their  warlike  designs,  but  in  vain. 

Half  Day  then  left  the  council  and  hastened 
to  the  house  of  Mr.  Blodgett.  warning  him  of 
the  impending  danger,  when  he  promptly  set 
about  starting  for  Fort  Dearborn  with  his  fam- 
ily, at  the  same  time  dispatching  }'oung  Henry, 
then  ten  j-ears  old.  to  the  various  families  in 
the  Scott  settlement,  to  warn  them  of  the  dan- 
ger, and  they  all  retreated  together  to  the  fort. 

This  in  no  wise  conflicts  with  the  statement  of 
Richmond  and  Vallette,  but  would  go  to  show 
that  warning  to  them  came  from  a  different 
messenger  than  the  one  who  brought  the  un- 
welcome news  to  the  Naper  settlement. 

"  Not  long  after,  a  scouting  party  of  twenty- 
five  horsemen  started  for  the  settlement;  their 
object  being  to  ascertain  whether  any  of  the 
enemy  had  been  there,  and  to  look  after  the 
property  of  the  settlers.  This  expedition  was 
placed  under  the  command  of  Col.  Beaubien. 
They  left  Chicago  in  the  morning,  and  at  noon 
reached  the  O'Plain  River,  where  they  found 
Robert  Kinzie,  with  fifty  Indians  under  his  com- 
mand. 

"  An  arrangement  was  made,  by  which  it  was 
agreed  that  the  Indians,  under  Capt.  Kinzie, 
should  proceed  by  the  direct  trail  to  the  settle- 
ment, and  the  mounted  company  should  pro- 
ceed to  the  same  place  by  way  of  Capt.  Board- 
man's,  to  look  after  the  property  there. 

"  It  was  expected  that  the  latter  party  would 
arrive  at  the  settlement  some  time  before  the 
former.  Beaubien's  company  urged  their  horses 
on  as  fast  as  possible,  and  in  a  few  hours  ar 
rived  at  Ellsworth's  Grove.  The  skirt  of  tim- 
ber, which  then  extended  over  nearly  the  whole 
area  of  the  present  village  of  Naperville,  con- 
cealed the  settlement  from  their  view,  but  to 
their  surprise,  and  we  might  add,  to  the  dismay 
of  some,  smoke  was  seen  rising  from  the  place 
where  Naper's  house  was  situated.  A  halt  was 


40 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


called,  and  by  some  of  the  company,  most  will- 
ingly obeyed.  A  hasty  consultation  followed, 
and  John  Naper,  who  was  ever  ready  to  '  don 
armor  and  break  a  lance '  in  the  cause  of  his 
friends,  volunteered  to  ride  around  the  point  of 
timber  and  ascertain  whether  the  settlement 
was  in  the  possession  of  friend  or  foe.  In  case 
he  could  meet  with  friends,  he  was  to  discharge 
his  rifle,  to  notify  his  waiting  and  anxious  com- 
rades of  that  fact.  But  if  foes  were  encoun- 
tered, he  was  to  return  immediately  to  the  com- 
pany. His  progress  was  watched  with  no  small 
degree  of  interest,  until  he  passed  behind  the 
point  of  timber,  out  of  sight.  Soon  the  reports 
of  two  guns  were  heard,  and  Naper  did  not  make 
his  appearance.  In  all  probabilit}-  he  was  shot, 
and  the  alarm  among  the  company  increased. 
There  was  no  means  of  telling  how  numerous 
the  enemy  might  be,  nor  how  soon  the  sharp 
report  of  the  rifle  might  be  their  own  death- 
knell. 

"  Two  of  the  company,  one  of  whom  was 
mounted  on  a  pack  mule,  and  the  other  on  a 
diminutive  pack  pony,  belonging  to  the  Ameri- 
can Fur  Companj',  manifested  considerable  un- 
easiness, as  they  had  found  by  actual  experi- 
ence that  neither  of  their  animals  was  verv 
remarkable  for  speed,  and  knew  that  in  case  of 
flight  they  must  inevitably  fall  in  the  rear,  and 
become  an  easy  prey  to  their  pursuers.  They 
considered  discretion  as  the  better  part  of  valor, 
and  '  self-preservation  the  first  law  of  nature,' 
and,  suiting  their  action  to  the  consideration, 
hobbled  off  toward  the  East  Branch  timber. 
They  had  not  gone  far  when  they  were  dis- 
covered by  Col.  Beaubien,  who  rode  on  after 
them,  loudly  vociferating,  •'  Halt !  halt !'  They 
did  not  heed  the  command,  but  concentrated"  all 
their  efforts  to  get  out  of  his  way.  Beaubien 
put  spurs  to  his  horse  and  soon  ran  them  down. 
Coming  up  to  them,  he  drew  a  pistol,  and,  pre- 
senting it,  uttered  the  effective  condition  and 
conclusion,  '  You  run  ?  By  gar  !  you  run,  me 
shoot  you  !'  The  argument  was  irresistible, 


and  the  fugitives  were  captured  and  brought 
back.  R.  N.  Murray,  who  was  with  the  com- 
pany, being  well  mounted,  started  to  go  and 
ascertain  what  had  become  of  Naper ;  but  he 
had  gone  only  a  short  distance  when  John 
made  his  appearance  and  gave  the  signal  that 
friends  were  in  the  camp,  which  signal  was 
greeted  with  a  shout  as  joyous  as  any  that  ever 
broke  the  silence  of  that  grove.  On  entering 
the  settlement,  it  was  ascertained  that  the  In- 
dians under  Capt.  Kinzie  had  accomplished  the 
journey  before  them,  and  had  fired  the  two  guns 
as  a  salute  to  the  gallant  Naper,  as  he  rode 
fearlessly  into  the  camp.  The  company  had 
been  out  all  day,  and  were  very  hungry,  but 
nothing  could  be  found  at  the  settlement  in  the 
way  of  provisions.  Among  the  cattle  feeding 
on  the  prairie  was  a  fine,  fat  steer,  belonging 
to  R,  M.  Sweet,  and  it  was  decided  that  it 
should  be  slaughtered  for  their  evening's  re- 
past. The  cattle  were  all  very  wild,  and  ran 
off  in  fright  whenever  they  were  approached,  so 
that  the  only  method  of  securing  the  young 
steer  was  by  shooting  it.  The  Indians  being 
anxious  to  undertake  this  part  of  the  project, 
about  fifty  of  them  were  provided  with  rifles, 
and  they  sallied  forth  toward  the  place  where 
the  herd  was  feeding,  capering  and  cutting  all 
kinds  of  antics  as  they  went  along.  As  they 
approached  the  herd,  their  victim  was  singled 
out,  and  two  or  three  shots  were  fired  without 
taking  effect.  The  affrighted  animal  ran  bellow- 
ing over  the  field,  closely  pressed  by  his  assail- 
ants, who  kept  up  a  continual  fire  upon  him, 
until  the  whole  round  had  been  discharged. 

"  Of  the  fifty  shots  directed  toward  the  ani- 
mal, none  proved  mortal.  A  rifle  ball,  how- 
ever, more  fatally  lodged,  sent  a  tremor  through 
his  frame,  and  caused  him  to  slacken  his  pace. 
The  chase  continued  for  some  time,  when  the 
animal,  in  attempting  to  cross  a  slough,  became 
mired  and  was  easily  taken.  '  War  seemed  a 
civil  game,'  compared  to  the  uproar  that  fol- 
lowed the  fall  of  this  hero.  And  as  they  bore 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


41 


him  upon  their  shoulders  triumphantly  into  the 
camp,  one  would  have  supposed,  from  the  infer- 
nal yelling  and  screeching  of  those  Indians, 
which 

" '  Embowel'd  with  outrageous  noise  the  air," 
that  Milton's  deep-throated  engines  were  again 
let  loose  with  a  certainty.  They  all  shared  the 
triumph,  and  each  celebrated  the  capture  of  the 
steer  as  his  own  special  achievement.  Nothing 
could  exceed  the  vainglorious  vaporing  of  these 
rude  sons  of  the  forest,  as  the}'  strutted  about 
and  exulted  in  the  heroism  of  the  adventure. 
The  animal  was  properly  dressed,  and  portions 
of  the  meat  were  prepared  for  supper,  of  which 
all  partook  with  a  good  degree  of  relish. 

"  After  supper,  the  log  store  was  broken  open 
and  found  to  contain,  among  other  things,  a  good 
supply  of  the  two  staple  articles  of  pioneer  mer- 
chandise, viz.,  rum  and  tobacco.  These  were 
dealt  out  profusely  to  the  Indians  as  a  reward 
for  their  valorous  conduct  in  the  evening  chase. 
The  company  remained  at  the  settlement  during 
the  night.  In  the  evening,  to  vary  the  monotony 
a  little,  the\-  prevailed  upon  the  Indians  to  get 
up  a  war  dance.  This  performance,  when  dra- 
matically considered,  is  strictly  tragic,  but  it 
must  be  admitted  that  the  '  bill '  for  that  even- 
ing had  a  fair  sprinkling  of  the  comic.  Scalping 
scenes  and  tomahawk  scenes  were  presented  in 
the  most  approved  Indian  fashion,  to  the  infinite 
amusement  of  a  small  but  '  highly  respectable 
audience.'  At  a  late  hour,  the  whole  company 
retired,  each  individual  selecting  his  '  site '  with- 
out respect  to  the  complexion  of  his  neighbor. 

"  In  the  morning  the  company  under  Beaubien 
arose  with  an  impatient  desire  to  meet  the  ene- 
my. They  had  slept  off  the  fatigue  of  the  pre- 
vious day,  and  their  desire  for  conflict  returned 
with  redoubled  force  with  the  restoration  of  their 


bodily  energies.  They  resolved  upon  committing 
havoc  among  the  Sacs,  and  fearing  that  they 
might,  in  some  unguarded  moment,  slay  some  of 
their  friends,  the  .Pottawatomies,  by  mistake, 
they  went  again  to  the  old  log  store  and  procured 
a  piece  of  cotton  sheeting,  which  they  tore  into 
small  strips  and  tied  around  the  head  and  waist 
of  each  friendly  Indian.  Thus  decorated,  they 
left  the  party  of  Capt.  Kinzie,  and  started  for 
the  Big  Woods.  The  prairies  were  scoured,  but 
not  an  Indian,  nor  trace  of  an  Indian,  was  to 
be  found. 

"  The  company  returned  to  the  settlement 
sadly  dejected  at  the  ill  success  of  their  Quix- 
otic adventure,  and  started  for  Chicago  on  the 
following  morning.  Nothing  transpired  on  the 
way  worthy  of  notice,  except  that  the  company 
rode  as  far  as  Brush  Hill,  constantly  expecting 
to  suffer  the  inconvenience  of  being  shot,  through 
the  carelessness  of  one  of  its  members,  a  young 
man  then  fresh  from  New  York  City,  but  now 
an  individual  of  some  distinction  in  Chicago 
City.  He  accidentally  discharged  his  piece  three 
times  before  reaching  Brush  Hill.  The  guns  were 
strapped  to  the  saddles  in  a  horizontal  position, 
and  the  chances  were  that  the  young  man's  ran- 
dom shots  would  take  effect,  if  he  was  allowed 
the  range  of  the  whole  company  much  longer. 
Arriving  at  Brush  Hill  and  attempting  to  dis- 
mount, bang  !  went  his  gun  again.  This  aroused 
the  ire  of  Col.  Beaubien.  He  could  endure  it  no 
longer,  and  commanded  the  youth  to  surrender 
up  his  arms.  This  the  young  man  stoutly  re- 
fused to  do,  whereupon  Col.  Beaubien  made  a 
violent  descent  upon  him,  threw  him  down,  and 
after  a  short  struggle,  succeeded  in  wresting  the 
gun  from  his  grasp,  after  which  there  was  no 
more  '  firing  on  parade '  that  day." 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUXTY. 


CHAPTER  III. 


CAPT.  PAINE  ARRIVES  AT  THE  NAPER  SETTLEMENT— FORT  PAINE  BUILT— JAMES  BROWN  SHOT  BY 
THE  INDIANS— EXPEDITION  TO  HALF   DAY'S  VILLAGE— MAJ.  WILLIAM   WHISTLER  ARRIVES 
AT  FORT  DEARBORN— CAPT.  PAINE'S  COMPANY  RETURN  TO  DANVILLE— GEN.  SCOTT  AR- 
RIVES AT  CHICAGO— THE  CHOLERA— GEN.  SCOTT  ENCAMPS  ON  THE  DESPLAINES 
—GEN.  SCOTT  AT  FORT  PAINE— GEN.  SCOTT'S  ARMY  AT  ROCK  ISLAND— JOHN 
K.  CLAKK— BLACK  HAWK  SENT  TO  FORTRESS  MONROE— HIS  DEATH 
—POLL  LISTS— THE  PRE-EMPTION   HOUSE  — CLAIMANTS— THE 
PRAIRIE  SCHOONER— THE  FIRST  GRIST-MILL—FOWLER'S 
GRAPPLE    WITH    THE    WOLF— THE    PIONEER    OF 
PIONEERS  — EARLY  PREACHERS. 

PENDING  these  excitements,  Black  Hawk, 
with  his  army,  were-  encamped  on  the 
Rock  River,  north  of  Dixon,  and  Gen.  At- 
kinson, who  held  chief  command  of  the  volun- 
teers, was  stationed  at  Ottawa  ;  and  inasmuch 
as  the  new  settlers  on  the  Du  Page  had  no 
means  of  knowing  the  real  situation,  they 
thought  it  no  more  than  a  prudential  measure, 
warranted  by  the  circumstances,  to  build  a 
fort,  into  which  the  settlers  might  take  refuge 
in  case  of  a  sudden  invasion.  Accordingly, 
Capt.  Joseph  Naper,  Capt.  H.  Board  man  and  ten 
or  twelve  others,  about  the  middle  of  June, 
started  for  Ottawa  to  get  assistance  from  Gen. 
Atkinson  to  do  this.  He  granted  their  request, 
and  detailed  Capt.  Paine,  of  Joliet,  with  a  com- 
pany of  fifty  volunteers  from  Danville,  to  assist 
in  the  work.  These,  with  the  company  of  men 
comprising  the  settlers  on  the  Du  Page,  under 
command  of  Capt.  Joseph  Naper,  soon  com- 
pleted the  work. 

The  following  is  the  muster-roll  of  the  Du 
Page  Company  : 

Muster-roll  of  a  company  of  mounted  volun- 
teers in  the  service  of  the  United  States  in  de- 
fense of  the  northern  frontier  of  the  State  of 
Illinois  against  the  Sac  and  Fox  Indians,  from 
the  County  of  Cook,  in  said  State,  in  the  year 
1832,  under  command  of  Capt.  Joseph  Naper. 


Joseph  Naper,  Captain ;  Alanson  Sweet, 
First  Lieutenant,  now  living  at  Evanston,  111.  ; 
Sherman  King,  Second  Lieutenant,  afterward  a 
resident  of  Brush  Hill,  111.;  S.  M.  Salsbury, 
First  Sergeant,  dead  ;  John  Manning,  Second 
Sergeant ;  Walter  Stowell,  Third  Sergeant, 
afterward  removed  to  Newark,  111.;  John  Na- 
per, Fourth  Sergeant,  died  in  Naperville  ;  T.  E. 
Parsons,  First  Corporal ;  Lyman  Butterfield, 
Second  Corporal ;  Israel  P.  Blodgett,  Third 
Corporal,  dead  ;  Robert  N.  Murry,  now  Count}' 
Judge  of  Du  Page  County. 

Privates— P.  F.  W.  Peck,  William  Barber, 
Richard  M.  Sweet,  John  Stevens,  Jr.,  Calvin  M. 
Stowell.  John  Fox,  Denis  Clark,  Caleb  Foster, 
Augustine  Stowell,  George  Fox,  T.  Parsons, 
Daniel  Langdon,  William  Gault,  Uriah  Paine, 
John  Stevens  (dead),  SethWescott  (dead),  Henry 
T.  Wilson  (now  ninety-four  years  old,  living  at 
Wheaton),  Christopher  Paine,  Bailey  Hobson, 
Josiah  H.  Giddings  (living  in  Wisconsin), Anson 
Ament,  Calvin  Ament,  Edmund  Harrison,  Wil- 
lard  Scott  (now  living  in  Naperville),  Prez  Haw- 
ley,  Peter  Wicoffe. 

The  fort  was  situated  on  the  spot  now  occu- 
pied by  the  house  of  Lewis  Elsworth.  It  was  a 
stockade  of  about  100  feet  square,  surrounded 
by  pickets  set  in  the  ground,  on  two  diagonal 
corners  of  which  were  two  block-houses,  pierced 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


43 


with  port-holes  so  as  to  command  the  prairie 
in  every  direction.  While  constructing  the 
block-house,  "  shakes  "  (clapboards  or  shingles) 
had  to  be  used  for  covering.  A  quantity  of 
these  had  already  been  riven  out  from  oak  tim- 
ber in  Sweet's  Grove,  two  and  one-half  miles  dis- 
tant, and  Capt.  Paine  detached  two  men  with 
a  team  to  haul  them  to  the  ground.  It  was 
driven  by  James  Brown,  and  a  young  man 
named  Buckley  accompanied  him  to  assist  in 
loading.  Arriving  at  the  grove,  they  had  to 
pass  through  a  pair  of  bars,  and  Buckley 
jumped  from  the  wagon  to  take  them  away, 
proceeding  thence  directly  toward  the  pile  of 
shakes.  Brown  drove  on  toward  the  spot, 
when,  on  entering  the  grove,  he  was  fired  on 
by  a  party  of  Indians  who  laid  in  ambush  for 
the  purpose  of  cutting  off  any  one  who  might 
be  so  unfortunate  as  to  cross  their  path.  Three 
balls  pierced  his  breast,  and  he  fell.  The 
horses,  which  were  spirited  animals,  took  fright, 
and,  running,  with  great  force  thrust  the  end  of 
the  tongue  of  the  wagon  two  or  three  inches 
into  an  oak  tree.  The  three  Indians  who  did 
this  dastardly  work  now  came  up.  scalped  their 
victim,  cut  the  horses  loose  from  their  confined 
position,  mounted  them  and  fled,  two  of  them  on 
one  horse  and  the  third  on  the  other. 

Young  Buckley,  who  witnessed  the  cruel  fate 
of  his  companion,  fled  to  the  fort,  breathless 
and   stupefied  with  terror.     On  his  arrival,  it 
was  several  minutes  before  he  could  speak,  but 
his  blanched  face  and  protruding  tongue  told 
his  story  in  advance,  all  but  the  detail.     His 
feet  were  bare,  but  he  could  not  remember  hav- 
ing pulled  off  his  boots,  which  he  must  have 
done  to  lend  speed  to  his  flight.     As  soon  as 
he  could  give  an  account  of  the  affair,  a  com-  j 
pany  of  ten  or  twelve  men  well  mounted  started 
in  pursuit.     Passing  by  the  spot  where  the  un-  j 
fortunate  young  soldier  laid  still  warm,  but  a  < 
lifeless  corpse,  they  kept  on  the  track  of  the^ 
vagabonds  who  had  slain  him.  and  followed 
them  to  a  grove  near  the  present  residence  of  \ 


Judge  Drummond.  Night  overtook  them  here, 
and  while  the  pursued  could  flee,  the  pursuers 
could  not  follow  their  tracks.  Thus  balked  of 
their  purpose,  the  part}'  returned,  taking  up  the 
body  of  Brown  on  their  way  and  conveying  it 
to  the  fort.  He  was  buried  with  the  honors  of 
war  on  a  rise  of  ground  about  twenty  rods  from 
the  fort,  and  subsequently  his  remains  were  re- 
moved to  the  cemetery  at  Naperville,  where  a 
monument  perpetuates  his  memory.  He  was 
one  of  the  Danville  volunteers. 

The  night  after  this  unfortunate  occurrence, 
under  the  impression  that  a  large  force  of  hos- 
tile Sauks  must  be  not  far  distant,  Capt.  Naper 
and  Alanson  Sweet  started  for  Fort  Dearborn 
at  Chicago  to  get  a  re-enforcement ;  but  Gen. 
Williams,  who  held  command  there,  after  con- 
ferring with  his  subordinate  officers,  instead  of 
granting  him  the  men  refused,  on  the  ground 
that  he  deemed  it  unsafe — a  reply  illy  calcu- 
lated to  re-assure  the  little  band  alreadj-  there, 
and  especially  the  two  scouts  who  had  alone 
ventured  through  a  countiy  supposed  to  be 
beset  with  foes.  The  two  scouts  returned  to 
Fort  Paine,  and  no  further  move  was  made  till 
the  4th  of  July,  when  a  scouting  party,  under 
command  of  Capt.  Boardman,  consisting  of 
about  twenty  well-mounted  men,  started  out 
on  a  reconnoissance  to  Ament's  Grove,  eight 
miles  below  Oswego.  There  they  encamped  at 
the  deserted  house  of  Mr.  Ament,  who,  with 
his  family,  had  taken  refuge  within  the  walls  of 
Fort  Dearborn. 

During  the  night,  rain  had  fallen,  making 
a  mold  for  footprints  in  the  well-frequented 
trail  that  led  past  the  place,  and  careful  exami- 
nation the  next  morning  revealed  the  tracks  of 
two  Indians.  Of  course,  in  the  distempered 
imaginations  of  the  raiders  they  must  be 
Sauks,  and  they  followed  them  about  fifteen 
miles  to  the  village  of  a  friendly  Potta- 
watomie  chief.  While  yet  a  mile  distant  from 
the  village,  the  figure  of  an  Indian  on  top 
of  one  of  the  tents  was  plainly  discernible, 


44 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUXTY. 


evident!}'  on  the  watch  for  his  pursuers.  The 
place  was  soon  gained,  but  all  was  silent  as  the 
grave  in  the  deserted  place.  Careful  exami- 
nation now  traced  the  fugitives  to  the 
river  bank  opposite  an  island.  Had  the  harm- 
less but  unlucky  fleers  been  found,  they  would 
have  been  shot  at  sight.  This  they  well  knew; 
and,  instead  of  either  attempting  to  hold  a 
parley  with  the  scouts  or  to  run  away  before 
their  fleet  horses,  stealthily  climbed  a  tree  on 
the  island  and  concealed  themselves  amid  its 
foliage. 

In  vain  their  pursuers  searched  for  their 
tracks  along  river  bank  and  trail.  No  trace  of 
them  could  be  found,  and  the  party  returned 
to  Fort  Paine.  Some  weeks  afterward,  two 
friendly  Pottawatomies  told  the  story  to  Alex- 
ander Robinson,  giving  point  to  the  recital  by 
describing  the  astonishment  of  their  .pursuers 
as  to  the  mysterious  wa}'  by  which  their  tracks 
had  been  concealed. 

They  had  circumvented  White  Eagle,  as  they 
called  Mr.  Scott,  and  that  was  glory  enough  for 
them. 

Let  us  now  return  to  Fort  Dearborn.  Here 
fugitives  from  the  Hickory  Creek,  Naper,  Scott 
and  Walker's  Grove  settlements  had  gathered 
into  close  quarters,  and  nearly  all  of  them  des- 
titute of  food  and  a  change  of  clothing.  This 
would  have  been  no  especial  grievance  to  sav- 
ages, but  to  the  people  here  assembled,  who  had 
been  bred  in  the  midst  of  plenty,  nothing  but 
the  value  which  a  cultured  citizen  places  on 
life  could  make  it  endurable. 

While  these  fugitives  were  amusing  them- 
selves as  best  they  could  to  kill  the  long  days 
of  July,  the  sound  of  a  cannon  broke  the  si- 
lence of  the  morning.  All  eyes  turned  toward 
the  lake,  and  there  was  an  approaching  sail. 
Succeeding  puffs  of  smoke,  with  a  corresponding 
number  of  reports,  after  brief  intervals,  threw 
the  town  into  transports,  and  almost  everybody 
flew  to  the  beach.  The  vessel  approached  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  cast  her  anchor  and  low- 


ered her  boats.  Into  these  the  soldiers  leaped, 
and  soon  came  rowing  up  Chicago  River  amidst 
the  huzzas  of  the  assembled  spectators. 

This  was  a  small  command  under  Maj.  Will- 
iam Whistler,  the  son  of  the  same  who  had 
built  the  first  Fort  Dearborn  in  1803-04.  He 
came  as  an  advance  to  Gen.  Scott  to  make  prep- 
arations for  his  arrival.  Those  who  were  shel- 
tered in  the  fort  were  required  to  leave  it. 

For  a  short  time,  some  still  lingered  around 
outside,  but  most  of  them  returned  to  their 
homes,  and  the  Naper  settlement  began  to  as- 
sume its  former  appearance  again.  Capt. 
Paine's  company  of  volunteers  left  Fort  Paine 
on  the  10th  of  July,  as  the  danger  by  this  time 
was  considered  past,  as  it  had  been  in  reality 
long  before,  for  Black  Hawk  for  many  days 
with  his  whole  army  had  been  in  full  retreat 
northwestwardly  in  Wisconsin. 

'Twas  on  the  8th  of  July,  at  2  o'clock,  dur- 
ing the  small  hours  of  morning,  that  the  inhab- 
itants of  Chicago  were  awakened  by  an  outcry 
in  the  streets.  Gen.  Scott's  army  had  arrived 
at  the  place  and  his  soldiers  were  dying  with 
the  cholera.  When  the  broad  light  of  morning 
came,  sa3's  an  eye-witness,  hardly  a  resident 
was  to  be  seen  in  the  streets  for  nearly  all  had 
fled.  Dr.  De  Camp,  the  army  physician,  prompt- 
ly called  on  those  who  had  the  courage  to  re- 
main to  allay  their  fears,  and  to  assure  them 
that  the  disease  would  be  confined  to  the  garri- 
son. Indian  Robinson  (chief  of  the  Pottawat- 
omies), John  Miller  (a  tavern-keeper  at  the 
fort)  and  Benjamin  Hall,  at  present  residents  of 
Wheaton,  111.,  remained  at  their  respective 
posts,  but  the  town,  so  recently  the  scene  of 
bustle  and  confusion,  presented  the  solemnity 
of  a  graveyard. 

In  a  few  days  the  fleers  began  to  return,  but 
kept  aloof  from  the  fort  where  the  disease  was 
making  such  havoc  that  there  were  scarcely 
well  ones  enough  to  take  care  of  the  sick  and 
bury  the  dead.  Ninety  of  the  soldiers  fell  vic- 
tims ere  the  contagion  had  spent  its  force,  and 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


HISTORY   OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


47 


were  buried  just  outside  of  the  fort  without  the 
usual  military  honors  of  a  soldier  or  even  the 
civil  usages  of  a  coffin.  When  the  last  spark 
of  life  was  supposed  to  be  gone  out,  the  corpse 
was  hastened  to  the  grave  which  was  ever  ready 
to  receive  the  victim,  where  stood  two  grave- 
diggers  with  immobility  in  their  faces  and 
spades  in  their  hands  to  interpose  a  few  fee1>of 
earth  between  the  decaying  mass  of  contagion 
and  the  living  world  above  ground.  While 
this  decimating  process  was  going  on,  Gen. 
Scott  was  in  no  condition  to  take  the  offensive, 
but  soon  the  disease  exhausted  all  the  material 
on  which  it  could  work,  and  abated.  A  camp 
was  then  established  on  the  Desplaines  River, 
where  such  soldiers  as  were  still  suffering  from 
the  effects  of  cholera  could  recruit  their  strength 
preparatory  to  a  march  across  the  country  to 
the  Mississippi  River.  This  done,  Gen.  Scott, 
with  twelve  men  as  a  body  guard,  and  two 
wagons  drawn  by  horses,  started  across  the 
country  for  Fort  Armstrong  on  Rock  Island  ; 
Fort  Paine,  on  the  Du  Page,  lay  on  his  route, 
and  here  he  arrived  on  the  20th  of  July,  about 
the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  and  spent  the  first 
night  on  his  journe}-. 

He  conversed  very  agreeably  with  the  citi- 
zen soldiers  at  the  fort,  and  started  on  his  way 
early  the  next  morning,  taking  a  straight  course 
for  Dixon,  across  the  open  prairie,  which  led 
him  directly  across  Du  Page  County.  It  is 
worthy  of  notice  here  that  Luther  Nichols,  a 
well-known  resident  of  Chicago  till  his  death 
in  1881,  was  one  of  the  soldiers  who  accom- 
panied him.  Mr.  Nichols  was  also  the  last 
surviving  soldier  of  Fort  Dearborn  who  went 
through  that  fearful  ordeal.  The  writer  called 
on  him  but  a  few  months  before  his  death,  and 
the  following  is  the  substance  of  his  story, 
which  verifies  what  has  already  been  stated. 
He  came  to  Chicago,  with  his  wife  and  one 
child  (as  a  soldier),  in  the  service  of  the  United 
States  Infantry,  under  the  immediate  charge  of 
.Maj.  Whistler.  On  their  arrival,  they  found 


Fort  Dearborn  crowded  with  fugitives  from  the 
adjoining  country,  who  had  fled  to  the  place 
for  refuge  from  the  Black  Hawk  Indians.  They 
were  ordered  to  leave  at  once,  and  obeyed  the 
summons  with  reluctance,  as  their  fears  were 
not  3'et  allayed  from  the  danger  of  Indian  scalp- 
ing parties.  A  few  days  after  their  arrival, 
Gen.  Scott  came  and  brought  the  cholera. 
Maj.  Whistler  then  left  the  fort  and  built  bar- 
racks for  his  men  at  the  foot  of  the  present 
site  of  Madison  street.  Here  they  remained 
during  the  prevalence  of  cholera,  and  assisted 
in  burying  the  dead  of  Scott's  army.  Soon 
after  Gen.  Scott's  arrival,  several  of  the  dead 
bodies  of  such  soldiers  as  had  died  on  the  pas- 
sage (of  which  eighteen  had  been  thrown  into 
the  lake),  were  driven  by  the  winds  ashore  on 
the  beach  south  of  Chicago,  where  he  (Mr. 
Nichols)  with  six  of  the  company,  were  ordered 
to  go  and  bury  them.  It  was  a  loathsome  task, 
but  quickly  done.  Their  graves  were  soon  dug 
in  the  soft  sands  of  the  shore,  into  which  their 
bodies  were  tumbled  and  hastily  covered,  from 
which  place  the}'  have  never  been  resurrected. 

Mr.  Nichols  witnessed  Gen.  Scott's  treaty 
with  the  Sauks,  at  Rock  Island,  where  their 
miserable  remnant  made  their  signs  to  relin- 
quish their  homes  forever.  They  were  subdued, 
humbled,  and  so  emaciated  by  hunger  and  hard 
marching  as  to  look  like  skeletons  with  leath- 
ern sacks  drawn  over  them.  There  was  much 
carousing  and  hilarity  among  the  soldiers.  Mr. 
Davenport,  after  whom  the  city  opposite  was 
named,  kept  a  grocery  and  drinking  saloon  in 
Rock  Island,  half  a  mile  above  Fort  Armstrong, 
where  both  officers  and  soldiers  made  them- 
selves merry  on  whisky,  which  was  said  to  be 
of  a  good  brand,  but  of  its.  quality  Mr.  Nichols 
could  not  judge  from  his  own  knowledge. 

These  simple  facts  from  the  lips  of  this  hon- 
est old  man  have  not  only  an  historic  but  a 
moral  force.  Had  he  been  intemperate,  like 
some  of  his  comrades,  he  would  not  have  been 

the  last  survivor    of   Fort  Dearborn.     He  was 

o 


48 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


born  in  Otsego  Count}-,  N.  Y.,  in  1805  ;  enlist- 
ed in  the  regular  service  in  1828  ;  was  honora- 
bly discharged  at  Fort  Dearborn  in  the  fall  of 
1833,  and  remained  in  Chicago  till  his  death, 
in  1881.  After  the  departure  of  Gen.  Scott  on 
his  way  to  Rock  Island,  the  command  of  the 
main  body  of  the  army  devolved  on  Col.  Cum- 
mings.  Many  of  the  men  still  lay  in  a  feeble 
condition,  encamped  at  the  present  site  of  Riv- 
erside on  the  Desplaines.  In  a  few  days,  they 
were  ready  to  take  up  their  march,  all  but  four 
or  five  soldiers.  These  were  carried  in  the 
wagons,  and  the  army  started  up  the  Desplaines 
River  to  the  present  site  of  Maywood  ;  thence 
in  a  direct  line  through  Gilbert's  Grove  on  the 
Du  Page.  They  crossed  the  Fox  River  three 
miles  below  where  Elgin  now  stands.  Thence 
through  a  Winnebago  village  where  Beloit, 
Wis.,  now  is.  The  track  they  made  has  since 
been  used  as  a  highway,  and  called  the  army 
trail,  but  the  same  trail  was  a  well-known 
route  before  Scott's  army  traveled  it.  It  was 
an  old  Indian  trail  from  Chicago  to  the  Winne- 
bago village  where  Beloit  now  stands,  from 
time  immemorial.  Scott's  army  were  ordered 
to  follow  it,  and  they  obeyed  to  the  letter,  cut- 
ting a  wagon  road  through  groves  where  it 
led  that  they  could  easily  have  gone  around. 

The  train  waited  a  week  for  dispatches  at 
the  Indian  village,  and,  after  these  came,  they 
bent  their  course  down  the  Rock  River  to  Rock 
Island.  It  was  probably  the  result  of  the  bat. 
tie  of  Bad  Ax  that  turned  the  course  of  the 
army  toward  Rock  Island  instead  of  toward 
the  locality  where  Black  Hawk's  army  were 
fighting  like  wild  beasts  at  bay.  At  the  battle 
of  Bad  Ax,  most  of  his  men  were  dispatched 
to  the  happy  hunting  grounds,  and  many  of 
their  squaws  and  papooses  also  went  with 
them,  embarking  from  the  fatal  island  in  the 
Mississippi  River  where,  from  the  steamer 
Black  Warrior,  and  from  the  company  of  Capt. 
Taylor  (afterward  President  of  the  United 
States),  a  deadly  fire  was  kept  up  on  them  till 


the  last  wretch  who  had  taken  refuge  thei'e  was 
killed,  of  whatever  sex  or  age  they  might  be. 

Robert  X.  Murray  had  enlisted  in  the  serv- 
ice of  Col.  Cummings  as  teamster,  to  sit  in  one 
of  the  fifty  wagons  of  which  the  train  was 
composed  and  hold  the  ribbons.  After  the 
first  day's  ride,  he  run  over  a  hornets'  nest, 
which  gave  the  teams  that  immediately  fol- 
lowed any  benefits  that  might  result. 

The  retaliation  for  this  disturbance  of  their 
home  was  prompt  and  decisive,  as  it  was  indis- 
criminate, for  it  fell  not  on  the  teams  that  had 
run  over  them,  but  on  those  that  followed. 

Maddened  into  fury  by  their  stings,  the  horses 
ran  away  and  broke  several  wagons,  and  two 
days'  detention  to  make  repairs  was  the  result, 
all  of  which  was  charged  to  accident  (?).  Far- 
ther along,  young  Murray  was  promoted  from 
driving  the  baggage  wagon,  to  which  he  had 
first  been  assigned,  to  driving  the  carriage  of 
the  Colonel  himself,  who  held  command  of  the 
whole  train.  This  promotion  could  not  have 
been  the  result  of  Murray's  bold  charge  on  the 
hornets  nest,  for  his  modesty  forbade  that  he 
should  plume  himself,  and  he  said  nothing  about 
it  to  any  one  till  he  became  County  Judge> 
when  he  revealed  the  reminiscence  to  the  writ- 
er, which  is  hereby  transferred  to  these  columns 
as  a  fresh  bit  of  history  to  illustrate  the  jocular 
spirit  of  the  times  that  then  prevailed. 

In  the  summer  of  1836,  Dr.  Teffts,  of  Elgin, 
was  passing  the  spot  where  this  event  occurred, 
and  there  lay  iu  the  prairie  grass,  the  bones  of 
a  skeleton  beside  the  army  trail.  Without  doubt 
the}-  were  those  of  a  soldier  buried  here  during 
the  detention,  and  dug  up  by  the  wolves  after  the 
train  was  out  of  sight,  who,  hyena-like,  had 
made  a  hideous  repast  from  his  diseased  flesh. 
These  relics  may  now  be  seen  in  Dr.  Teffts'  of- 
fice. 

It  may  want  explanation  how  Gen.  Scott, 
while  at  Chicago,  learned  of  the  progress  of  the 
war,  and  the  locality  of  the  erratic  combatants 
engaged  in  it — a  knowledge  so  essential  to  him 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


49 


(the  Commauder-in-Chief),  before  any  steps 
could  be  taken  from  his  position  at  Fort  Dear- 
born. To  get  this  information,  he  employed  a 
man  acquainted  with  the  country  to  go  to  Dix- 
on,  on  Rock  River,  which  was  supposed  to  be 
Gen.  Atkinson's  base. 

The  name  of  the  intrepid  scout  thus  emplo3'ed 
to  communicate  with  Gen.  Atkinson  was  John 
K.  Clark,  an  early  "  habitant "  of  Chicago,  still 
remembered  by  a  few  of  its  early  settlers.  His 
mother  was  a  captive,  who  had  been  taken  in 
childhood  by  the  Shawnees  from  the  Virginia 
frontier  during  Dunmore's  war  in  1774,  and 
subsequently  became  the  wife  (after  the  Indian 
fashion)  of  John  Kinzie,  the  founder  of  the  city 
of  Chicago  (in  the  American  sense).  Clark  was 
the  oldest  son  of  this  discarded  wife  after  her 
marriage  to  a  worthy  Scotch  gentleman.  He 
executed  the  mission  of  Gen.  Scott  with  fidelity, 
taking  along  with  him  two  half-breeds,  equally 
courageous,  to  assist  in  any  emergency  that 
might  befall  him  on  the  way.  Stealthily  he 
traversed  the  open  prairie  which  intervened 
between  Chicago  and  Dixon,  passing  through 
the  northern  part  of  the  present  county  of 
Du  Page,  avoiding  all  trails  and  Indian 
lodges  lest  he  might  be  captured  by  emissaries 
of  Black  Hawk,  who  were  then  supposed  to  be 
prowling  about  for  stragglers.  When  he  re- 
turned with  a  message  from  Gen.  Atkinson  and 
presented  it  to  Gen.  Scott,  he  with  his  comrades 
received  a  liberal  reward,  but  the  two  half- 
breeds  tarnished  their  laurels  by  a  carousal, 
and,  before  they  recovered  from  the  effects  of 
it,  died  with  cholera.  Mr.  Benjamin  Hall,  now 
living  in  Wheaton,  saw  them  but  a  few  minutes 
before  they  were  taken  down. 

After  the  arrival  of  Gen.  Scott's  army  at 
Fort  Armstrong,  the  fifty  teams  accompanying 
it  were  sent  back  to  Chicago,  young  Murray 
being  one  of  the  drivers.  They  had  been  pur- 
chase^  at  Milan,  Ohio,  but  were  sold  at  Chi- 
cago on  Government  account  for  the  most  they 
would  bring.  The  Indian  prisoners  were  sent 


to  Jefferson  barracks  just  below  St.  Louis  on 
the  9th  of  September.  Here  Black  Hawk,  who 
was  among  them,  remained  till  April  26.  1833, 
when  he  was  sent  to  Fortress  Monroe,  since 
which  time  worse  men  than  he  have  been  con- 
fined there.  On  the  4th  of  June  following,  he 
was  sent  back  to  the  small  relic  of  his  tribe, 
then  removed  west  of  the  Mississippi  River. 
On  his  way,  he  was  received  with  ovations  in 
all  the  large  cities  through  which  he  passed. 
Ladies  of  high  rank  flattered  him  with  compli- 
ments, which,  if  anything  could  astonish  an  In- 
dian, must  have  been  a  surprise  to  this  old 
weather-beaten  warrior  at  the  contrast  pre- 
sented between  the  treatment  he  had  received 
at  the  hands  of  the  white  men  who  first  drove 
him  from  his  village  with  no  provocation,  and 
the  kind  sympathy  of  these  elegant  ladies. 
Not  to  be  outdone  by  them  in  courtesy,  he  re- 
sponded to  their  pleasant  words  and  smiles  in 
as  good  English  as  he  could  :  "  Pretty  Squaw, 
Pretty  squaw." 

On  returning  to  his  country,  he  was  restored 
to  his  tribe  as  a  chief  subordinate  to  Keokuk. 
His  last  days  were  spent  in  quietude,  where 
his  good  squaw  attended  to  his  wants  till  death 
caused  him  to  be 

" Admitted  to  that  equal  sky 

To  which  his  faithful  dog  shall  bear  him  company." 

This  was  October  3,  1838.  He  was  buried  in 
a  sitting  posture,  near  the  present  village  of 
Towaville,  in  Wapello  County.  A  mound  six 
feet  high  was  raised  over  the  grave  of  this  ill- 
starred  chieftain  who  must  ever  stand  recorded 
as  the  last  native  defender  of  the  soil  of  the 
Northwest.  Thus  ended  all  danger  from  Indian 
troubles,  for  no  fears  were  entertained  on  ac- 
count of  the  Pottawatomies,  though  still  more 
numerous  than  the  whites  throughout  NortBern 
Illinois. 

In  justice  to  the  memory  of  Black  Hawk,  it 
should  not  be  omitted  here  that  according  to 
the  testimony  of  Gov.  Reynolds,  who  was  in 
the  war  and  an  eye  witness,  it  appears  that  the 


60 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


first  hostile  shot  was  fired  at  one  of  Black 
Hawk's  men.  who  was  one  of  five  to  convey  a  | 
flag  of  truce  to  the  camp  of  the  Americans. 
Two  of  these  white-flag  bearers  were  captured 
and  killed  by  the  volunteers,  and  Stilltnan's 
disgraceful  defeat  was  the  result  of  this  affair, 
on  which  occasion  a  little  handful  of  Indians 
gave  chase  to  240  volunteers,  and  killed  11  of 
them  in  revenge  for  their  attack  upon  the  five 
truce- bearers. 

The  massacre  at  Indian  Creek  soon  followed, 
which  for  hellish  cruelty  has  never  been  ex- 
ceeded in  the  annals  of  Indian  warfare.  Two 
of  the  Indians  engaged  in  it  were  supposed  to 
be,  and  probably  were  veritably  identified  after- 
ward, and  a  bill  for  murder  against  them  was 
found  in  the  Court  of  the  Grand  Jury  at  Ottawa. 
The  criminals  were  placed  in  the  hands  of  j 
George  E.  Walker,  then  County  Sheriff  of  La  | 
Salle  County  ;  but  as  their  trial  was  postponed 
six  months,  and,  in  the  meantime,  the  tribe  to 
which  the  two  criminals  belonged  had  been  re- 
removed  beyond  the  Mississippi  River,  Mr. 
Walker  released  them  on  their  own  pledge  that 
they  would  return  at  the  next  term  of  court,  h'e 
himself  signing  their  baif. 

On  the  appointed  da}-,  in  stalked  the  two  In- 
dians with  the  air  of  their  brethren  when  they 
sing  their  death  song  ;  but,  owing  to  the  floods, 
the  judge  could  not  appear,  and  the  court  again 
adjourned  over  to  another  term.  The  two  In- 
dians again  returned  to  their  tribe,  supposing 
the  matter  done  with.  In  this  they  were  mis- 
taken. Mr.  Walker  was  called  upon  to  produce 
them  at  the  next  session  of  court,  and  he  started 
immediately  and  alone  across  the  country, 
reached  the  tribe,  and  the  two  criminals  re- 
turned without  hesitation  with  him  ;  were  tried 
and  acquitted  for  want  of  identification  satis- 
factory to  the  jury. 

Mr.  Walker  died  in  1874,  at  No.  34  Indiana 
avenue,  Chicago,  greatly  esteemed  b}-  all  who 
knew  him.  This  information  was  direct  from 
his  truthful  lips  before  he  died. 


During  the  absence  of  the  settlers  at  Naper's 
colony,  they  had  disturbed  nothing  which  had 
been  left  behind,  and  when  the  fleers  returned 
they  found  the  warm  meals  that  some  of  them 
had  left  on  the  table  untasted,  now  worse  than 
cold  hash. 

The  sacrifices  that  had  been  made  by  the 
hast}-  stampede  into  Fort  Dearborn  of  the 
Naper  settlers,  were  more  than  offset  by  the 
widespread  fame  and  notoriety  which  the  affair 
had  given  throughout  the  country,  which  soon 
began  to  induce  emigration  not  only  into  the 
entire  northern  portion  of  the  State  ;  and  among 
the  other  wonders  that  first  surprised  new 
comers,  was  the  wonder  that  so  fertile  a  coun- 
try accessible  as  it  was  to  the  world  outside, 
had  so  long  remained  unnoticed. 

The  following  poll  lists  are  copied  from  the 
original  documents,  which  are  now  in  the  hands 
of  William  Naper,  son  of  Joseph  Naper.  They 
are  authentic  records  of  the  names  of  settlers 
then  in  and  contiguous  to  the  Naper  settle- 
ment : 

A  poll  book  of  an  election  held  in  the  Scott  Gen- 
eral Precinct  in  Cook  County,  111.,  on  Monday  the 
6th  day  of  August,  1832. 

VOTERS'  NAMES. 

Joseph  Naper,  P.  F.  W.  Peck, 

Harry  Boardman,  Israel  P.  Blodgett, 

Stephen  M.  Salesbury,     Robert  Strong, 
John  Manning,  Walter  Stowell, 

Seth  Wescott,  R.  M-  Sweet, 

John  Naper,  Harry  T.  Willson, 

Pierce  Hawley,  Peter  Wycoff, 

Willard  Scott,  Bailey  Hobson. 

Isaac  Scarritt, 

At  an  election  held  at  the  house  of  Joseph  Naper 
in  the  Scott  Precinct,  in  the  county  of  Cook  and 
State  of  Illinois,  on  the  6th  day  of  August,  in  the 
year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
thirty-two,  the  following-named  persons  received 
the  number  of  votes  annexed  to  their  respective 
names,  for  the  following  described  offices  to  wit: 
Joseph  Duncan  had  14  votes  for  Representative  to 

Congress. 
Jonathan  H.  Pugh  had  2  votes  for  Representative  to 

Congress. 
James  N.  Strode  had  13  votes  for  Senator. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


51 


James  W.  Stephenson  had  3  votes  for  Senator. 

Benjamin  I.  Mills  had  16  votes  for  Representative. 

Stephen  B.  Forbes  had  17  votes  for  Sheriff. 

Elijah  Wentworth,  Jr.,  had  16  votes  for  Coroner. 

Rufus  Brown  had  17  votes  for  County  Commissioner. 

Harry  Boardman  had  16  votes  for  County  Commis- 
sioner. 

Holder  Sisson  had  16  votes  for  County  Commis- 
sioner. 

James  Walker  had  1  vote  for  County  Commissioner. 

Certified  by  us, 

JOSEPH  NAPEK, 
HARRY  BOARDMAN, 
STEPHEN  M.  SALESBURY. 

Attest:  Judges  of  Election. 

\    0^  of  Election. 

A  poll  book  of  an  election  in  the  Scott  General 
Precinct  in  Cook  County,  111.,  on  Saturday  the  6th 
of  October,  1832. 

VOTERS'  NAMES. 

Daniel  Landon,  Lyman  Butterfield, 

Joseph  Naper,  John  Manning, 

Harry  Boardman,  Christopher  Payne, 

John  Murray,  Peter  Wycoft, 

Alanson  Sweet,  Caleb  Foster, 

Asahel  Buckley,  John  Naper, 

Sherman  King,  Pierce  Hawley. 

S.  M.  Salesbury, 

At  an  election  held  at  the  house  of  Joseph  Naper 
in  the  Scott  General  Election  Precinct  in  the  Flag 
Creek  District,  in  the  County  of  Cook  and  State  of 
Illinois,  on  the  6th  day  of  October  in  the  year  of 
our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirty- 
two,  the  following-named  persons  received  the 
number  of  votes  annexed  to  their  respective  names, 
for  the  following  described  offices  to  wit: 
Stephen  M.  Salisbury  had  10  votes  for  Justice  of 

the  Peace. 

John  Murray  had  2  votes  for  Justice  of  the  Peace. 
John  Manning  had  1  vote  for  Justice  of  the  Peace. 
Sherman  King  had  1  vote  for  Justice  of  the  Peace. 
"Willard  Scott  had  14  votes  for  Constable. 
William  Laird  had  12  votes  for  Constable. 
John  Murray  had  1  vote  for  Constable. 
Sherman  King  had  1  vote  for  Constable. 
Certified  by  us. 

JOSEPH  NAPER, 
HARRY  BOARDMAN, 
JOHN  MURRAY, 

Judges  of  Election. 
Attest: 

ALANBON  SWEET,    ) 
JOHN  MANNING, 


Clerks  of  Election. 


.  Soon  after  the  election,  says  Judge  Blodgett, 
Henry  Pomeroy,  Samuel  Gooderich,  Hiram 
Standish  and  Capt.  John  Barber  settled  at  what 
was  at  this  time  called  the  Hawley  and  Scott 
settlement,  which  by  the  next  year  was  so 
much  extended  by  new-comers  as  to  nearly  fill 
up  the  gap  between  it  and  the  Naper  settle- 
ment. 

Among  this  class  of  settlers  who  came  after 
the  Black  Hawk  war  and  became  permanent  res- 
idents was  John  Stephens,  who  in  July,  1832, 
bought  out  a  claim  of  P.  F.  W.  Peck,  a  part  of 
which  lies  within  the  present  corporate  limits 
of  Naperville.  He  remained  on  it  till  his 
death  in  1862.  Philinda,  his  daughter,  mar- 
ried William  Laird  the  next  year,  1833,  and 
went  to  the  Fox  River  to  live.  Mr.  Laird  died 
in  1834,  when  Mrs.  Laird  returned  to  her  father's 
house  at  Naperville,  where  she  married  Hiram 
Fowler  in  1844.  She  and  her  husband  are  now 
(1882)  both  living  in  Naperville,  and  from  them 
the  writer  learned  the  date  of  the  erection  of 
the  first  hotel  in  Naperville,  as  well  as  being 
the  first  in  the  county  of  Du  Page.  It  was  the 
Pre-emption  House,  the  frame  of  which  was 
put  up  by  George  W.  Laird,  brother  of  William. 
He  sold  it  to  John  Stephens,  who  partly  fin- 
ished and  rented  it  to  Mr.  Crocker,  and  subse- 
quently to  Mr.  Douglas,  Mr.  Aldrich,  and  lastly 
to  Messrs.  Munson  &  Webster,  after  which  he 
sold  it  to  Gen.  Bill. 

When  the  frame  of  this  old  landmark  was 
raised,  the  event  was  one  of  no  small  magni- 
tude in  the  estimation  of  those  interested.  On 
all  such  occasions  in  that  day,  the  inevitable 
bottle  is  passed  around  at  seasonable  intervals, 
and  it  appears  that  on  this  occasion  a  vein  of 
sentiment  inspired  at  least  one  mind,  and  found 
vent  in  the  following  lines,  which  were  spoken 
by  Nathan  Allen  from  the  ridge  pole  of  the 
frame  when  finished. 

"This  place  once  a  wilderness  of  savage  and  owls. 
Where  the  red  man  once  roamed  and  the  prairie  wolf 
howled, 


52 


HISTORY   OF  DU  PAGE  COUXTY. 


This  house  now  erected  the  place  to  adorn, 
To  shelter  the  living  and  babes  yet  unborn, 
We'll  name  it  "  Pre-emption"— a  law  that'scomplete, 
For  the  use  of  George  Laird  who  says  he  will  treat." 

The  author's  name  is  not  known,  hut  nobody 
will  accuse  him  of  plagiarism,  for  the  lines  them- 
selves were  too  naively  put  together  to  allow 
grounds  for  such  a  charge,  painting  as  no  other 
language  could  the  spirit  of  the  days  of  1834 
at  the  Naper  settlement.  Michael  Hines,  who 
came  to  the  place  the  next  year  (1835),  arrived 
on  Temple's  line  of  stages,  passing  Barry's 
Point,  nine  miles  west  of  Chicago,  where  the 
Widow  Barry  kept  a  hotel ;  Lawton's,  on  the 
Desplaines  ;  Brush  Hill,  where  Mr.  Fuller  kept 
a  log  hotel,  and  Richard  Sweet's,  a  hotel  one 
and  a  half  miles  east  of  Naperville.  Says  Mr- 
Hines :  "  The  Pre-emption  House  was  then  the 
only  building  on  the  low  grounds.  On  the  ele- 
vated grounds  were  log  houses  where  the  Na- 
pers,  Mr.  Strubler,  Dr.  White,  Dr.  Potter  and 
Alexander  Howard,  who  kept  the  post  office, 
lived.  There  was  one  store  also  at  the  time. 
Mr.  Hines  is  now  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  Na- 
perville. But  the  country  all  round  was  filling 
up  with  settlers,  and  it  may  with  truth  be  said 
that  its  agricultural  growth  was  more  rapid 
than  its  increase  in  trading  interests,  for  the 
reason  that  the  first  wants  of  the  settler  were 
simplified  down  to  his  necessities,  and  until 
the  farmers  of  any  pew  country  get  revenues 
from  their  farms,  their  villages  will  improve 
slowly. 

The  only  public  surveys  that  had  yet  been 
made  in  the  country  were  of  "the  lands  south- 
east of  the  old  Indian  boundary  line,  which 
only  took  in  about  fifty  sections  in  the  south- 
east corner  of  the  present  county,  but  settlers 
could  not  wait  for  surveys.  They  were  on  the 
ground,  and  when  they  saw  a  piece  of  land  that 
suited  them,  they  took  possession  of  it,  or,  at 
least,  as  much  of  it  as  they  felt  their  ability  to 
pay  for  when  it  came  to  be  surveyed  and 
brought  into  market  by  the  Government.  To 


define  the  limits  of  their  claims,  they  plowed  a 
furrow  around  them  on  prairies,  and  blazed  the 
trees  to  define  claim  lines  in  the  groves.  The 
first  claims  thus  made  were  for  lands  comprising 
both  prairie  and  timber  in  requisite  proportions; 
water  also  being  an  important  consideration, 
lands  on  the  Du  Page  River,  or  those  on  which 
springs  were  found,  were  the  first  sought  for. 
|  All  lands  of  this  description,  for  many  miles 
around  the  Naper  settlement,  were  under  claim 
as  early  as  1835,  but  plenty  of  open  prairie  had 
not  been  taken  possession  of  previous  to  1839. 

The  second  hotel  built  in  the  Naper  settle- 
ment was  the  New  York  House.  It  was  not  at 
first  intended  for  a  hotel,  but  for  a  wagon  and 
blacksmith  shop,  for  which  purpose  it  was  used 
for  a  year  or  more,  when  it  was  metamorphosed 
into  a  house  of  entertainment,  by  removing  the 
forges  which  once  stood  where  now  the  billiard 
table  stands  in  this  establishment,  which  is 
still  like  the  Pre-emption  House,  one  of  the 
links  that  connect  the  early  day  to  the  present. 

R.  N.  Murray  was  its  first  proprietor.  While 
the  house  inside  had  been  purged  of  every  ves- 
tige of  blacksmith's  cinders — honorable  in  their 
place,  but  not  appropriate  in  a  hotel,  still  the 
old  swings  for  shoeing  oxen  outside  remained 
for  some  years — after  their  mission  had  ended — 
there  standing  as  a  huge  memento  of  the  early 
methods  of  transportation  by  these  slow,  but 
faithful  animals,  with  their  cloven  hoofs  plated 
with  iron. 

During  all  this  time,  Naperville  was  the  cen- 
ter of  attraction.  Here  was  a  saw  mill,  stores, 
shops  and  two  taverns,  and  it  was  on  the  great 
highwa}-  that  led  from  Chicago  to  Ottawa,  and 
thence  to  Vandalia,  the  capital  of  the  State. 
This  road  was  traveled  by  a  constant  stream  of 
prairie  schooners,  as  they  were  called.  They 
were  large  Pennsylvania  wagons  covered  with 
canvas,  drawn  by  oxen.  Slowly  they  moved 
along,  with  their  ponderous  burdens  following 
the  beaten  track  over  the  great  ocean  of  waving 
grass,  that  was  omnipresent,  with  nothing  to 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


53 


relieve  its  monotonous  grandeur  (if  the  ex- 
pression is  admissible)  but  here  and  there  a 
grove.  When  night  overtook  them,  their  drivers 
fed  the  oxen  from  the  prairie  and  berthed  him- 
self in  the  wagon  after  having  eaten  his  cold 
boiled  ham  and  corned  bread,  seasoned  with  a 
swallow  from  his  flask  (if  he  had  not  joined  the 
teetotalers)  to  tone  up  his  spirits  with  his  di- 
gestion. 

Naperville  was  a  far-famed  stopping-place 
for  these  travelers,  and  some  of  its  early  resi- 
dents have  informed  the  writer  that  more  than 
fifty  of  these  "  prairie  schooners  "  anchored 
there  during  the  season  of  travel  every  night. 
Whisky  was  20  cents  per  gallon,  and  they  had 
merry  times.  Far  along  the  verge  of  the  grove 
their  shouts  rent  the  air,  and  their  camp-fire^ 
gleamed  through  the  darkness  till  a  late  hour- 
The  teams  from  the  West  were  loaded  with  grain 
for  the  Chicago  market,  and  those  from  the 
East  with  goods  to  supply  the  necessities  of 
farmers,  such  as  salt,  leather,  plows  and  other 
indispensables. 

Besides  this  travel  through  the  place,  there 
was  a  large  travel  from  every  direction  to  it,  to 
bring  corn  and  wheat  to  a  grist-mill,  which 
Bailey  Hobson  and  Harry  Boardman  had  fin- 
ished in  running  order  in  1835.  This  was  the 
first  and  only  one  of  the  kind  that  went  by  water 
ill  a  large  scope  of  country  around,  and  here 
the  farmers  came  with  their  grists,  and  also  took 
the  occasion  to  do  a  little  shopping  at  the  stores. 

It  was  a  great  event  in  the  place  when  this 
mill  went  into  operation  ;  every  one  wished  to 
help  the  enterprise  along,  and  let  it  not  be  for- 
gotten that  in  this  benevolent  work  Miss  Lucy 
Standish  made  the  bolt  cloth,  and  ingeniously 
put  it  on  the  reel.  .  She  is  cousin  to  the  wife  of 
Mr.  F.  Mather,  a  resident  of  Wheaton,  and  a 
true  descendant  of  Old  Cotton  Mather,  the  great 
foe  to  Salem  Witches.  Whether  Miss  Standish 
is  related  in  any  way  to  the  celebrated  Miles, 
the  writer  cannot  say,  but  it  is  certain  that  she 
is  not  his  direct  descendant,  as  he  died  a  bache- 


lor, after  an  unsuccessful  courtship,  resulting 
from  the  blunder  of  sending  an  agent  to  do  his 
courting,  who  won  the  lady  on  his  own  account, 
and  left  poor  Miles  a  lonesome  monument  of 
the  old  adage,  that  "  faint  heart  never  won 
fair  lady."  Albeit  the  memory  of  Miles  Stand- 
ish is  embalmed  in  history,  for  his  pugnacious 
feelings  toward  the  Indians,  who  never  commit- 
ted an  offense  against  him.  His  humble  name- 
sake, Miss  Lucy,  whose  ingenuity  in  making 
the  first  bolt  cloth  that  ever  separated  bran 
from  flour  in  this  county,  still  lives  among  us, 
worthy  to  be  represented  in  these  pages.  In 
the  good  old  times  when  she  was  in  the  hey- 
day of  her  vigor,  almost  everybody  partook  of 
the  "  rough  and  ready "  spirit.  If  anything 
difficult  or  dangerous  was  to  be  done,  there  was 
little  shirking.  Nobody  was  afraid  of  soiling 
their  kid  gloves.  It's  doubtful  if  there  was  such 
a  thing  in  the  county. 

Hiram  Fowler,  who  still  lives  as  a  resident 
of  Naperville,  now  far  advanced  in  years,  de- 
lights to  rehearse  the  tales  of  early  life  there, 
and  amongst  other  reminiscenses,  has  a  wolf 
story,  which,  though  familiar  to  his  fellow-citi- 
zens, will  bear  printing  for  the  benefit  of  those 
who  have  not  heard  him  tell  it. 

In  1836,  his  home  was  a  mile  and  a  half 
above  Naperville,  on  the  bank  of  the  Du  Page, 
from  which,  late  one  afternoon,  he  rode  to  the 
town  on  horseback  to  buy  some  groceries.  On 
his  return,  his  dog  encountered  a  wolf  some 
distance  ahead  of  him,  and  he  well  knew,  from 
the  fierce  snapping  and  yelping,  that  a  battle 
was  going  on  between  the  two.  Hastening  to 
the  spot,  he  dismounted,  but  he  had  no  weapon, 
not  even  a  stick  with  which  he  could  take  part 
in  the  evenly  matched  fight.  But,  unarmed  as 
he  was,  he  ventured  to  give  the  wolf  a  kick  in 
the  head,  or  rather  make  the  attempt  to,  when 
the  defender  caught  the  toe  of  his  boot,  and 
cut  a  hole  through  the  upper  with  a  single 
snap,  his  tooth  passing  between  two  of  Mr. 
Fowler's  toes. 


54 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Nothing  daunted  by  the  failure  of  this  first 
charge  upon  the  enemy,  he  next  grappled  with 
him,  catching  him  by  the  hind  foot  and  swing- 
ing him  around  so  violently  that  he  could  not 
turn  the  biting  end  to  defend  himself.  Mr. 
Fowler  saw  his  advantage,  hung  to  him  with 
the  grip  of  a  giant,  swinging  him  furiously  with 
one  hand,  while  with  the  other  he  seized  the 
bridle  of  his  horse  and  leaped  upon  his  back, 
still  clinging  to  the  wolf.  He  now  galloped  to 
the  home  of  Mr.  Bird,  half  a  mile  distant,  who 
came  to  his  assistance  and  dispatched  the  wolf. 

Besides  the  permanent  settler  who  plants 
himself  on  the  soil  of  a  new  country  and  grows 
up  with  the  country,  is  another  class  of  men, 
of  whom  it  may  with  truth  be  said,  lose  the 
end  in  the  means  to  acquire  that  end.  They 
are  the  incarnation  of  the  true  pioneer,  and 
their  love  for  settling  on  the  broad  face  of 
nature,  untarnished  by  the  devices  of  clans  or 
even  the  restraints  of  conventionalism,  amounts 
to  a  passion,  or,  as  some  would  say,  "  a  hobby." 
These  men  are  almost  always  generous  and 
self-sacrificing,  abhor  technicalities  and  scorn 
thieves. 

They  take  a  short  cut  toward  what  they 
consider  a  principle  of  justice,  though  it  may 
be  across  fields  of  jurisdiction.  Mr.  Lewis 
Ellsworth,  a  well-known  citizen  of  Naperville, 
tells  the  writer  an  anecdote  as  to  one  of  these 
men,  named  Stout,  who  had  made  a  claim  on 
the  west  side  of  the  East  Branch  of  the  Du 
Page,  Lisle  Township,  Section  11.  He  had  a 
large  field  of  corn  near  the  road  where  the 
travel  went  from  the  back  country  to  Chicago, 
and  it  was  a  frequent  occurrence  that  passers 
with  loaded  wagons  would  take  corn  from  his 
field  to  bate  their  teams.  When  informed  of 
this,  he  replied  that  it  was  all  right,  as  he  felt 
so  strongly  imbued  with  the  principle  of  hospi- 
tality that  he  felt  no  desire  to  put  a  stop  to 
what  the  mildest  name  other  people  would  have 
given  to  it  would  be  a  trespass.  But  Mr.  Stout 
came  from  a  backwoods  place  in  Indiana,  where 


the  generosity  of  the  neighborhood  would  for- 
bid one  to  charge  pay  for  a  horse  feed,  and  he 
could  not  bring  himself  to  such  a  practice. 
Soon  after  this,  there  came  an  avalanche  of 
settlers  and  the  machinery  of  law  and  society 
was  put  fairly  in  motion.  Then  he  left  for  a 
new  field  on  which  to  bask  in  the  sunshine  of 
immunity  from  restraints. 

Those  who  have  lived  in  frontier  places  can 
best  understand  the  eccentricities  of  these  men. 
The  writer  once  knew  one  of  them  to  move  six 
or  eight  miles  and  build  a  new  cabin  at  the 
spot  because  his  cow  had  chosen  Tier  range 
there,  which  whim  would  be  like  the  tail  wag- 
ging the  dog  instead  of  the  dog  the  tail. 
Without  drawing  any  comparison  between 
these  men  and  Oscar  Wilde,  who  stands  at 
the  other  end  of  the  pole,  it  is  justly  due  to 
them  to  say  that,  with  all  their  idiosyncracies) 
thev  possess  points  out  of  which  the  romancer 
and  the  poet  weaves  the  brightest  colors  into 
his  fabric.  Cooper's  Leather  Stocking  was 
one  of  them,  and  Longfellow's  Lover  of  Evan- 
geline  was  another.  One  other  class  of  the 
early  day  deserves  mention,  and  that  is  the 
preacher. 

The  reverend  pioneer  was  no  testhetic.     He 
rode  an  ambling  pony  from  settlement  to  set- 
tlement, and  quartered  on  the  hospitality  of 
the  people  as  he  went  along,  which  was  always 
a  steadfast  dependence,  for  no  one  would  turn 
anybody  away,  especially  a  preacher.     He  was 
always  verj-  much  at  home,  and,  if   his  coat 
often  wanted  a  few  stitches  to  make  it  present- 
able to  an  audience,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  ask 
the  mistress  of  the  household  whose  circle  he 
honored  with  his  presence  to  do  the  necessary 
i  needle   work.     His    sermons,   if   not  elegant, 
;  were  effective,  and  laid  the  foundation  for  more 
'  learned  and  perhaps  more  effeminate  preachers 
to  reap  where  he  sowed  the  seed. 

Kev.    S.   R.    Beggs  was  one  of  these  early 

preachers,  and  has  written  a  book  relating  his 

:  early   experiences,   from  which   the   following 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


55 


quotations  are  taken  as  good  authority  to 
show  the  methods  and  mission  of  the  early 
preacher.  On  page  91,  he  says:  "  I  thanked 
him,  and  attended  morning  devotions.  The 
thanks  and  prayers  of  the  Methodist  minister 
in  those  days  alwa3's  settled  the  reckoning  with 
their  hosts."  On  page  108,  continues  Father 
Beggs,  in  1834  :  "I  was  re-appointed  to  Des- 
plaines  Mission  (this  included  the  Du  Page 
country),  and  I  returned  with  renewed  zeal, 
which  in  this  case  was  the  more  necessary,  as 
the  rage  for  speculation  was  just  commencing 
among  both  settlers  and  emigrants.  It  was 
an  earnest  struggle,  and  it  sometimes  seemed 
impossible  to  hold  the  attention  of  the  sinner 
long  enough  to  impress  him  with  the  great 
claim  which  the  Gospel  had  on  him.  Those 
who  would  not  come  out  to  church  I  followed 
to  their  houses,  conversing  with  them  on  the 
highways  and  by  the  wayside.  It  was  a  doubt- 
ful struggle  ;  but  by  the  help  of  the  Lord  and 
His  efficient  instruments — in  the  persons  of 
Brothers  Walker,  E.  Scarriott  and  F.  Owens — 
I  saw  many  souls  converted  and  believers 


strengthened.  *  *  *  My  worldly  goods 
increased,  so  that,  if  one  could  use  the  paradox, 
I  was  cursed  with  blessings.  Three  years  be- 
fore, I  owned  a  horse  and  $60,  now  my  farm  of 
240  acres  was  nearly  paid  for,  and  I  had  four 
horses,  seven  cows  and  forty  hogs." 

On  page  229,  in  speaking  of  Rev.  Mr.  See, 
Father  Beggs  continues :  "I  knew  him  well,  and 
as  a  good  preacher,  and  if  he  '  got  into  the 
brush,'  as  the  pioneers  used  to  say,  when  one 
was  at  a  loss  how  to  go  on  with  his  sermon,  it 
was  no  more  than  others  did  who  made  preten- 
sions to  greater  advantages  when  trying  to 
preach  without  a  manuscript,  and  at  last  did 
not  get  the  brush  cleared  away  after  all,  as  did 
Father  See.  Indeed,  I  have  often  thought  of 
the  story  of  one  of  the  '  regular  succession,'  who, 
while  preaching,  suddenly  discovered  that '  third- 
ly '  had  been  blown  out  of  the  window,  by  means 
of  which  he  lost  the  thread  of  his  ideas,  and 
came  to  a  full  stop.  And  "  (continues  Father 
Beggs,  in  defending  Mr.  See  from  an  attack 
made  on  him  for  '  slaughtering  the  king's  En- 
glish ' ),  "  thank  God,  he  slaughtered  sin,  also." 


OHAPTEE  IV. 


PUBLIC  LAND  SURVEYS— THE  LAND   CLAIM  SYSTEM— NECESSITY  FOR  THE  HIGHER  LAW— THE  BIG 
WOODS  CLAIM  PROTECTING  SOCIETY— THE  LAND  PIRATE  COMPANY— LAND  SPECULATORS 
—INDIAN  BURYING  GROUNDS— THE  FOX  RIVER  COUNTRY— METHOD  OF  GRINDING 
CORN— INDIAN    VILLAGES— INDIAN    AGRICULTURE— INDIAN    MODES    OF 
TRAVEL— THE  COUNTRY  NORTH,  EAST  AND  SOUTH  OF  THE  DU  PAGE 
SETTLEMENTS— THE  DU  PAGE  COUNTY   SOCIETY  FOR  MU- 
TUAL PROTECTION— THE  HOGNATORIAL  COUNCIL. 

square ;  a  section  is  one  mile  square  ;  a  half- 
section  is  one  mile  long  and  one-half  mile  wide  ; 
a  quarter-section  is  one-half  mile  square  ;  a 
half-quarter-section  is  one-half  mile  north  and 
south,  and  one-fourth  mile  east  and  west ;  a 
quarter  -  quarter  -  section  is  one -fourth  mile 
square  ;  a  lot  is  one  of  the  subdivisions  of  such 
part  of  a  fractional  section  as  is  not  susceptible 


E  public  lands  of  the  United  States  are 
-L  ordinarily  surveyed  into  rectangular  tracts, 
bounded  by  lines  conforming  to  the  cardinal 
points.  These  tracts  are  designated  as  town- 
ships, sections,  half-sections,  quarter-sections, 
half-quarter-sections,  quarter-quarter-sections, 
and  lots.  They  have,  as  nearly  as  may  be,  the 
following  dimensions :  A  township  is  six  miles 


56 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


of  division  into  quarter-quarter-sections,  and 
contains,  as  nearly  as  may  be,  the  quantity  of 
a  quarter-quarter-sectiou. 

This  plan  of  survey  is  called  the  rectangular 
system.  It  has  been  in  operation  since  the 
latter  part  of  the  last  century.  Since  its  in- 
auguration, it  has  undergone  modifications  con- 
tributing much  to  its  completeness.  The  later 
surveys  are,  therefore,  much  more  systematic 
and  regular  than  the  early  ones. 

In  applying  this  system  to  any  portion  of  the 
public  lands,  a  base  line,  on  a  parallel  of  lati- 
tude, and  a  principal  meridian  intersecting  it, 
are  established  as  the  necessities  and  con- 
venience of  the  survey  ma}'  require  ;  and  they 
are  laid  clown  and  marked  with  great  care. 
Other  lines  are  then  run  corresponding  to  these, 
and  so  that  the  last  ones  are,  as  nearly  as  may 
be,  six  miles  apart  each  way. 

The  rectangular  tracts  thus  formed  are  the 
townships,  and  subdivisions  of  these  form  the 
sections  and  fractions  of  sections. 

A  line  of  townships  extending  north  and 
south  is  called  a  range.  The  ranges  are  desig- 
nated by  their  number  east  or  west  of  the 
principal  meridian.  The  townships  in  each 
range  are  named  by  their  number  north  or 
south  of  the  base  line. 

This  will  be  understood  by  observing  upon 
the  map  of  Illinois  that  a  principal  meridian  is 
laid  down  from  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  River 
northward  through  the  State,  and  that  in  the 
northeast  corner  of  Washington  County  it  in- 
tersects a  base  line  on  the  parallel  of  thirty- 
eight  and  a  half  degrees.  This  principal 
meridian  and  base  line,  it  will  be  seen,  are  each 
numbered  both  ways  from  the  point  of  inter- 
section. This  is  the  third  of  the  established 
permanent  meridians  of  the  laud  survey. 
Springfield,  for  instance,  is  thus  found  to  be  in 
Township  16  north,  in  Range  5  west,  of  the 
Third  Principal  Meridian. 

The  Fourth  Principal  Meridian  begins  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Illinois  River  and  intersects  a 


base  line  at  Beardstown.  All  of  the  Slate 
west  of  the  Illinois  River,  and  west  of  the 
Third  Principal  Meridian  northward  from  where 
it  crosses  the  Illinois  River,  is  numbered  from 
this  fourth  meridian.  The  Second  Principal 
Meridian  extends  from  the  Ohio  River,  in 
Crawford  Count}7,  Ind.,  through  the  State.  It 
intersects  the  base  line  in  Orange  County.  The 
portion  of  Illinois  east  of  Range  11  east  of  the 
Third  Principal  Meridian,  north  to  the  south 
line  of  Township  31,  is  numbered  from  this 
Second  Principal  Meridian,  all  the  rest  is  num- 
bered from  the  Third  Meridian,  ami  Du  Page 
County  is  included  in  this  territory.  The  public 
surveys  had  been  extended  through  the  entire 
southern  and  central  portions  of  the  State  of 
Illinois  long  before  Du  Page  County  or  the 
northern  part  of  the  State  had  been  settled, 
and  on  no  part  of  the  public  domain  of  the 
wild  and  unsurveyed  territory  of  the  United 
States  had  so  many  complex  conditions  crossed 
the  path  of  the  settler  as  here. 

That  this  country  had  so  long  remained 
comparatively  unknown  to  the  world  outside, 
was  due  to  the  fact  that  the  Indian  title  to  it  had 
not  been  extinguished  till  the  social  antagon- 
isms of  the  white  and  red  races  were  brought 
face  to  face  with  each  other,  and  demanded 
action  to  prevent  violence.  The  Pottawatomies 
had  been  no  idle  observers  of  the  manner  by 
which  their  red  brethren  east  of  them  had  been 
driven  from  their  lands.  They  had  seen  these 
tribes  take  up  the  hatchet,  and  though  led  by 
such  renowned  chiefs  as  Pontiac,  Little  Tur- 
tle and  Tecumseh,  had  been  vanquished  and 
almost  annihilated  in  the  unequal  combat  that 
followed  their  efforts  to  defend  their  soil  from 
the  first  inroads  of  the  settlers.  Hoping  to 
avert  such  a  calamity,  they  attempted  to  do  it 
by  submission,  and  in  accordance  with  this 
policy  never  molested  the  settlers  who  came 
among  them,  nor  could  Black  Hawk's  emissa- 
ries with  all  their  bravado  induce  them  to 
change  their  peaceful  policy.  For  this  reason 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


57 


the  Government  could  have  no  quarrel  with 
them,  and  there  was  no  necessity  to  extinguish 
their  title  to  their  lands  till  social  influences 
under  the  conditions  of  peace  as  already  stated 
made  it  essential  to  the  best  interests  of  both 
the  red  and  white  races  to  do  so.  This  is  why 
public  surveys  in  Northern  Illinois  had  been 
retarded  so  long.  The  consequence  was  that 
the  settlers,  in  their  haste  to  secure  the  best 
lands,  were  obliged  to  take  possession  of  them 
in  a  state  of  nature,  and  establish  the  limits 
and  boundaries  of  their  farms  themselves, 
which  limits  of  course  would  have  to  be 
changed  to  suit  the  lines  made  by  the  survey- 
ors when  they  came  to  be  made.  To  adjust 
these  limits  whose  section  lines  left  portions  of 
two  or  more  men's  claims  in  one  section,  in- 
volved nice  distinctions  in  the  natural  princi- 
ple of  justice,  with  no  precedent  or  rule  as  a 
guide.  This  was  only  one  of  many  other  com- 
plications to  be  solved  on  principles  of  equity 
and  fair  dealing  growing  out  of  land  claims. 
The  primary  object  of  the  settlers  was  to  secure 
homes  for  themselves,  while  for  the  rights  of 
the  land  speculator  who  came  here  to  take 
possession  of  the  land  to  speculate  on  and  en- 
rich himself  on  its  enhanced  value  growing  out 
of  their  labor,  they  cared  nothing.  He  did 
not  come  within  the  pale  of  this  protection;  on 
the  contrary,  he  was  regarded  with  jealousy, 
and  had  a  thorny  path  to  travel  when  he  came 
in  collision  with  their  interests. 

But  the  foremost  object  of  the  settlers  was 
to  guard  against  "  claim  jumping."  This  was 
an  attempt  on  the  part  of  some  interloper  to 
take  possession  of  some  parcel  of  land  within 
the  limits  of  a  claim  already  made.  The  lim- 
its were  marked  by  a  furrow  in  the  prairie,  and 
in  the  groves  by  marking  the  trees  in  a  similar 
manner  to  the  way  in  which  public  surveyors 
"  blaze  "  their  lines  through  the  woods  in  tim- 
bered countries. 

To  adjust  all  the  disputes  liable  to  grow  out 
of  all  these  circumstantial  points,  it  was 


thought  expedient  to  organize  a  society  and 
appoint  a  committee  of  referees  with  plenary 
power  to  settle  all  issues  that  compromise  had 
failed  to  harmonize  between  parties  interested- 
To  this  end,  on  the  6th  of  February,  1836, 
a  meeting  of  claim-holders  was  convened  at 
the  house  of  Mr.  A.  Culver,  who  lived  on  the 
eastern  side  of  the  Big  Woods,  which  lies 
partly  in  the  southeastern  corner  of  Du  Page 
County  and  also  beyond  to  the  west  in  Kane 
Count}-.  At  this  meeting,  Dr.  Levi  Ward, 
Frederick  Stolp,  A.  E.  Carpenter,  William  J. 
Strong  and  Charles  Sidders  were  appointed  a 
committee  for  the  purpose  required.  These 
gentlemen  constituted  a  court  of  justice  from 
whose  decision  there  was  in  substance  no  ap- 
peal. Not  that  they  or  their  constituency  held 
themselves  in  a  position  of  defiance  to  law- 
They  only  made  a  law  unto  themselves  to  pre- 
pare for  an  emergency  for  which  the  laws  of 
the  land  had  not  made  provision.  They  only 
protected  themselves  in  their  natural  rights  to 
land  before  it  was  surveyed,  as  the  Government 
protected  pre-emptors  after  surveys  had  been 
made. 

It  is  true  that  certain  contingencies  were  lia- 
ble to  come  up  with  them  not  possible  to  pre- 
emptors  of  public  lands,  and  for  these  contin- 
gencies they  did  not  hesitate  to  provide,  as  the 
sequel  will  show  ;  and  here  the  historian  would 
be  at  default  if  he  did  not  record  the  fact  that 
in  no  case  has  the  decision  of  this  self-consti- 
tuted court  been  accused  of  injustice.  The  so- 
ciety formed  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Culver  was 
called  "  The  Big  Woods  Claim  Protecting  So- 
ciety," of  which  John  Warne  was  Secretary. 
It  was  the  first  of  the  kind  in  the  county  and 
consisted  of  ninety-seven  members,  including 
officers,  all  of  whom,  so  far  as  tradition  and 
reports  go,  were  stalwart,  justice-loving  men, 
who  would  neither  commit  an  offense  against 
justice  nor  submit  to  one,  quite  a  number  of 
whom  are  still  living. 

As  an  historic  record,  a  list  of  those  who  first 


58 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUXTY. 


joined  the  societj'  is  inserted  :  John  Warne, 
A.  E.  Carpenter,  James  Dyer,  John  Mosier, 
Joseph  Fish,  J.  M.  Warren,  John  Maxwell, 
Cornelius  Jones,  John  Ogden,  Phineas  Graves, 
William  Hall,  David  Crane,  James  Brown, 
Frederick  Stolp,  Nelson  Murray,  Taylor  S. 
Warne,  Jesse  B.  Ketchum,  Barton  Eddy,  David 
McKee,  J.  S.  P.  Lord,  Joseph  Wilson,  Warren 
Smith,  Henry  M.  Waite,  Lyman  King,  Luther 
Chandler,  Gilbert  S.  Kouse,  S.  H.  Arnold,  Jos- 
eph Stolp,  Reuben  Austin,  Charles  Arnold, 
Levi  Leach,  Elihu  Wright,  Nahan  Beardsley, 
S.  Hurlbut,  Darias  J.  Lamphear,  Walter  Ger- 
main, John  B.  Eddy,  John  Gregg,  Samuel 
Mosier,  Orrin  W-  Graves,  B.  Tubbs,  Jr.,  Joseph 
Thayer,  Thomson  Paxton,  L.  Ward,  Charles 
Brown,  Charles  Bidders,  James  Hj'mes,  Nathan 
Williams,  William  J.  Strong,  Robert  Hopkins, 
Jesse  Graves,  John  Stolp,  Allen  Williams,  A. 
Culver,  Thomas  N.  Paxton,  Dennis  Clark, 
Amander  P.  Thomas,  Alfred  Churchill,  R.  S. 
Ostrander,  A.  W.  Beardsley,  George  Laird, 
George  C.  Howes,  Samuel  Paxton,  William 
Williams,  George  Monroe,  Harvey  Higbee,  N. 
H.  Thomas.  Enos  Coleman,  Linus  L.  Coleman, 
Eli  Northum,  Zerah  Jones,  Reuben  Jones, 
George  S.  Blackman,  Blackman  &  Winslow, 
William  E.  Bent,  J.  B.  &  E.  Smith,  Ira  Wood- 
man, Alden  S.  Clifford,  William  Hill,  John  Fox, 
Nathan  Williams.  Alanson  Arnold,  Eleazer 
Blackman,  Aurin  Ralph,  John  Bidders,  Russel 
Whipple,  Sheffield  Mills,  Jonas  Lamphear,  Will- 
iam R.  Currier,  Manus  Griswold,  Isaac  Barnes. 
These  gentlemen  bound  themselves,  in  the  pe- 
nal sum  of  $1,000  each,  to  protect  and  assist 
each  other  in  their  respective  claims,  as  per  the 
decisions  of  the  committee  they  had  appointed 
to  represent  and  define  their  rights. 

Their  meetings  were  to  be  twice  a  year,  or 
oftener  if  necessary,  and  the  next  one  met  on 
the  6th  of  August,  1836,  at  the  house  of  Thomas 
Paxton.  This  was  by  the  provisions  of  their 
compact  to  be  the  date  of  their  annual  meet- 
ing. 


A  new  committee  was  chosen  at  this  meet- 
ing, consisting  of  William  J.  Strong,  Thomson 
Paxton,  John  Gregg,  Warren  Smith  and  Fred- 
erick Stolp.  At  this  meeting,  it  was  made  the 
duty  of  the  Secretary  to  record  the  description 
of  each  claim  of  the  different  members,  who  were 
to  give  the  same  to  him  within  ninety  days. 
The  meeting  was  adjourned  to  meet  again  at 
the  same  place  on  the  4th  of  February  the  suc- 
ceeding year. 

As  already  stated,  the  Big  Woods'  Claim 
Protecting  Society  was  the  first  one  of  its  kind 
established  here  ;  but  previous  to  its  organiza- 
tion a  company  of  land  speculators  had  entered 
the  Big  Woods,  and  laid  claim  to  several  sec- 
tions of  its  best  timbered  land,  and  for  the  better 
security  of  their  lands  had  built  a  rail  fence 
around  it.  The  gentlemen  composing  this  so- 
ciety gloried  in  the  name  of  the  Land  Pirate 
Company,  but  their  piratical  exploits  in  monop- 
olizing the  timber  wanted  for  the  use  of  the 
settlers  never  achieved  sufficient  notoriety  to  be 
lionized  as  marine  highwaymen  were  by  Byron 
in  "  The  Corsair,"  for  not  long  after  the  forma- 
tion of  the  Big  Woods  Society  the  fence  they 
had  built  around  their  claim  disappeared,  and 
nobody  ever  knew  who  hauled  the  rails  away 
any  more  than  it  was  known  who,  under  the 
guise  of  Indian  plumes  and  paint,  only  sixty 
years  before  this  event,  had  went  aboard  the 
English  ships  in  Boston  Harbor,  and  emptied 
their  tea  chests  into  the  sea.  One  of  these  tea 
destroyers  survived  till  about  the  date  of  this 
Big  Woods  Company's  birth,  having  in  his  lat- 
ter years  revealed  his  identity,  and,  perhaps, 
some  of  those  who  moved  away  the  offending 
rails,  by  means  of  which  it  was  hoped  to  retain 
the  timber  of  the  Big  Woods,  may  yet  tell  how 
it  was  done,  and  who  did  it.  Possibly  the  old 
veteran  of  Boston  Harbor  had  set  them  up  to 
the  business. 

Land  speculators  at  the  time  of  the  formation 
of  this  societ}-,  were  almost  as  numerous  as  the 
actual  settlers.  The}-  made  a  business  of  mark- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


59 


iug  out  claims  in  a  similar  manner  to  settlers, 
and,  after  making  slight  improvements  on  them, 
selling  these  claims  to  settlers  at  a  large  profit. 
Against  this  grievance  there  was  no  remed}', 
for  it  was  optional  with  the  settler  to  purchase 
his  claim  or  go  farther  West  and  make  one  from 
the  great  domain  west  of  the  Fox  lliver,  between 
which  and  the  Rock  River  no  claims  had  been 
made,  except  along  their  immediate  banks. 

The  land  south  of  the  Indian  boundary  line 
having  been  surveyed  about  the  year  1830,  came 
into  market  in  1835.  Much  of  it  rested  under 
claims,  and  a  collision  of  interest  came  up  when 
the  land  was  offered  for  sale  at  the  land  office 
in  Chicago.  Speculators  began  to  bid  on  it  as 
high  as  §10  or  $15  per  acre,  and  quite  a  num- 
ber of  actual  settlers  lost  the  lands  on  which 
they  had  settled  and  made  improvements  ;  but 
the  sale  had  not  proceeded  long  till  the  claim- 
ants asserted  their  rights,  backed  up  by  too  for- 
midable an  array  of  force  and  influence  for  the 
speculators  to  set  at  defiance,  and  no  more  bid- 
ding on  lands  under  a  settler's  claim  waa  ven- 
tured on.  The  same  year,  in  1835,  the  lands 
along  Fox  River  were  partly  under  claims,  and 
from  Joseph  Tefft,  M.  D.,  a  present  resident  of 
Elgin,  the  writer  has  learned  the  extent  of  set- 
tlements from  the  present  site  of  Aurora,  then 
known  as  Waubonsie's  Village,  to  Elgin  at  that 
time. 

Mr.  Tefts  came  from  Madison  County,  N.  Y., 
and,  after  making  a  short  stop  at  a  place  called 
the  Yankee  settlement,  on  the  Desplaines 
River,  he  passed  through  Naperville,  and 
thence  to  the  Fox  River,  in  the  autumn  of 
1835.  Where  Aurora  now  is,  he  found  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  river  a  log  cabin,  where  Mr. 
Wilde  lived  on  land  he  had  claimed.  On  the 
east  bank  were  some  settlers  also,  but  not 
more  than  two  or  three.  Two  and  a  half  miles 
up  the  river,  was  the  Indian  bury  ing-ground, 
where  mounds  like  those  in  our  cemeteries 
were  raised  over  graves.  Here  were  newly- 
made  graves,  for  the  country  was  still  occu- 


pied by  a  remnant  of  Waubonsie's  subjects. 
Besides  those  buried  in  the  ground  was  the 
body  of  a  child,  incased  in  birch  bark,  attached 
to  the  limb  of  a  tree  far  above  their  reach, 
where  it  swung  to  and  fro  in  the  wind.  This 
custom  of  depositing  the  remains  of  young 
children  in  trees,  thus  incased,  was  not  unusual 
among  the  Indians.  Perhaps  it  was  to  rock 
them  to  sleep.  A  Mr.  McNemar  then  owned  a 
claim  at  the  place,  including  the  Indian  ceme- 
tery. Farther  along,  a  man  named  Clybourne 
had  a  saw  mill  on  a  branch  of  the  Fox  River 
coming  in  from  the  west,  near  the  present  site 
of  Batavia.  At  the  present  site  of  Geneva 
lived  James  Herrington,  who  then  kept  a  store 
at  the  place,  depending  on  custom  from  settlers 
from  a  large  radius  of  country  around.  At 
the  present  site  of  St.  Charles  lived  Mr.  Fer- 
sons,  father  of  Reed  Persons,  on  the  west  side 
of  the  river.  Four  miles  to  the  north  lived 
Rice  Fay,  who  came  to  the  place  the  year  be- 
fore, and  had  raised  a  few  vegetables  and  some 
corn  for  family  use.  Not  long  afterward,  Mr. 
Teffts  having  made  a  claim  and  settled  a  short 
distance  above  him  on  the  river,  he  came  to 
his  cabin  to  buy  a  few  potatoes,  but  no  per- 
suasion could  induce  him  to  sell  them  ;  but, 
just  before  leaving,  he  gave  him  some,  in 
which  respect  he  was  not  unlike  many  other 
pioneers.  Mr.  Fay  had  a  large  family,  and 
ground  all  their  cereals  for  bread  in  a  coffee 
mill  during  the  winter  of  1835-36. 

Farther  up,  where  the  army  trail  crossed 
Fox  River,  lived  Mr.  Kendall  in  a  log  cabin  on 
his  claim.  Above  him,  Ira  Minard  had  a  claim 
on  the  ground  now  occupied  by  the  Elgin 
Insane  Asylum. 

Mr.  Minard,  Reed  Persons  and  B.  T.  Hunt 
were  the  founders  of  St.  Charles. 

At  Elgin  was  a  log  cabin  on  the  west  side  of 
the  river  where  Jonathan  Kimball  lived,  who 
was  subsequently  Justice  of  the  Peace  at  Elgin. 
Phineas  Kimball  lived  on  the  east  side,  immc 
diately  north  of  the  present  site  of  the  depot. 


60 


HISTORY'  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


North  of  him  lived  Ransom  Olds,  and  the  next 
who  came  were  James  T.  Gifford,  the  founder 
of  Elgin,  who  built  a  house  near  where  Mr.  Or- 
lando Davidson  now  lives ;  Hezekiah  Gifford, 
who  built  a  house  where  George  S.  Bowen  lives, 
and  Dr.  Tefft,  who  settled  in  South  Elgin  and 
now  lives  in  Elgin. 

There  had  been  a  large  Indian  village  be- 
tween the  present  city  of  Elgin  and  Dundee, 
where  about  three  acres  of  land  still  bore  the 
marks  of  their  rude  agriculture.  Similar  signs 
were  also  apparent  at  South  Elgin,  where  even 
some  of  the  tent  poles  of  the  Indians  were 
standing  where  their  frail  tenements  had  but 
recently  stood. 

When  the  inhabitants  of  these  places  changed 
their  residence  for  a  winter's  hunt,  or  to  make 
a  visit  to  a  neighboring  town,  sometimes  they 
all  went  together,  with  the  papoose  baby 
straped  to  a  board  which  was  lashed  to  the 
back  of  the  mother.  The  next  two  oldest  put 
one  each  into  saddle-bags,  and  thrown  across 
the  back  of  the  pony  as  we  used  to  take  a  grist 
to  mill  in  the  olden  time.  The  father  then 
mounted  the  pony,  and  then  all  were  ready  for 
a  march,  the  patient  squaw  having  the  hardest 
part,  as  she  tugged  the  papoose  along  by  the 
side  of  her  lord,  whose  leggings  her  hands  had 
ornamented  with  porcupine  quills  or  beads. 

Fox  River  was  then  full  of  fish,  which  were 
caught  by  the  settlers  and  sometimes  salted 
down  for  table  use  in  the  winter.  Beyond  these 
beginnings  on  the  river-bank  westwardly,  was 
a  waste  of  prairie  presenting  no  attraction  to 
the  settler  till  the  Rock  River  was  reached. 
To  the  north  no  settlements  had  been  made  till 
the  vicinity  of  Green  Bay  and  Fort  Howard 
was  reached.  To  the  east  was  the  mushroom 
town  of  Chicago,  waiting  the  completion  of  the 
canal  as  a  voucher  for  ultimate  grandeur.  Be- 
tween this  germ  cell  of  a  city  and  the  Du  Page 
was  first  a  dismal  swamp,  drained  in  its  western 
verge  by  the  Desplaines  River,  on  the  banks  of 
which  Mr.  Barnardus  Lawton  had  established 


a  hotel  that  old  settlers  still  hold  in  grateful 
remembrance. 

Southward  of  the  Du  Page  settlement — we 
must  remember  that  at  this  date  of  which  we 
now  speak,  1835,  it  belonged  to  Cook  County — 
was  a  country  settled  more  and  more  densely 
the  farther  one  went,  till  he  reached  Edwards 
Count}',  opposite  St.  Louis. 

These  were  the  surroundings  of  what  is  now 
Du  Page  Count}-,  when  the  claimants  of  land  here 
first  put  down  their  stakes,  not  to  be  pulled  up 
again,  and  united  their  wisdom  in  council  at 
the  Big  Woods,  for  the  purpose  of  uniting  their 
muscle,  if  necessary,  to  protect  each  other  in 
getting  deeds  of  the  lands  which  their  labors 
were  about  to  make  valuable.  In  this  there 
was  no  law  but  the  higher  law  to  protect  them, 
and  this  they  were  bound  to  employ.  That  dis- 
putes, and  what  are  called  old-claim  feuds,  arose, 
is  true,  but  they  had  their  origin  in  the  same 
misconception  of  the  principles  of  justice  that 
give  rise  to  law  suits  now,  and  not  in  the  action 
of  the  league. 

A  society  having  similar  objects  in  view  as 
the  Big  Woods  Society,  was  formed  in  Naper- 
ville  October  28,  1839.  It  was  called  the  Du 
Page  Countj1  Society  for  Mutual  Protection. 
For  a  record  of  this  society,  we  quote  from 
Richmond  &  Vallett's  History  : 

Russell  Whipple  was  called  to  the  Chair,  and 
James  C.  Hatch  appointed  Secretary.  Whereupon 
the  following  report  was  read  to  the  meeting:  At 
a  meeting  of  the  settlers  of  Du  Page  County,  held 
at  Naperville  on  the  29th  of  September  last,  to  take 
measures  for  securing  their  rights  and  interests  to 
and  in  their  respective  claims,  a  committee  of  ten 
was  appointed  to  draft  rules  and  regulations  to  pre- 
sent for  the  consideration  of  this  meeting,  in  com- 
pliance with  which,  said  committee  respectfully  beg 
leave  lo  present  the  following: 

Situated  as  we  are  upon  Government  lands,  which 
have,  by  the  industry  of  the  settlers,  already  be- 
come highly  valuable,  and  inasmuch  as  our  claims 
lie  in  such  a  variety  of  shapes,  and  are  of  such  dif- 
ferent dimensions  that  they  cannot  in  any  manner 
correspond  with  the  Government  survey,  it  appears 
necessary,  in  order  to  prevent  the  most  fearful  con- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


61 


sequences,  that  the  lines  of  our  respective  claims 
should  be  established  previous  to  the  Government 
survey,  and  we  ourselves  bound  by  the  strong  arm 
of  the  law,  to  reconvey,  as  hereinafter  mentioned, 
to  our  neighbors,  -whenever  these  lands  are  sold  by 
the  order  of  the  General  Government,  so  as  to  keep 
our  claims  as  the}'  are  now  established;  and  to  ac- 
complish this  end,  we  recommend  the  following 
regulations: 

first.  We  do  hereby  form  ourselves  into  a  so- 
ciety, to  be  called  the  Du  Page  County  Society  for 
Mutual  Protection,  and  agree  to  be  governed  by 
such  prudent  rules  and  by-laws  as  the  society  may 
hereafter  adopt,  not  inconsistent  with  the  laws  of 
the  country;  and  that  we  will  make  use  of  all  hon- 
orable means  to  protect  each  other  in  our  respective 
claims,  as  may  hereafter  be  agreed  upon  and  re- 
corded; and  that  we  will  not  countenance  any  un- 
just claim,  set  up  by  speculators  or  others  ;  and  we 
declare  that  the  primary  object  of  this  society  is  to 
protect  the  inhabitants  in  their  claims  and  bounda- 
ries, so  that  each  shall  deed  and  redeed  to  the  other 
as  hereinafter  mentioned,  when  the  Government 
survey  does  not  agree  with  the  present  lines,  or  lines 
which  may  hereafter  be  agreed  upon. 

Second.  That  there  be  a  committee  of  five  ap- 
pointed at  this  meeting,  three  of  whom  may  form  a 
board  of  arbitration,  to  decide  from  legal  testimony, 
all  disputes  respecting  the  lines  or  boundaries  of  any 
claim  to  which  they  may  be  called  together,  with 
the  costs  of  the  arbitration,  and  the  party  or  parties 
who  shall  pay  the  same:  Provided,  It  does  not  ap- 
pear that  such  dispute  has  previously  been  decided, 
by  an  arbitration  held  by  the  agreement  of  the  par- 
ties, which  shall  be  a  bar  against  further  proceed- 
ings of  said  committee,  except  as  to  matter  of  costs. 

Third.  That  each  of  the  said  committee  shall 
be  entitled  to  $1  per  day,  for  each  day  officially  en- 


Fourth.  That  in  all  cases  where  the  parties 
cannot  establish  their  lines,  either  by  reference  to 
their  neighbors  or  otherwise,  either  party  may,  at 
any  time,  by  giving  to  the  other  ten  days'  notice  of 
his  or  her  intention,  call  out  at  least  three  of  the 
board  of  arbitration,  to  decide  the  same,  and  their 
decision  shall  be  final. 

Fifth.  That  there  shall  be  one  Clerk  appointed 
at  this  meeting,  who  shall  keep  a  fair  record  of  all 
transactions  of  this  association,  and  also  of  all  de- 
scriptions of  claims  presented  to  him  for  record: 
Provided,  That  there  is  attached  thereto  a  certificate 
from  all  who  have  adjoining  claims,  certifying  to 
the  correctness  of  such  description,  or  a  certificate 


signed  by  a  majority  of  any  arbitration,  met  to  es- 
tablish any  line  or  lines  of  said  claim;  and  that  the 
said  Clerk  shall  be  entitled  to  25  cents  for  recording 
each  claim  and  certificate. 

Sixth.  That  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  every  settler 
to  present  to  :he  Clerk,  a  definite  description  of  his 
or  her  claim,  either  from  actual  survey  or  other- 
wise, and  also  to  set  his  or  her  hand  and  seal  to  a 
certain  indenture,  drafted  by  Giles  Spring,  Esq.,  of 
Chicago,  for  this  society. 

Seventh.  That  there  be  a  committee  of  three  in 
each  precinct  appointed  at  this  meeting,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  carrying  into  effect  the  sixth  regulation. 

Eighth.  That  the  settlers  on  the  school  lands 
ought  to  obtain  their  lands  at  Government  prices. 

Ninth.  That  we  will  firmly  and  manfully  pro- 
tect all  who  conform  to  the  above  regulations  pre- 
vious to  the  1st  day  of  January,  1840. 

Which  report  and  regulations  were  unanimously 
adopted,  and  ordered  to  be  embodied  in  a  consti- 
tution. 

Thereafter,  on  motion,  a  committee  of  six  was 
appointed  by  the  chair,  to  nominate  a  board  of  ar- 
bitration and  Clerk,  viz.,  Lewis  Ellsworth,  Elihu 
Thayer,  Luther  Hatch,  Cornelius  Jones,  Job  A. 
Smith  and  David  S.  Dunning;  who,  having  retired, 
returned  and  reported  Lyman  Meacham,  Erastus 
Gary  and  Stephen  J.  Scott  Board  of  Arbitration,  and 
P.  Ballingall,  Clerk;  which  nominations  were  ap- 
proved of. 

Whereupon,  it  was  moved  and  adopted,  that  the 
following  persons  be  the  precinct  committee,  viz.: 

Naperville  Precinct— Stephen  J.  Scott,  Henry 
Goodrich,  Nathan  Allen,  Jr. 

Webster  Precinct— John  W.  Walker,  James  C. 
Hatch,  Pierce  Downer. 

Deerfield  Precinct— Luther  Morton,  Perus  Barney  ^ 
Moses  Stacy. 

Washington  Precinct — Lyman  Meacham,  Smith 
D.  Pierce,  Capt.  E.  Kinny. 

Orange  Precinct — Job  A.  Smith,  William  Kim- 
ball,  Luther  F.  Sanderson. 

DuPage  Precinct — Warren  Smith,  Lorin  G.  Hul- 
bert,  Alvah  Fowler. 

Big  Woods  Precinct — John  Warne,  Levi  Leach, 
William  J.  Strong. 

Resolved,  That  this  meeting  adjourn  till  the  first 
Monday  in  January,  1840. 

RUSSELL  WHIPPLE,  Chairman. 

JAMES  C.  HATCH,  Secretary. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  "  Du  Page  County  Society 
for  Mutual  Protection,"  held  at  Naperville,  the  6th 
day  of  January,  A.  D.  1840,  in  pursuance  of  ad- 


62 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


journment,  Russell  Whipple  took  the  chair,  when, 
on  motion  of  Mr.  George  Martin,  it  was 

Resolved,  That  the  time  for  recording  the  claims 
of  the  members  of  this  society,  in  order  to  secure 
the  benefits  of  the  ninth  resolution  of  the  meeting 
held  on  the  28th  of  October  last,  be  extended  till 
the  1st  day  of  March  next. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  James  C.  Hatch, 

Resolved,  That  the  claims  belonging  to  members 
of  this  society  which  lie  on  the  line  of  or  in  another 
county  shall  be  entitled  to  record  and  protection,  on 
the  member  complying  with  the  fifth  regulation. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  Lyman  Meacham, 

Resolved,  That  when  a  claim  belonging  to  a  mem- 
ber of  this  association  shall  border  on  that  of  a  non- 
resident, or  that  of  a  person  out  of  the  State,  or  on 
land  not  occupied,  the  same  shall  be  recorded  if  a 
certificate  from  the  adjoining  claimants  be  attached 
thereto,  certifying  to  such  non-residence,  absence  or 
non-occupancy,  and  that  there  is  no  dispute  concern- 
ing the  same. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  William  J.  Strong, 

Resolved,  That  any  member  of  this  society  who, 
in  an  arbitration,  fails  to  establish  his  claim  before 
the  Board  of  Arbitration,  shall  pay  the  costs  thereof 
within  six  days  from  the  decision  being  pronounced, 
and  failing  to  make  such  payment,  he  shall  cease  to 
be  a  member  of  this  society. 

Resolved,  That  this  meeting  adjourn  until  the  first 
Monday  in  March  next. 

P.   BALLINGALL,  Clerk. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  society  held  at  Naperville,  on 
the  6th  day  of  January,  A.  D.  1840,  in  pursuance 
of  adjournment,  Stephen  J.  Scott  was  appointed 
Chairman. 

Resolved,  That  James  Johnson  and  Isaac  B.  Berry 
be  allowed  another  trial  in  their  arbitration  with 
Harry  T.  Wilson,  on  condition  that  said  Johnson 
and  Berry  pay  one  counsel  fee  and  the  whole  costs 
of  the  arbitration. 

Resolved,  That  the  Board  of  Arbitrators  shall  have 
power  to  fill  all  vacancies  occasioned  by  death,  re- 
moval or  otherwise,  between  this  time  and  the  first 
Monday  in  May  next. 

Resolved,  That  the  resolution  offered  by  William 
J.  Strong,  and  passed  at  last  meeting,  be  and  is 
hereby  repealed. 

Resolved,  That  the  line  between  Ephraim  Collar 
and  Timothy  E.  Parsons  is  hereby  declared  to  be 

the  road  leading  from to ,  laid  by  But- 

terfield,  Church  and  Arnold,  as  the  same  has  been 
recorded. 


Resolved,  That  this  meeting  adjourn  till  the  first 
Monday  in  May  next. 

P.  BALLIXGALL,  Clerk. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Du  Page  County  Society  for 
Mutual  Protection,  held  at  Naperville,  on  Monday, 
the  4th  day  of  May,  A.  D.  1840,  pursuant  to  adjourn- 
ment, John  Stevens  was  appointed  Chairman  and 
James  F.  Wight  Clerk  pro  tern.,  when,  on  motion  of 
Mr.  P.  Downer, 

Resolved,  That  the  time  for  settling  and  recording 
claims  of  the  members  of  this  society  be  extended  to 
the  first  Monday  in  June  next. 

Resolved,  That  this  meeting  adjourn  to  the  first 
Monday  in  June  next,  then  to  meet  at  Naperville. 
J.  F.  WIGHT.  Clerk  pro  tern. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Du  Page  County  Society  for 
Mutual  Protection,  held  at  Naperville,  on  Monday, 
the  1st  day  (being  the  first  Monday)  in  June,  1840, 
pursuant  to  adjournment,  Capt.  John  Stevens  was 
appointed  Chairman. 

Patrick  Ballingall,  Esq.,  having  resigned  the 
office  of  Clerk  of  this  society,  on  motion  of  Mr. 
Hunt, 

Resolved,  That  James  F.  Wight  be  and  is  hereby 
appointed  Clerk  of  this  society,  in  the  place  of  P. 
Ballingall,  Esq.,  resigned. 

Resolved,  That  the  time  for  settling  and  recording 
claims  of  the  members  of  this  society  be  extended 
until  the  first  Monday  in  September  next. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  James  C.  Hatch, 

Resolved,  That  the  Clerk  hereafter  record  no  cer- 
tificates of  claims  unless  it  is  certified  that  they  are 
the  only  claimants  adjoining  the  claim  or  claims 
offered  to  be  recorded,  or,  for  want  of  such  certifi- 
cate, that  the  applicant  shall  make  oath  that  no 
other  person  except  those  named  in  such  certificate 
adjoin  him. 

Resolved,  That  the  Clerk  shall  notify  all  persons 
whose  claims  are  recorded  (without  their  having 
signed  the  settler's  bond)  that  they  sign  the  said 
bond,  or  they  will  not  be  protected  by  this  society. 

Resolved,  That  this  meeting  adjourn  to  the  first 
Monday  in  September  next,  then   to  meet  at  the 
Pre-emption  House,  in  Naperville,  at  1  o'clock  P.  M. 
JAMES  F.  WIGHT,  Clerk. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Du  Page  County  Society  for 
Mutual  Protection,  held  at  Naperville,  on  Wednes- 
day, the  3d  day  of  March,  1841,  Hon.  Russell  Whip- 
pie  was  called  to  the  Chair,  and  Morris  Sleight  ap- 
pointed Secretary. 

After  the  object  of  the  meeting  had  been  stated 
by  Stephen  J.  Scott,  the  following  persons  were  ap- 


Jj  - 


(DECEASED) 


OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY, 


65 


pointed  a  committee  to  draft  resolutions  expressive 
of  the  sense  of  this  meeting,  viz.:  Luther  Hatch, 
Stephen  J.  Scott,  William  J.  Strong  and  Isaac 
Clark. 

On  motion  of  N.  Allen,  Jr.,  Esq.,  Alymer  Keith 
was  appointed  Clerk  of  this  society,  to  record  claims 
and  the  certificates  for  the  same,  and  to  keep  the 
settlers'  book,  in  place  of  James  F.  Wight. 

Resolved,  That  the  time  for  recording  claims  be 
extended  to  the  first  Monday  of  September,  1841. 

The  committeee  appointed  to  draft  resolutions 
reported  the  following,  which  were  adopted,  with 
one  or  two  dissenting  votes: 

WHEREAS,  It  is  generally  believed  that  the  public 
lands  on  which  we  hold  settlers'  claims  will  be 
shortly  offered  for  sale,  and  in  order  that  each 
claimant  may  obtain  and  feel  secure  in  the  pos- 
session of  his  just  claim,  it  is  deemed  necessary  that 
there  be  a  uniformity  of  action  and  feeling  on  the 
subject,  and  believing  that  the  proving  up  of  pre- 
emption claims  will  have  a  tendency  to  create  ex- 
citement and  confusion,  if  not  to  interfere  with  the 
rights  of  others;  therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  1.  That  we  will  not  prove  up  our  pre- 
emption claims,  even  when  justly  entitled  to  do  so, 
except  in  cases  where  it  may  be  deemed  necessary  to 
secure  the  claimant;  but  that  we  will  not  do  so  with- 
out the  consent  of  a  committee  to  be  appointed  by 
this  union  or  the  several  towns,  to  settle  disputes. 

Resolved,  2.  Tnat  any  person  who  shall  attempt 
to  obtain  a  pre-emption,  and  thereby  seize  upon  any 
part  of  any  other  person's  claim,  shall  be  deemed  a 
dishonest  man,  not  entitled  to  the  protection  of  this 
union,  and  shall  not  be  allowed  to  purchase  any 
other  land  in  this  county,  if  this  union  can  pre- 
vent it. 

Resolved,  3.  That  when  the  inhabitants  of  any 
township  shall  guarantee  to  those  on  the  school  sec- 
tion, and  entitled  to  a  float,  that  they  shall  have 
their  claim  at  ten  shillings  per  acre,  then,  in  such 
case,  if  they  shall  obtain,  or  attempt  to  obtain,  a 
float,  or  lay  one  upon  any  other  claimant's  just 
claim,  they  shall  be  considered  no  better  than  a 
thief  or  a  robber,  and  shall  have  no  protection  from 
this  union. 

Resolved,  4.  That  it  is  the  duty  of  this  association 
to  take  measures  to  secure  to  claimants  on  the  school 
section  their  claims  at  government  price. 

Resolved,  5.  That  the  protection  of  this  union  will 
not  be  extended  to  any  person  who  shall  either  take 
or  purchase  a  school  section  float,  except  the  town- 
ship refuse  to  guarantee,  as  in  the  third  resolution. 

Resolved,  6.  That  the  several  townships  in  this 


county  call  meetings,  and  make  arrangements  and 
adopt  such  measures  as  may  be  thought  necessary 
with  regard  to  their  claims  at  the  approaching  land 
sale. 

Resolved,  7.  That  the  proceedings  of  this  meeting 
be  forwarded  by  the  Secretary  to  the  land  office  in 
Chicago,  and  ask  of  the  Register  and  Receiver  to 
act  with  regard  to  lands  in  this  county  on  the  spirit 
of  the  resolutions  here  passed. 

Resolved,  8.  That  the  proceedings  of  this  meeting 
be  signed  by  the  Chairman  and  Secretary  and  pub- 
lished in  the  Chicago  papers. 

Subordinate  claim  societies  were  organized 
in  each  of  the  precinct3  of  the  county  ;  the  set- 
tlers pretty  generally  joined  them,  and  many 
difficulties  were  adjusted  by  this  means  among 
the  squatters.  The  hard  times  which  followed 
the  crisis  of  1836  and  1837  discouraged  specu- 
lation somewhat,  and  but  few  were  able  to  pur- 
chase the  land  which  they  had  improved,  and 
some  were  unable  to  do  that.  The  pledges 
made  by  the  members  of  the  claim  societies 
were  uniformly  carried  out,  and  all  honorable 
men  gave  no  cause  of  complaint  to  their  neigh- 
bors. In  a  few  cases  some  less  scrupulous 
refused  to  deed  lands  in  their  possession  to  the 
rightful  owner,  and,  in  consequence,  quarrels 
and  some  suits  at  law  were  the  result. 

We  subjoin  a  few  instances,  showing  how 
summarily  a  certain  class  of  claim  difficulties 
were  disposed  of.  Many  more  might  be  added, 
but  let  these  suffice. 

Two  neighbors  owned  adjoining  claims,  and 
at  the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  claim 
society,  their  land  was  being  surveyed  by  the 
Government  surveyor.  One  of  the  men  hap- 
pened to  be  a  member  of  the  societj',  and  the 
other,  not.  It  so  happened  that  the  random 
line,  run  by  the  surveyor,  cut  off  a  portion  of 
the  claim  of  the  first,  and  left  it  in  such  a  man- 
ner that  the  other  would  be  entitled  to  a  pre- 
emption upon  it.  When  he  discovered  this,  he 
refused  to  deed  the  land  to  the  one  who  claimed 
it.  Persuasion  was  used  in  vain.  He  thought 
he  had  the  advantage  of  his  neighbor,  and  de- 
termined to  keep  it.  In  a  few  days,  however, 

D 


66 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


matters  assumed  a  different  light,  and  then  the 
line  was  established  so  as  to  give  back  to  the 
society  man  not  only  what  he  claimed,  but  also 
a  large  corner  from  his  neighbor's  tract,  and 
now  he  was  entitled  to  a  pre-emption.  The  ob- 
stinate man  was  thus  induced  to  join  the  socie- 
ty, and  take  upon  himself  the  obligation  to 
"  deed  and  re-deed."  After  being  kept  in  sus- 
pense for  awhile,  by  way  of  punishment,  his 
land  was  again  restored  to  him. 

There  were  many  of  the  settlers  who  did  not 
.join  the  claim  societies,  but  among  all  bona-fide 
settlers  there  prevailed  a  determination  to  pro- 
tect each  other.  The  first  trouble  arising  from 
'•claim  jumping,"  was  in  1836,  or  thereabouts, 
respecting  the  claim  of  a  Mr.  Frothingham,  in 
the  town  of  Milton.  A  family  of  squatters  came 
on  and  took  possession  of  a  portion  of  his 
claim,  without  leave  or  license,  and  were  deter- 
mined to  remain  there  in  spite  of  %ntreaty  or 
phj'sical  force.  The  settlement  was  apprised 
of  this  state  of  affairs,  and  a  company  of  about 
fifty  horseman  proceeded  to  the  cabin  of  the  in- 
corrigible squatters,  who,  on  seeing  them,  broke 
for  tall  timber,  leaving  but  one  occupant  in  the 
cabin,  an  old  lady  who  had  passed  the  running 
point.  The  sum  of  $17  was  raised  among  the 
company  to  indemnify  the  family  for  sundry 
outlays  which  they  had  made  upon  the  prem- 
ises. This  the  old  lady  received  upon  condi- 
tion that  the  family  should  quit  the  claim 
without  delay.  To  expedite  the  execution  of 
her  part  of  the  contract,  the  settlers  fell  to  work 
and  assisted  in  the  removal  of  the  furniture 
from  the  house,  and  in  clearing  the  premises  of 
everything  that  belonged  to  the  family.  After 
this  had  been  done,  the  house  was  torn  down 
and  the  rubbish  thrown  into  a  heap  near  by, 
preparatory  to  kindling  a  bonfire,  when  the 
"  meeting "  was  called  to  order  and  several 
stump  speeches,  of  a  decidedly  inflammatory 
character,  were  made.  We  are  not  in  posses- 
sion of  the  minutes  of  those  speeches,  but  have 
been  informed  that  the  Hon.  Nathan  Allen 


figured  quite  conspicuously  in  this  part  of  the 
exercises.  His  speech  on  that  occasion  is 
spoken  of  as  being  one  of  his  most  felicitous 
and  pointed  "efforts."  When  the  speech-mak- 
ing had  subsided,  fire  was  set  to  the  heap  of 
promiscuous  ruins,  and  the  hut  of  the  interlop- 
ers was  soon  reduced  to  ruins.  The  conduct 
of  the  settlers  in  this  case  proved  a  warning  to 
future  intruders,  and  claim-jumping  was  rarely 
heard  of  in  that  part  of  the  county  afterward. 

A  man  from  Plumb  Grove  happened  to  be 
on  his  way  to  the  Naper  settlement,  and  passed 
near  the  place  while  the  affair  just  described 
was  taking  place.  Seeing  the  smoke  ascend 
from  the  spot,  and  hearing  the  universal  uproar 
among  the  settlers,  he  concluded  at  once  that  a 
party  of  Indians  was  there,  killing  and  laying 
waste.  Turning  from  the  beaten  track  which 
led  near  the  house,  he  made  a  circuit  around 
the  "  marauders,"  and  lashing  his  horses  to 
their  utmost  speed,  rode  to  the  settlement, 
warning  everybody  to  flee  for  their  lives.  The 
cause  of  his  fright  was  pretty  generally  under- 
stood, and  therefore  he  did  not  succeed  in  get- 
ting up  a  very  serious  alarm. 

A  few  years  after,  a  contention  arose  respect- 
ing the  Tullis  claim,  which  was  situated  in  the 
same  neighborhood.  Under  a  pre-emption  law 
passed  about  that  time,  a  man  by  the  name  of 
Harmond  undertook  to  pre-empt  a  portion  of 
the  claim  of  Mr.  Tullis,  who  had  already  ob- 
tained possession  of  it  under  a  former  pre- 
emption act.  In  order  to  comply  with  the 
provisions  of  the  later  act,  Harmond  built  a 
pen  of  small  poles  near  the  center  of  his  claim, 
stayed  in  it  only  one  night,  and  started  immedi- 
ately for  Chicago,  to  prove  his  pre-emption.  On 
his  return,  he  commenced  making  repairs  upon 
an  old  block-house  .which  was  already  built 
upon  his  "  quarter,"  and  being  asked  why  he 
was  doing  it,  replied  that  he  had  pre-empted 
that  claim,  and  was  going  to  live  there.  This 
aroused  the  indignation  of  the  neighboring 
squatters,  who  called  a  meeting  to  take  into 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


67 


consideration  the  conduct  of  Mr.  Harmond.  He, 
being  present,  was  advised  to  relinquish  his 
claim,  but  he  positively  refused  to  do  it,  and  at 
the  same  time  threw  out  some  pretty  savage 
threats  against  the  settlers,  in  case  they  at- 
tempted to  remove  him  by  force.  After  a  long 
consultation,  it  was  concluded  that  the  building 
on  the  premises  should  be  torn  down  if  he  did 
not  abandon  it  without  delay.  At  this  decis- 
ion, Harmond  became  greatly  exasperated,  and, 
having  his  rifle  with  him,  threatened  to  fire 
upon  "the  first  man  who  should  tear  off  a 
board."  Whereupon  a  fearless  Quaker  gentle- 
man stepped  forth  and  remarked  to  Mr.  Har- 
mond that  if  he  designed  to  put  that  threat  into 
execution  he  had  better  begin  by  shooting  at 
him,  as  he  considered  himself  a  mark  of  suffi- 
cient magnitude  for  a  claim  jumper  to  shoot  at, 
anyhow.  The  old  Quaker  was  soon  joined  by 
Lyman  Butterfield,  who  addressed  Mr.  Har- 
mond in  pretty  much  the  same  strain,  inform- 
ing him  that  if  he  was  not  willing  to  waste  his 
powder  on  one  man,  he  would  offer  the  addi- 
tional inducement  of  placing  his  own  body  in 
fair  range,  so  that  he  might  at  least  kill  "  two 
birds  with  one  stone."  But  Harmond  could 
not  be  prevailed  upon  to  shoot,  and  so  the 
party  proceeded  to  the  disputed  claim,  tearing 
down  the  house,  and  removing  every  vestige  of 
former  occupancy.  Before  ten  minutes  had 
elapsed,  after  the  decision  of  the  council  of 
settlers,  this  was  done,  and  Mr.  Harmond  was 
sent  on  his  way  to  other  parts,  not  rejoicing, 
but  uttering  the  most  awful  denunciations 
against  such  ungentlemanly  treatment. 

In  justice  to  a  numerous  class  of  our  early 
settlers,  we  deem  it  appropriate  to  introduce 
here  a  brief  notice  of  a  society  which  was  formed 
in  1834,  and  known  as  the  "  Hognatorial  Coun- 
cil." We  have  ransacked  all  the  dead  languages 
we  ever  heard  of  in  order  to  obtain  for  our 
readers  some  clew  to  the  origin  of  thisprcenomen, 
but  have  been  signally  defeated  in  the  under- 
taking. Its  origin  is  altogether  too  obscure  for 


us,  and  we  leave  the  task  of  tracing  it  to  pro- 
fessional archaeologists.  The  object  of  the 
|  "  council  "  seems  to  have  been  the  settling  of  a 
peculiar  class  of  claim  difficulties,  which  were 
not  taken  cognizance  of  by  the  bona  fide  claim 
committee,  and  its  operations  were  designed  to 
burlesque  the  proceedings  of  that  committee, 
as  well  as  to  ridicule  courts  in  general.  All 
disputes  brought  before  the  "  Hognatorial " 
were  settled  in  a  summary  and  satisfactory 
manner.  We  can  illustrate  this  remark  with 
but  one  instance,  which  occurred  in  the  south 
part  of  the  county.  A  man  by  the  name  of 
Clark,  who  was  firmly  grounded  in  Midship- 
man Easy's  doctrine  of  "  what  belongs  to  my 
neighbor  belongs  also  to  me,"  made  a  "  claim  ' 
upon  another  man's  land,  lying  somewhere  on 
the  Du  Page  River.  Finding  that  peaceable 
and  quiet  possession  was  impossible,  he  applied 
to  a  gentleman  who  happened  to  be  posted  in 
"  hognatorial  matters  "  for  advice.  He  was,  of 
course,  advised  to  bring  the  matter  before  the 
"  Hoguatorial  Council,"  as  that  was  the  only 
reliable  tribunal  having  jurisdiction  over  such 
grievances.  His  case  was  prepared  by  Nathan 
Allen,  a  man  of  superior  legal  attainments,  and 
upon  a  certain  day  the  Hognatorial  Council 
room  was  crowded  to  witness  the  proceedings 
in  the  case.  Allen  opened  the  case  b}-  giving 
to  the  jury  a  plain,  unvarnished  statement  of 
the  facts,  and  closed  it  by  a  most  pathetic  ap- 
peal to  their  sense  of  justice  in  behalf  of  his 
wronged  and  injured  client.  Several  witnesses 
were  called  upon  to  testify,  and  the  upshot  of 
the  testimony  was  that  Mr.  Clark  had  a  claim 
commencing  at  a  certain  point  on  Du  Page 
River,  but  in  what  direction  his  lines  ran  from 
that  point  it  was  impossible  to  ascertain.  Sev- 
eral hours  were  occupied  in  examining  wit- 
nesses, during  which  time  Clark  kept  a  boy 
running  to  and  fro  between  the  "  council  cham- 
ber "  and  his  house,  to  inform  his  wife  of  the 
different  phases  which  the  case  assumed  as  the 
trial  progressed.  At  length  the  testimony  was 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


all  in,  the  closing  argument  made,  and  the  case 
submitted  to  the  jury.  There  was  but  one 
point  left  for  the  jury  to  act  upon,  and  that  re- 
lated particularly  to  the  boundary  of  Clark's 
claim.  They  were  out  but  a  short  time,  and  re- 
turned the  following  verdict :  "  We,  the  jurors 
in  this  case,  decide  that  Mr.  Clark  is  justly  en- 
titled to  a  piece  of  land  lying  on  the  Dn  Page 


River,  and  described  as  follows,  to  wit :  Com- 
mencing at  a  certain  point  on  the  east  bank  of 
said  river,  and  running  perpendicular  to  the 
horizon  straight  up."  This  was  enough  for 
Clark.  He  hastened  to  communicate  the  result 
to  his  waiting,  anxious  wife,  and  afterward  pro- 
ceeded to  the  tavern  and  got  ingloriously 
drunk  over  the  result  of  his  victorious  suit. 


CHAPTER   V. 


FIRST  INTRODUCTION  OF  SLAVERY  INTO  THE  COLONY  OF  VIRGINIA— FIRST  ANTI-SLAVERY  LITERA- 
TURE—SOUTHERN  ORIGIN  OF  ANTI-SLAVERY  SOCIETIES— ACTION  OF   THE  QUAKERS— "THE 
GENIUS  OF  UNIVERSAL  EMANCIPATION  "—EARLY  ABOLITIONISTS— THE  OLD  FEDERAL 
PARTY— ORIGIN  OF  THE  DEMOCRATIC  AND  WHIG  PARTIES— ORIGIN  OF  THE  RE- 
PUBLICAN  PARTY  — GOV.   COLES  — ELIHU   B.  WASHBURNE  — STEPHEN  A. 
DOUGLAS— ABRAHAM  LINCOLN— THE  "WESTERN  CITIZEN"  INTRODU- 
CES ABOLITIONISM  INTO  CHICAGO— ITS  EFFECT— ILLINOIS  THE 
FIRST  STATE  TO  TAKE  POLITICAL  ACTION  IN  THE  ABOLI- 
TION  MOVEMENT— JOHN   BROWN— FORT   SUMTER. 


THE  history  of  the  war  of  the  rebellion  has 
been  written  by  several  of  the  ablest  men 
our  country  has  produced  as  political  econo- 
mists and  authors ;  and  while  these  men  have 
given  us  the  fundamental  principles  that  ruled 
in  the  issue,  and  even  told  how  these  principles 
gathered  force  in  the  councils  of  the  nation, 
none  of  them  have  made  an  historical  record  of 
the  special  events  from  the  first,  which,  step  by 
step,  produced  the  cause  for  which  the  issue 
came  into  being.  Nor  have  they  biographically 
sketched  the  men  who  were  the  instruments  by 
which  the  great  change  in  public  opinion  was 
wrought,  that  finally  became  an  "  irrepressible 
conflict,"  to  be  decided  by  the  sword  only. 
This  as  yet  unwritten  chapter  in  history  may  be 
appropriately  introduced  here  to  precede  the 
war  record  of  Du  Page  County. 

Among  the  first  American  anti-slavery  lit- 
erature to  be  found  since  we  became  a  nation 
are  some  tracts  in  the  private  library  of  George 
Washington,  which  library  was  purchased  by 


some  Boston  gentleman,  and  presented  to  the 
Boston  Athenaeum  for  preservation,  where  they 
may  now  be  found.  Next  in  order,  exclusively 
anti-slavery,  may  be  cited  an  oration  upon  the 
moral  and  political  evils  of  slavery,  delivered 
at  a  public  meeting  of  the  Maryland  Society  for 
Promoting  the  Abolition  of  Slavery,  July  4, 
1791,  by  George  Buchanan.  M.  D.,  member  of 
the  American  Philosophical  Society,  Baltimore ; 
printed  by  Philip  Edwards,  1793,  and  re-printed 
by  Robert  Clark  &  Co.,  Cincinnati,  in  1873,  as 
an  appendix  to  an  address  by  William  F.  Poole 
on  early  anti-slavery  opinions,  delivered  before 
the  Cincinnati  Literary  Club  in  1872.  Dr- 
Buchanan's  oration  was  a  forcible  argument 
against  slavery,  for  which  he  received  a  vote  of 
thanks  from  the  society  before  whom  it  was  de- 
livered. He  was  born  near  Baltimore,  Septem- 
ber 19, 1763,  and  died  at  Philadelphia  of  yellow 
fever  in  1807,  while  in  the  discharge  of  his 
duties  as  a  physician. 

In  Jefferson's  Notes  on  Virginia,  which  were 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


69 


written  in  1781-82,  occur  paragraphs  condem- 
ning slavery  in  forcible  language,  and  canvassing 
different  plans  for  its  extinction.  In  these  sen- 
timents Mr.  Jefferson  was  sustained  by  a  very 
respectable  constituency  of  Southern  men, 
among  whom  was  George  Wythe,  of  William 
and  Mary  College. 

Says  Mr.  Poole  in  his  address  already  re- 
ferred to  :  "  There  never  has  been  a  time  since 
1619,  when  the  first  slave  ship — a  Dutch  man- 
of-war — entered  James  Eiver,  in  Virginia,  when 
in  our  countrv  there  were  not  persons  protest- 
ing against  the  wickedness  and  impolicy  of  the 
African  slave  trade,  and  of  the  domestic  slave 
system.  Slavery  was  introduced  into  the 
American  colonies  against  the  wishes  of  the 
settlers  by  the  avarice  of  British  traders,  and 
with  the  connivance  of  the  British  Government. 
In  1772,  the  Assembly  of  Virginia  petitioned 
the  throne  of  England  to  stop  the  importation 
of  slaves,  using  language  as  follows  :  '  We  are 
encouraged  to  look  up  to  the  throne  and  implore 
your  Majesty's  paternal  assistance  in  averting 
a  calamity  of  a  most  alarming  nature.  The 
importation  of  slaves  into  the  colonies  from  the 
coast  of  Africa  hath  long  been  considered  as  a 
trade  of  great  inhumanity,  and  under  its  present 
encouragement,  we  have  great  reason  to  fear, 
will  endanger  the  very  existence  of  your  Maj- 
esty's dominion." 

No  notice  was  taken  of  the  petition  by  the 
crown,  from  which  it  is  manifest  that  slavery 
was  enforced  upon  America  by  the  mother 
country. 

Even  while  the  first  crude  thoughts  of  the 
American  Kevolution  were  revolving  in  the 
minds  of  our  fathers,  an  anti-slavery  society 
was  formed  by  the  Quakers  at  Sun  Tavern  in 
Philadelphia,  April  14,  1775. 

The  next  year,  1776,  the  Quakers  disowned 
such  of  their  members  as  continued  to  hold 
elaves  over  the  lawful  age. 

Patrick  Henry  in  a  letter  dated  January  18, 
1773,  to  Robert  Pleasants,  afterward  President 


of  the  Virginia  Abolition  Society,  said  :  "  Be- 
lieve me  I  shall  honor  the  Quakers  for  their  noble 
efforts  to  abolish  slavery.  *  *  *  I  believe 
a  time  will  come  when  an  opportunity  will  be 
offered  to  abolish  this  lamentable  evil."  The 
first  anti-slavery  society  took  the  name  of  the 
society  for  the  relief  of  free  negroes  unlawfully 
held  in  bondage.  It  met  four  times  in  1775, 
but  on  account  of  the  Revolutionary  war  did 
not  meet  again  till  February,  1784,  the  next 
year  after  peace.  Benjamin  Franklin  was  Pres- 
dent  and  Benjamin  Rush  Secretary  of  this  so- 
ciety in  1787. 

A  society  in  New  York  was  established  for 
the  manumission  of  slaves  January  25,  1785, 
of  which  John  Jay  was  President,  and  Alexan- 
der Hamilton  his  successor. 

The  foregoing  are  only  a  few  of  the  leading 
anti-slavery  societies  which  sprung  into  exis- 
tence in  the  first  half-century  of  our  Govern- 
ment. The  American  Colonization  Society  was 
formed  in  1816,  for  the  purpose  of  freeing  slaves 
and  sending  them  to  Africa,  but  this  was  found 
to  be  of  but  little  avail  in  the  immense  work  to  be 
accomplished.  In  1827,  there  were  136  aboli- 
tion societies  in  the  United  States,  106  of  which 
were  in  slave-holding  States.  Many  of  the 
later  established  ones  of  these,  were  the  result 
of  Benjamin  Lundj7's  efforts,  who  was  the  main 
connecting  link  between  the  old  societies 
founded  by  the  Revolutionary  fathers  and  the 
more  modern  Abolitionists,  who  revised  the 
work  that  they  begun,  and  carried  it  on  to  suc- 
cess amidst  a  storm  of  abuse,  and  sometimes 
great  personal  violence. 

Mr.  Lund}7  was  a  Hicksite  Quaker,  born 
in  New  Jersey  January  4,  1789.  In  1821, 
he  commenced  the  publication  of  The  Gen- 
ius of  Universal  Emancipation  at  Mount 
Pleasant,  Ohio.  This  name  to  his  paper  was 
borrowed  from  Grattan's  eloquent  speech  on 
the  abolition  of  slavery  in  the  British  Do- 
minion. His  paper  was  removed  to  Tennessee, 
where  it  was  continued  till  it  was  again  re- 


70 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


moved  to  Baltimore  in  1825,  .and  afterward  to 
Philadelphia,  where  it  was  continued  till  de- 
stroyed by  a  mob  at  the  burning  of  Pennsyl- 
vania Hall  in  1837. 

Mr.  Lundy,  then  undaunted  by  the  murder 
of  Elijah  P.  Lovejoy,  went  to  Illinois  to  con- 
tinue the  work  he  had  begun  there  by  resuming 
the  publication  of  the  Genius,  where  his  prede- 
cessor had  lost  his  life  in  the  same  cause. 

William  Lloyd  Garrison,  William  Goodell, 
Joshua  Leavitt,  Arthur  Tappan  and  many 
other  leaders  of  the  anti-slaver}-  movement  owe 
their  convictions  to  Lundy's  teachings.  His 
paper  was  largely  patronized  by  prominent 
men  in  the  Slave  States.  In  an  August  num- 
ber of  the  Genius,  1825,  a  statement  is  made 
showing  that  there  were  more  subscribers  to 
the  paper  in  North  Carolina  than  in  any  other 
State.  He  died  at  Lowell,  111.,  August  22, 1839. 

William  Lloyd  Garrison  was  .born  at  New- 
buryport,  Mass.,  December  12,  1804,  and  when 
very  young,  his  father  died,  and  he  was  left  to 
the  care  of  a  Christian  mother.  When  only 
nine  years  old,  he  was  apprenticed  to  a  shoe- 
maker, but  found  his  health  would  not  permit 
him  to  continue  the  trade.  He  then,  after 
some  efforts  to  secure  the  advantages  of  an 
academy,  became  apprenticed  to  the  publisher 
of  a  paper  in  his  native  town,  and,  while  learn- 
ing this  trade,  kept  up  his  studies  and  began 
to  contribute  for  the  press.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-four,  he  became  editor  and  proprietor 
of  a  paper  at  Newburyport,  but  this  enterprise 
was  not  a  success.  In  1827,  he  became  editor 
of  a  total  abstinence  journal  in  Boston,  which 
was  united  later  with  a  temperance  and  political 
paper  in  Bennington,  Vt.  Subsequently,  he 
united  with  Benjamin  Lundy,  a  Quaker,  in  the 
publication  of  The  Genius  of  Universal  Eman- 
cipation, at  Athens,  Ohio,  where  his  uncompro- 
mising spirit  soon  manifested  itself,  and  Gar- 
rison was  imprisoned  for  libel.  His  fine  was 
paid  by  A.  Tappan,  and  Garrison  went  to  Bos- 
ton, where,  January  1,  1831,  he  issued  the  first 


number  of  the  historical  Liberator.  He  started 
without  money,  and  did  not  have  even  an 
office.  In  1832,  he  visited  England,  where  he 
was  well  received  by  many  of  the  leaders  of 
public  opinion.  When  the  American  Anti- 
Slavery  Society  was  organized  at  Philadelphia, 
he  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  work.  He 
lectured  frequently,  and  was  on  one  occasion 
dragged  through  the  streets  of  Boston  by  a 
mob  for  pleading  the  cause  of  the  bondman. 
Garrison  was  persecuted  greatly,  and  the  Gov- 
ernor of  Georgia  once  offered  $5,000  for  his 
arrest.  The  warfare  he  waged  against  slavery 
was  continued  until  the  slaves  were  set  free, 
and  January  1,  1866,  he  published  the  last 
number  of  the  Liberator.  From  that  time  till 
his  death,  which  occurred  May  24,  1879,  he 
was  engaged  in  writing  on  various  topics. 

Benjamin  Franklin  Wade  was  born  in  Spring- 
field, Mass.,  October  27,  1800.  Like  Garrison, 
and  many  of  the  most  eminent  men  of  this 
country,  his  earl}-  life  was  a  struggle  to  obtain 
an  education — a  struggle  which  was  success- 
ful. In  1826,  he  began  the  stud}7  of  law,  and 
two  years  after,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
Ashtabula  County,  Ohio.  In  1847,  he  was 
chosen  Presiding  Judge  of  the  Third  District 
of  the  State,  and  in  1851  was  elected  United 
States  Senator,  and  re-elected  in  1857  and 
1863.  In  1865,  he  became  President  pro  tern, 
of  the  Senate  and  Acting  Vice  President  of 
the  United  States.  In  March,  1867,  he  was 
elected  President  of  the  Senate.  Senator  Wade 
was  a  strong  anti-slavery  leader,  a  stalwart 
Union  man,  and  advocated  the  homestead  bill 
for  years,  and  it  was  in  his  charge  that  it 
finally  passed  through  the  Senate.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  San  Domingo  Commission,  and 
favored  the  annexation  of  that  island  to  the 
United  States.  His  death  occurred  March  2, 
1878,  at  Jefferson,  Ohio. 

T.  Allan  was  born  in  Middle  Tennessee,  and 
grew  to  manhood  in  Huntsville,  Ala.  In  1832, 
he  went  to  Lane  Seminary  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


71 


and  soon  afterward  took  an  active  part  in 
slaverj'  discussions  by  the  students  of  that 
institution,  always  advocating  abolitionism. 
This  banished  him  from  his  father's  house  in 
Alabama  and  also  from  Lane  Seminary,  to- 
gether with  many  other  anti-slavery  agitators 
among  the  conscientious  students.  Mr.  Allan 
then  took  the  lecture  field,  and  became  agent 
of  the  anti-slaver}r  society  in  Ohio  and  West- 
ern New  York  and  also  in  Illinois.  For  ten 
years  this  was  his  main  work.  He  now  lives 
at  Geneseo,  111. 

William  G-oodell,  by  profession  a  merchant, 
converted  also  by  Lundy  in  1828,  was  the 
editor  at  the  time  of  the  National  Temperance 
Journal  at  Providence,  K.  I.  He  became  a 
permanent  editor  of  anti-slavery  journals,  the 
Friend  of  Man  and  Principia.  He  was  the 
main  editor  and  supporter  of  the  Gerrit  Smith 
doctrine  of  the  unconstitutionality  of  slavery, 
on  which  A  section  of  the  Liberty  party  was 
formed.  He  died  at  Janesville,  Wis.,  in  1879. 

Joshua  Leavitt,  born  in  the  western  part  of 
Massachusetts,  a  convert  of  Lundy's,  a  minister 
by  education  and  an  editor  by  profession.  He 
published  the  Emancipator,  the  organ  of  the 
national  Abolitionists,  after  Garrison's  disaffec- 
tion. He  was  the  leader  in  the  foundation  of 
the  Liberty  party  of  1840,  which 'grew  into  the 
Republican  party  of  1860,  of  which  Abraham 
Lincoln  became  the  first  successful  and  official 
representative.  Both  the  Evangelist  and  the 
Independent  of  New  York  have  been  under  his 
editorial  charge,  and  were  indebted  to  him  for 
no  small  share  of  their  influence  as  anti-slavery 
organs.  He  died  at  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  January 
16,  1873. 

William  Ellery  Chanuing  was  born  at  New- 
port, R.  L,  April  7,  1780.  Coleridge  said  :  "  He 
had  the  love  of  Wisdom  and  the  wisdom  of 
Love."  In  1837,  his  efforts  to  abolish  slavery 
began.  In  1841,  his  book  on  the  subject  was 
published,  and  had  a  wide  circulation.  He 
died  at  Bennington,  Vt.,  October  2, 1842. 


Elijah  Parish  Lovejoy,  "first  American  mar- 
tyr to  the  freedom  of  the  press  and  the  free- 
dom of  the  slave,"  was  born  in  Albion,  Me., 
November  9,  1802  ;  educated  at  Waterville  ; 
went  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in  1827  ;  ordained  in 
1834  ;  became  editor  of  the  St.  Louis  Observer, 
a  Presbyterian  weekly.  Required  by  the  pro- 
prietors of  the  paper  to  be  silent  on  the  sub- 
ject of  slavery,  he  boldly  claimed  the  rights  of 
free  speech  and  a  free  press ;  was  mobbed  in 
St.  Louis  and  St.  Charles  ;  bought  the  paper  ; 
removed  it  to  Alton,  111.,  where  three  presses 
were  destroyed  by  violence,  and  at  length,  on 
the  night  of  November  7,  1837,  while,  by  the 
Mayor's  order,  defending  his  fourth,  he  was 
shot  by  an  armed  mob.  His  murder  roused 
the  North  against  slavery. 

Rev.  and  Hon.  Owen  Lovejoy,  a  younger 
brother  of  Elijah  P.,  born  in  Albion,  Me.,  Jan- 
uary 6,  1811.  He  vowed  eternal  hostility  to 
slavery  over  the  dead  body  of  his  brother ;  be- 
came pastor  of  the  Congregational  Church  of 
Princeton,  111.,  in  1838 ;  was  elected  to  the 
Illinois  Legislature  in  1854,  to  Congress  in 
1856,  and  for  three  succeeding  terms;  died 
while  a  member,  in  March,  1864,  in  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.  He  was  a  very  able  preacher  ;  had 
wonderful  magnetism  as  a  political  speaker 
over  the  masses  ;  became  a  leader  in  Congress, 
asserting  and  maintaining  the  right  of  free 
speech  there,  against  clamorous  opposition.* 

James  G.  Birney  was  born  at  Danville,  Ky., 
February  4,  1792.  He  was  the  first  Liberty 
party  candidate  for  the  Presidency ;  was  a 
wealthy  Southern  slaveholder  ;  emancipated  his 
slaves,  and  was  editor  of  the  Philanthropist  at 
Cincinnati,  Ohio.  His  press  was  destroyed  sev- 
eral times.  He  died  at  Perth  Amboy,  N.  J., 
November  25,  1857. 

Gammiel  Baily,  a  physician  by  profession, 
succeeded  Birney  in  editing  the  Philanthropist. 
He  founded  the  National  Era  at  Washington, 


*H.  L.  Hammond  contributed  the  sketch  of  both  of  the  Love- 
joys. 


72 


HISTORY   OF  DU  PAGE   COUNTY. 


the  paper  that  first  gave  to  the  world  "  Uncle 
Tom's  Cabin."  The  Era  had  a  great  influence 
in  popularizing  anti-slavery  principles.  Dr. 
Baily  died  in  1857  on  a  passage  from  Europe. 

John  G.  Whittier  was  born  in  Haverhill,  Mass., 
December  17,  1807.  He  was  a  shoemaker  by 
trade,  a  Quaker  in  religion,  and  a  poet  by 
nature.  He  was  an  early  friend  of  both  Garri- 
son and  Lundy,  from  whom  his  innate  abhor- 
rence to  human  slavery  was  strengthened,  and 
he  never  ceased  to  use  his  able  pen  against  it 
till  emancipation  was  proclaimed.  His  other 
contributions  to  American  literature  have  done 
much  to  elevate  its  standard.  His  home  is  at 
Amesbuty,  Mass. 

Arthur  Tappan  was  born  in  Connecticut  May 
22,  1786.  He  became  a  wealthy  New  York 
merchant,  well  known  throughout  the  whole 
country  as  the  abolition  merchant,  whose  store 
was  shunned  by  the  Southern  trade.  He  founded 
the  Emancipator  ;  helped  to  found  Oberlin  Col- 
lege, and  was  ever  ready  to  assist  the  great 
cause  both  with  his  influence  and  money.  He 
died  July  23,  1865. 

Lewis  Tappan,  brother  of  Arthur,  was  born  in 
Connecticut  May  23,  1788.  He  was  also  a 
wealthy  New  York  merchant.  He  founded  the 
American  Missionary  Association,  and  was  one 
of  the  promoters  of  the  National  Era.  He  died 
July  21,  1873. 

Charles  Sumner  was  born  in  Boston,  Mass., 
Januar}7  6,  1811.  He  was  the  successor  of 
Daniel  Webster  in  the  United  States  Senate  in 
1851,  which  place  he  retained  by  successive 
elections  till  his  death.  During  this  long  and 
exciting  period  in  our  country's  history,  he  was 
one  of  the  main  pillars  in  the  great  anti-slavery 
fabric,  which  grew  into  maturity  during  his 
Senatorial  terms.  His  speech  on  the  rendition 
of  Mason  and  Slidell  was  one  of  the  most 
masterly  arguments  of  his  time,  and  settled  the 
American  mind  in  favor  of  Seward's  policy  in 
delivering  them  up.  Mr.  Sumner  died  in  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.,  March  11,  1874. 


Lucretia  Mott,  one  of  the  earliest  female  anti- 
slavery  orators — a  Quaker  preacher — was  born 
on  the  island  of  Nan  tucket  in  1794,  and  resided 
through  her  active  life  in  Philadelphia.  She 
was  a  friend  and  supporter  of  Lundy  on  his 
first  appearance  as  an  agitator  ;  was  afterward 
alike  the  friend  and  patron  of  Garrison.  More 
than  any  other  woman,  should  she  be  known  as 
the  female  philanthropist  of  America,  ranking 
with  Elizabeth  Fry  in  England.  She  died  at 
her  home,  near  Philadlphia,  in  November,  1880. 

Lydia  Maria  Child,  a  celebrated  woman,  edi- 
tor and  author,  a  most  elegant  writer.  She 
edited  the  National  State  Slavery  Standard,  the 
organ  of  the  Garrison  party.  She  wrote  the 
famous  book,  "  An  Appeal  for  the  African." 
She  died  in  Massachusetts  at  a  very  great  age, 
in  the  spring  of  1880. 

Sarah  and  Angelina  Grimke,  two  sisters  and 
converted  slaveholders  from  Charleston,  S.  C. 
The}7  emancipated  their  slaves  and  came  North 
to  reside,  and  were  active  co-workers  with  the 
Garrisonians  of  Boston.  Angelina  married 
Theodore  D.  Weld.  They  were  both  women  of 
talent,  and  devoted  philanthropists. 

Theodore  D.  Weld  became  a  student  of  Lane 
Seminary  in  1833,  was  a  very  eloquent  orator 
and  forcible  writer.  At  one  time,  he  seemed  to 
be  the  literary  author  of  the  anti-slavery  move- 
ment. "  Slavery  as  It  Is "  and  the  so-called 
"  Bible  Argument "  against  slavery,  works  by 
him,  were  the  great  guns  of  the  moral  conflict. 
He  married  Angelina  Grimke,  a  fit  helpmeet  in 
his  anti-slavery  mission. 

Charles  T.  Torrey,  a  minister  of  the  Congre- 
gational Church  and  editor  of  the  Tocsin  of 
Liberty,  of  Albany,  and  other  papers ;  the 
operator  on  the  Underground  Railroad  ;  was 
arrested  in  Maryland  for  running  off  slaves  ; 
convicted,  sent  to  prison  for  life  and  died  in  a 
year  in  the  Maryland  State  Prison.  He  was  a 
devoted  Christian  man  and  known  now  as  the 
Martyr  Torrey. 

Samuel  Lewis,  a  prominent  anti-slavery  man 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


73 


of  Ohio  and  eloquent  lay  preacher  of  the  Meth- 
odist denomination.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Education  of  the  State.  He  was  an 
effective  orator,  friend  and  supporter  of  Birney, 
Bailey  and  Chase. 

Salmon  P.  Chase  was  born  in  Cornish,  N.  H., 
January  13,  1808.  He  was  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  Liberty  party,  in  1848,  a  member  of 
the  Buffalo  Free-Soil  Convention  that  nomi- 
nated Van  Buren  for  President.  In  1849, 
elected  United  States  Senator  from  Ohio  by 
a  coalition  of  Democrats  and  Free-Soilers,  and 
made  a  record  in  the  Senate  as  the  uncom- 
promising enemy  of  slavery.  He  became  Gov- 
ernor of  Ohio  in  1855,  and  was  re-elected  in 
1857,  and  was  appointed  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury^  by  Lincoln  in  1861,  which  office  he 
held  three  years,  during  which  time  the  bank- 
ing system  now  in  use  was  founded,  of  which 
he  may  be  called  the  father.  Upon  the  death 
of  Chief  Justice  Taney,  Mr.  Chase  was  ap- 
pointed by  Mr.  Lincoln  to  that  position,  Octo- 
ber, 1864.  The  fourteenth  amendment  to  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States,  which  guar- 
anteed civii  rights  to  the  Freedman,  was  among 
the  last  of  the  public  acts  passed  under  his  ad- 
vocacy. He  died  of  apoplexy  at  the  residence 
of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  William  Hoyt,  New  York 
City,  May  7,  1873. 

Joshua  K.  Giddings,  the  famous  member  of 
Congress  from  Ohio,  who  pioneered  the  slavery 
agitation  in  that  great  conservative  body,  was 
born  at  Athens,  Penn.,  October  6,  1795.  His 
reputation  for  consistency  and  honesty  as  a 
statesman  was  acknowledged  throughout  the 
country.  He  was  appointed  Consul  General  at 
Montreal  by  Abraham  Lincoln,  where  he  died 
May  27,  1864. 

Gerrit  Smith,  a  wealthy  man  of  Central  New 
York,  born  in  1798,  the  most  noted  philan- 
thropist of  the  country.  He  was  the -head  of 
the  intense  organization  in  politics  known  as 
the  Gerrit  Smith's  Liberty  Party.  He  was  a 
friend  alike  of  the  two  extremes  of  action — 


John  Brown  and  Elihu  Burritt.  Gave  his  money 
freely  to  aid  the  fugitives,  and  for  John 
Brown's  Kansas  work,  for  the  support  of  the 
temperance  and  anti-slavery  cause,  and  gave 
away  land  freely  to  colored  men  upon  which 
to  make  for  themselves  farms.  He  died  sud- 
denly in  New  York  in  1874. 

Elihu  Burritt  was  born  at  New  Britain, 
Conn.,  December  8,  1811.  He  was  a  blacksmith 
by  trade,  and  was  known  throughout  the  coun- 
try as  "  The  Learned  Blacksmith."  Besides  his 
wonderful  linguistic  accomplishments,  he  was 
a  persistent  searcher  into  the  wants  of  the  com" 
mon  people,  and  to  this  end  made  a  tour 
through  England  on  foot.  He  was  ever  ready 
in  America  to  assist  the  abolition  cause  with 
his  logical  pen  as  well  as  every  other  cause  on 
the  side  of  humanity  against  oppression.  He 
died  at  the  place  of  his  birth  in  March,  1 867. 

Wendell  Phillips,  the  great  New  England 
orator,  born  in  Boston  in  1811,  the  most  active 
of  all  the  agitators;  now  alive  and  as  aggressive 
as  ever  in  the  path  to  which  his  tenacious  con- 
science leads.  His  almost  unparalleled  powers 
of  eloquence  have  become  well  known  through- 
out the  country,  and  the  fame  of  them  is  destined 
to  pass  into  history. 

Frederick  Douglas  was  a  slave  by  birth, 
who  secured  his  freedom  first  by  flight  and 
afterward  by  paying  his  master  his  commercial 
value  in  cash  to  enable  him  to  avoid  being 
victimized  by  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law.  He 
distinguished  himself  by  writing  a  book  en- 
titled "  My  Bondage  and  My  Freedom,"  which 
had  a  wide  circulation,  and  by  some  subtle  and 
secret  methods,  found  its  way  into  various  parts 
of  the  South,  where  it  caused  great  commotion. 
Mr.  Douglas  is  now  Recorder  of  Deeds  in  the 
District  of  Columbia. 

Jane  Gray  Swishelm  was  born  in  Pittsburgh, 
Penn.,  December  6,  1815,  descended  from  the 
old  Scotch  Reformers,  and  also  from  the  amia- 
ble Lady  Jane  Gray,  the  nine  days'  Queen  of 
England.  In  January,  1848,  she  started  the 


74 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Pittsburgh  Saturday  Visitor,  a  paper  devoted 
to  various  reforms,  but  especially  to  the  anti- 
slavery  cause.  This  paper  supported  Van 
Buren  when  a  Free-Soil  candidate  for  the  Pres- 
idency as  she  says  "  to  smash  one  of  the  great 
pro-slavery  parties  of  the  nation,  and  gain  an 
anti-slavery  balance  of  power  to  counteract  the 
slavery  vote  for  which  both  contended."  This 
paper,  together  with  many  other  anti-slavery 
sheets,  were  the  entering-wedge  of  disintegra- 
tion to  the  political  policy  which  had  hitherto 
courted  the  favor  of  the  slavey  interest  as  in- 
despensable  to  success  ;  for  they  forced  their 
sentiments  into  the  ranks  of  the  old  Whig  party 
till  there  was  little  left  of  it  but  a  shell  after 
its  abolition  element  was  brought  to  the  sur- 
face. In  the  spring  of  1857,  Mrs.  Swishelm 
established  the  Visitor  at  St.  Cloud,  Minn.,  soon 
afterward  taking  the  lecture  field  as  an  aboli- 
tionist. Her  path  was  a  thorny  one,  but  she 
succeeded  with  her  paper  in  spite  of  mobs  and 
threats,  and  the  old  public  functionaries  of 
Minnesota-recoiled  before  her  oratorical  and  ed- 
itorial power,  and  finally  sunk  below  the  sur- 
face to  rise  no  more. 

In  1881,  Mrs.  Swishelm  published  her  book 
entitled  "  Half  a  Century,"  which  is  a  valuable 
record  of  the  stirring  time  indicated  in  its  title. 
She  now  lives  at  Swissvale,  near  Pittsburgh, 
still  vigorous  in  mind  and  body. 

Henry  B.  Stanton  was  one  of  the  Lane  Sem- 
inary students  at  the  time  of  the  anti-slavery 
excitement  there.  He  was  from  Rochester,  N. 
Y.  He  was  a  man  of  talent,  a  fine  speaker, 
and  soon  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  Aboli- 
tion movement.  His  field  of  labor  was  mostly 
in  New  England  and  New  York.  Some  of  the 
time  he  was  associated  with  James  G.  Birney. 
He  was  one  of  the  originators  of  the  Liberty 
party.  He  is  still  living,  hale  and  hearty — a 
New  York  lawyer. 

Hooper  Warren,  a  native  of  Windsor,  Vt.,  a 
printer  by  trade,  and  an  editor  by  profession. 
The  early  anti-slavery  man  in  Illinois  when 


the  State  was  admitted  into  the  Union,  pub- 
lished the  Edwardsville  Spectator  from  about 
1820  to  1826,  which  at  the  time  was  the  only 
paper  that  opposed  the  introduction  of  slavery 
into  Illinois.  In  that  issue,  he  was  a  coadjutor 
of  Gov.  Coles,  and  first  nominated  him  as  a 
candidate  for  Governor.  He  was  editor,  in 
1841  and  1842,  with  Z.  Eastman,  of  the  Genius 
of  Liberty.  He  died  at  the  home  of  his 
daughter  at  Mendota,  in  1864.  He  was  one  of 
those  who  early  shaped  the  anti-slavery  move- 
ment in  the  West,  from  Hooper  Warren, 
through  Lovejoy,  on  to  the  culmination  of  the 
reform  in  the  election  of  Abraham  Lincoln, 
which  was  manifestly  the  result  of  their  ef- 
forts. 

Jonathan  Blanchard,  a  native  of  Vermont, 
took  strong  anti-slavery  ground  when  he,  a 
young  man,  started  out  in  life,  armed  with  a 
college  diploma  and  an  uncompromising  spirit 
toward  slavery  and  secret  societies.  He  was 
early  associated  with  the  abolition  movement, 
and  was  outspoken  as  to  the  impolicy  of  slav- 
ery when  Henrj'  Ward  Beecher,  his  associate, 
stood  on  neutral  ground,  under  the  wing  of  his 
venerable  father,  Dr.  Lyman  Beecher,  of  Cin- 
cinnati. Mr.  Blanchard  was  a  settled  pastor 
over  a  church  in  Cincinnati  in  1848,  and,  dur- 
ing his  residence  at  that  place,  held  a  debate 
with  Rev.  Dr.  Rice,  a  pro-slavery  minister  of 
his  own  denomination,  which  debate  was  pub- 
lished in  book  form,  and  is  now  a  kind  of  rare 
old  relic  sometimes  found  on  second-hand 
booksellers'  shelves,  labeled  "  scarce,"  and  sold 
at  an  advance  on  its  original  price. 

From  Cincinnati,  Mr.  Blanchard  removed  to 
Galesburg,  where  he  became  President  of  Knox 
College,  after  remaining  at  which  place  a  few 
years  he  came  to  Wheaton,  and  has  been  Presi- 
dent of  the  college  at  this  place  till  1882,  when 
he  voluntarily  resigned  for  his  son  Charles  to 
take  his  place.  He  is  •  still  vigorous  in  mind, 
with  a  positiveness  of  purpose  whose  limit  has 
not  yet  been  overtaken  by  his  advancing  years. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


75 


Ichabod  Codding  was  bora  in  Bristol,  Onta- 
rio Co.,  N.  Y.,  September  23,  1810.  Secretary 
Chase  acknowledged  him  to  be  the  greatest 
orator  he  ever  heard.  He  was  educated  at 
Middlebury  College,  Vt,  and  came  to  Illinois 
in  1842,  by  invitation  of  Mr.  Eastman,  to  take 
the  lecture  field  in  the  anti-slavery  agitation  at 
the  West,  and  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that 
his  influence  in  this  growing  locality  had  much 
to  do  in  developing  that  sentiment  that  made 
it  possible  to  nominate  one  of  its  sons  to  the 
"Presidency  of  the  United  States.  Mr.  Codding 
died  at  Baraboo,  Wis.,  June  17,  1866. 

Zebina  Eastman,  born  in  Amherst,  Mass.,  a 
printer  by  trade  and  an  educated  journalist, 
having  studied  for  that  profession,  he  suc- 
ceeded Mr.  Lundy,  the  pioneer,  in  editing  his 
paper  in  Illinois,  in  1839.  In  1841,  edited  the 
Genius  of  Liberty,  with  Hooper  Warren.  In 
1842,  removed  to  Chicago,  by  invitation  of  Dr. 
C.  V.  Dyer  and  Philo  Carpenter,  and  com- 
menced the  publication  of  the  Western  Citizen, 
then  the  only  anti-slavery  paper  in  the  North- 
west, with  the  exception  of  the  Philanthropist, 
at  Cincinnati.  The  Citizen  was  continued  till 
1855.  He  was  a  coadjutor  with  Elihu  Burritt 
in  his  League  of  Brotherhood  and  a  member  of 
the  Peace  Congress  at  Frankfort,  Germany,  in 
1850.  He  was  appointed  by  Lincoln  Consul  at 
Bristol  in  1861.  He  now  resides  near  Chicago, 
and  is  in  the  employment  of  the  Government. 
The  policy  of  the  anti-slavery  agitation  shaped 
in  the  Citizen  was  in  some  sense  distinct  from 
the  issues  of  the  Eastern  Abolitionists.  It  was 
more  definitely  political  and  for  the  restoration 
of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  in  the 
Government,  and  was  the  policy  on  which  anti- 
slavery  principles  triumphed  in  the  election  of 
Mr.  Lincoln. 

Dr.  Charles  V.  Dyer,  the  famous  Abolitionist 
of  Chicago,  and  eminent  as  a  manager  of  the 
Underground  Railroad,  a  noted  wit  and  ever  a 
pronounced  active  man.  The  colored  people 
of  Chicago  presented  him  with  a  gold-headed 


cane  for  having  broken  a  previous  one  over  the 
head  of  a  slave-catcher.  He  was  appointed  by 
President  Lincoln  Judge  of  the  Slave  Trade 
Court  at  Sierra  Leone.  Died  at  Chicago  in 
1877. 

Charles  Durkee,  residing  at  Kenosha,  Wis., 
was  the  first  anti-slavery  Congressman  from 
Wisconsin,  and  afterward  United  States  Sen- 
ator. He  was  a  very  effective  man  in  the  anti- 
slavery  cause  in  the  early  days  of  its  agitation 
in  the  Northwest.  He  was  a'member  of  the 
Peace  Congress  at  Paris  in  1849. 

Elihu  B.  Washburn,  born  at  Livermore,  Me., 
September  23,  1816,  was  elected  to  Congress 
from  Galena,  111.,  November,  1852,  by  the  votes 
of  the  Old  Whig  party  and  the  Abolitionists  who 
joined  them.  He  took  his  seat  in  the  Thirty- 
third  Congress  in  December,  1853,  and  to  the 
utmost  of  his  power  resisted  the  passage  of  the 
Kansas  and  Nebraska  bill,  and  voted  for  every 
measure  tending  to  the  abolition  of  slavery. 
In  his  eight  subsequent  elections  to  Congress, 
he  received  the  entire  abolition  vote  of  his  dis- 
trict. 

He  was  a  strong  advocate  for  the  nomination 
of  Mr.  Lincoln  in  1860,  and  was  his  confiden- 
tial friend  and  adviser  during  his  administra- 
tion. 

Was  appointed  Secretary  of  State  by  Gen. 
Grant  in  1869,  occupying  that  position  but  a 
short  time,  when  he  was  sent  as  a  minister  to 
France,  in  March,  1869.  He  held  this  position 
eight  and  a  half  years,  during  which  time  the 
Franco-German  war  took  place. 

He  was  charged  with  the  protection  of  the 
German  nationalities  in  Paris  and  France.  He 
was  recalled  at  his  own  request,  in  1877,  since 
which  time  he  has  resided  in  Chicago. 

Edward  Coles  was  the  earliest  and  most  dis- 
tinguished Abolitionist  that  ever  lived  in  Illi- 
nois, and  was  the  second  Governor  of  the  State. 
He  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1786.  His  father 
was  a  large  slaveholder,  and  at  his  death  be- 
queathed to  him  a  plantation  with  a  large  num- 


76 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


ber  of  slaves.  Determining  not  to  live  in  a 
slave-holding  State,  nor  to  hold  slaves,  he  sold 
his  plantation,  liberated  all  his  slaves,  giving 
to  each  1 60  acres  of  land  in  Illinois  and  re- 
moved to  Illinois  in  1819.  From  his  earliest 
childhood,  he  imbibed  the  most  intense  hatred 
of  slavery,  and  devoted  the  earlier  part  of  his 
life  to  the  cause  of  abolitionism.  He  was 
Governor  of  Illinois  at  the  time  of  the  colossal 
and  desperate  struggle  to  make  it  a  Slave 
State,  and  all  his  official  and  personal  influence 
was  wielded  to  defeat  that  great  iniquity. 
To  him  more  than  to  any  other  man  is  Illinois 
indebted  for  being  a  free  State. 

A  sketch  of  Gen.  Coles  and  of  the  slavery 
struggle  of  1823  and  1824,  has  been  prepared 
by  Hon.  E.  B.  Washburn,  which  will  form  a 
valuable  contribution  to  early  Illinois  history. 
Gov.  Coles  died  in  Philadelphia  in  1868. 

William  Henry  Seward  was  born  in  Florida, 
Orange  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  16.  1801.  When  the 
issue  of  a  slavery  or  anti-slavery  policy  came 
before  the  administration,  he  became  an  em- 
phatic anti-slavery  advocate,  and  ever  after- 
ward was  faithful  to  that  principle.  He  was 
the  author  of  that  forcible  term,  the  "irre- 
pressible conflict,"  which,  the  sequel  shows> 
was  no  empty  name.  He  was  appointed  Sec- 
retary of  State  by  Lincoln  in  1861,  and  it  is  to 
his  able  foreign  policy  that  our  nation  owed 
the  preservation  of  peace  abroad  during  our 
Rebellion.  Mr.  Seward  died  in  Auburn,  N.  Y., 
October  10,  1872. 

Theodore  Parker,  an  independent  Unitarian 
minister  of  Boston,  almost  initiated  a  new  school 
in  theology,  which  might  be  styled  the  religion 
of  humanity,  and  was  a  very  effective  laborer 
in  the  anti-slavery  cause,  without  attaching 
himself  to  any  of  its  sects.  He  was  born  at 
Lexington,  Mass.,  in  1812,  on  the  consecrated 
ground  of  the  Revolution,  and  was  the  grand- 
son of  one  of  its  early  heroes,  Capt.  John  Parker. 
During  the  time  of  the  fierce  anti-slavery  agi- 
tation, he  delivered  occasionally  a  great  sermon 


or  an  address,  on  the  intense  points  of  the  con- 
test then  at  issue.  At  the  time  of  the  attempted 
enforcement  of  the  fugitive  slave  law,  he  mani- 
fested a  most  fierce  hostility  to  its  enforcement ; 
and,  at  one  time,  he  addressed  a  large  concourse 
of  his  fellow-citizens  in  Federal  Hall,  counseling 
effective  passive  resistence,  while  the  corridors 
of  the  hall  were  filled  with  flies  of  United  States 
soldiers  with  fixed  bayonets,  ordered  there  to 
preserve  the  peace  and  enforce  the  law.  He  de- 
fied the  soldiery,  and  he  declared  that  he  should 
march  out  between  their  files  when  he  had  closed 
his  speech  !  Horace  Greeley,  of  the  New  York 
Tribune,  was  always  among  the  most  anxious 
to  publish  the  forcible  productions  of  Theo- 
dore Parker.  He  died  at  Florence.  Italy,  where 
he  had  gone  for  the  purpose  of  rejuvenating  his 
gradually  perishing  vitality  on  the  16th  of  May, 
1860.  This  strong  and  intellectually  great  man, 
who  had  lived  such  an  active  life,  expressed 
regret,  when  he  came  to  die,  that  he  had  accom- 
plished so  little  for  humanity. 

John  Quincy  Adams,  the  sixth  President  of 
the  United  States,  and  son  of  the  second  Presi- 
dent, was  one  of  the  greatest  statesmen  and 
remarkable  men  the  country  has  produced.  He 
was  born  at  Quincy,  Mass.,  July  11,  1867,  and 
was  a  youth,  and  doubtless  very  much  inspired 
by  the  events,  during  the  period  of  our  Revo- 
lutionary war.  He  should  be  regarded  as 
among  the  most  foremost  of  the  anti-slavery 
men  of  the  country,  though  he  avowed  no 
affinity  with  any  of  the  organizations  or  sects 
that  grew  out  of  the  agitation.  He  was  in  fact 
the  first  political  victim  to  the  slave  power 
of  the  country,  that  for  a  generation  slaugh- 
tered its  thousands  of  advanced  men,  and 
the  manhood  of  millions  of  the  politicians 
of  the  country  ;  for  it  was  because  he  was  not 
a  slave-holder,  and  was  a  man  of  the  North 
more  than  for  anything  else  that  he  was  de- 
feated for  the  Presidency  for  the  second  term  by 
Andrew  Jackson  ;  from  this  period  the  sectional 
feeling  for  the  protection  of  slavery  took  its 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


77 


rise.  Mr.  Adams,  after  his  return  to  Congress, 
beginning  a  new  career  in  political  life,  after  he 
had  once  run  its  course  to  the  Presidency,  be- 
came specially  known  as  the  champion  of  the 
right  of  petition  ;  a  sacred  political  and  civil 
constitutional  right,  which  had  been  smitten 
down  in  the  interest  of  slavery  at  the  behest  of 
the  slave  leaders.  Mr.  Adams,  from  his  expe- 
rience in  political  life  from  the  beginning  of  the 
Government,  and  his  once  personal  contact 
with  its  influence,  knew  more  than  any  other 
man  of  the  insiduous  wiles  of  the  growing 
slave  power,  and  he  knew  better  than  any 
other  man  how  to  combat  it.  His  was  an  in- 
dividual life  of  combat  with  that  power,  with- 
out support  from  party  or  combination.  The 
conflicts  with  it  is  one  of  the  sublimest  mani- 
festations of  the  career  of  the  politician  and 
statesman  the  country  has  ever  furnished  ;  and 
in  it  he  sought  for  no  co-operation  from  any 
clique  or  combination,  and  seems  to  stand  alone 
like  the  form  of  a  giant,  fighting  for  human 
and  constitutional  rights  of  the  fellow-men. 
As  he  had  good  reason  to  suspect  the  iniquities 
that  were  covered  in  the  heap  of  meal,  he 
delved  into  the  maturing  plot,  for  the  robbing 
of  Mexico  of  her  province  of  Texas,  and  gel- 
ting  special  information  from  old  Benjamin 
Lundy,  who  had  traveled  largely  in  Texas  for 
the  purpose  of  settling  a  colony  of  emancipated 
slaves  there,  he  astonished  the  slave-holding 
plotters  and  the  nation  at  large  by  exposing  in 
a  great  speech  in  Congress  in  1836  the  whole 
plan  of  securing  the  annexation  of  Texas  for 
the  purpose  of  extending  the  area  of  slavery, 
as  the  programme  was  some  years  later  liter- 
ally carried  out.  Mr.  Adams  virtually  defined 
the  slave  power  as  a  political  combination, 
though  he  did  not  give  it  that  name,  when  he 
said  that  it  "  was  a  power  in  American  politics 
that  governed  the  .Government." 

He  gave  no  special  encouragement  to  any 
plan  of  political  action  in  hostility  to  slavery  ; 
gave  no  special  countenance  to  Garrison  or  the 


Liberty  party,  though  he  waa  particularly  con- 
fidential with  Benjamin  Lundy  and  Joshua 
K.  Giddings,  but  worked  on,  partially  in 
sympathy  with  the  party  to  which  he  nominally 
belonged,  in  hostility  to  the  Jackson  party, 
though  himself  an  original  Democrat,  and  the 
last  of  the  Jeffersonian  Presidents.  Standing 
very  much  alone,  and,  for  many  years,  con- 
temned by  all  parties  ;  not  apparently  perceiv- 
ing any  ground  for  a  voting  opposition  to  slav- 
ery as  an  institution  bulwarked  in  the  reserved 
rights  of  the  States,  and  therefore  was  not  a 
political  Abolitionist,  and  looking  probably  to 
its  extirpation  by  moral  force  alone,  as  dis- 
couraging as  it  then  seemed  to  be.  But  to 
this  wise  man  above  his  generation  was  given 
the  foresight  to  predict  the  policy  and  the  way 
in  which  slavery  was  finally  abolished  by  the 
war  power.  Abraham  Lincoln  adopted  the 
doctrine  of  John  Quincy  Adams  when  he  used 
the  war  power  of  the  nation  to  abolish  slavery. 
It  was  this  power,  which  John  Quincy  Adams 
portrayed  in  a  great  speech  in  1836,  as  the 
only  possible  way  in  which  the  nation  could 
reach  slavery  and  put  it  out  of  existence.  The 
slaveholders  madly  invoked  that  power,  and 
met  its  recoil  in  the  destruction  of  their  pet 
institution. 

Mr.  Adams  was  suddenly  stricken  down, 
with  his  fighting  armor  on,  on  the  floor  of  the 
Representative  Hall,  and  taken  to  a  committee 
room,  where  he  died  in  February,  1848,  and  his 
last  words  were  remarkable  for  so  remarkable  a 
man — "  This  is  the  last  of  earth." 

Cassius  M.  Clay,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and 
an  early  anti-slavery  man  of  the  South,  who 
made  himself  most  odious  in  his  native  section 
for  his  hostility  to  their  cherished  institution. 
He  was  bora  in  Madison  County,  Ky.,  in  1811, 
and  is  still  alive.  He  edited,  in  1845,  the 
True  American,  an  anti-slavery  newspaper  in 
Lexington,  at  the  time  of  the  most  intense  ex- 
citement. He  defended  his  press  against  the 
mob  spirit  by  the  well-known  efficiency  of  his 


78 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


tried  rifle  ;  but  btfing  prostrated  by  severe  ill- 
ness, the  mob  improved  the  opportunity,  and 
they  broke  up  his  newspaper  establishment  and 
shipped  the  fragments  of  his  material  out  of 
the  State.  Horace  Greeley,  who  was  foremost 
in  encouraging  him,  published  a  volume  of  bis 
anti-slavery  speeches  in  1848. 

John  P.  Hale,  born  in  Rochester,  N.  H., 
March  31,  1806,  and  died  soon  after  his  return 
from  Madrid  as  United  States  Minister,  under 
Abraham  Lincoln,  November  19,  1873.  He  is 
distinguished  as  the  leading  politician  under 
the  Liberty  party,  and  was  that  party's  candi- 
date for  the  Presidency  after  James  G.  Birney, 
until  it  was  merged  into  the  Kepublican  party. 
He  is  known  as  the  first  successful  rebel  against 
the  slave  power,  he  at  that  time  being  a  nom- 
inee of  the  Democratic  party  for  Congress ;  op- 
posed the  annexation  of  Texas  ;  was  stricken 
out  of  the  party  roll  of  candidates  ;  and  the 
people  taking  him  up,  he  was  elected  United 
States  Senator.  He  was  first  nominated  for 
the  Presidency  by  the  Western  Citizen  of  Chi- 
cago, in  1858,  and  about  six  months  after  was 
indorsed  by  the  National  Liberty  Party  Con- 
vention. He  was  a  genial,  jovial  man,  and 
very  much  annoyed  the  Southern  Senators  by 
his  pungent  criticisms.  He  was  the  first  anti- 
slavery  man  in  the  Senate,  followed  afterward 
by  his  coadjutors,  Chase,  Seward,  Fessenden 
and  the  corps  of  noble  men  that  in  time  came 
to  the  front,  to  be  the  supporters  of  Lincoln  in 
his  arduous  responsibilities  as  the  emancipator 
of  4,000,000  of  slaves. 

Kev.  C.  Cook,  Congregational  minister,  was 
born  in  Vermont  in  1778,  graduated  at  Middle- 
bury  College  in  1808.  preached  in  the  State  of 
New  York  till  1837  :  made  an  anti-slavery  ar- 
gument in  the  Presbyterian  General  Assembly 
at  Philadelphia,  in  1836.  He  settled  at  Henne- 
pin,  111.,  in  1837,  and  gave  anti-slavery  lectures 
in  various  parts  of  the  State  in  1838  and  1839, 
often  being  the  victim  of  mob  violence. 

In  1840,  he  removed  to  Aurora.  Kane  Co., 


Ill,  and  became  pastor  of  the  First  Congrega- 
tional Church.  He  died  at  Ottawa,  111.,  March 
21,  1860,  at  the  house  of  his  son,  B.  C.  Cook, 
where  he  spent  the  last  fifteen  years  of  his  life. 
Horace  Greeley  was  born  in  Amherst,  N.  H., 
February  3,  1811.  His  father  removed  to  West 
Haven,  Vt.,  when  Horace  was  but  ten  years  old, 
where,  between  the  ills  of  poverty  and  intemper- 
ance which  were  ever  present  with  the  father, 
the  education  of  the  son  was  sadly  neglected  ; 
but  the  young  child  of  fortune  possessed  by 
nature  the  wherewithal  to  educate  himself,  as 
he  paddled  his  own  canoe  through  the  waves  of 
the  great  sea  of  life.  At  the  age  of  fifteen,  he 
was  apprenticed  to  the  printing  business,  after 
learning  which  trade  he  went  to  New  York,  ar- 
riving in  August,  1831.  Here  he  worked  at  his 
trade  till  June  1.  1833,  when  he  became  one  of 
the  proprietors  of  the  Morning  Post,  the  first 
penny  daily  ever  published  in  America.  On 
March  22,  1834,  the  New  Yorker  was  started 
with  Mr.  Greeley  as  editor.  In  the  stirring 
times  of  1840,  he  published  the  Log  Cabin,  & 
campaign  paper  in  the  interest  of  Gen.  Har- 
rison's election  to  the  Presidency,  and  the  next 
year  he  commenced  the  publication  of  the  New 
York  Tribune,  which  paper  he  planted  deep  in 
the  estimation  of  every  thinker  in  America,  in- 
cluding not  only  political  economists,  but  even 
erratic  dabblers  in  every  species  of  reform,  or 
whatever  was  claimed  to  be  such — all  had  their 
"  say "  in  the  columns  of  the  Tribune.  Of 
course,  slaver}7  became  a  target  for  his  keenest 
darts,  and  from  the  first  to  the  last  of  the  con- 
flict between  the  slavery  and  anti-slavery  in- 
terest he  never  ceased  to  "  pour  hot  shot"  into 
the  ranks  of  the  enemies  of  universal  freedom, 
all  the  more  effective  because  Mr.  Greeley  him- 
self was  free  from  any  entanglements  to  cripple 
his  own  action,  having  no  alliances  with  any 
party  whose  interests  could  be  compromised  by 
the  downfall  of  slavery.  Under  his  masterl}- 
pen,  the  Tribune  soon  took  the  highest  rank  in 
American  journalism,  and  its  circulation  was 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


79 


not  exceeded  by  any  other  paper,  although  it 
was  interdicted  in  many  of  the  Southern  States, 
where,  could  its  editor  have  been  found,  he 
would  have  been  lynched  on  the  spot. 

When  the  convention  of  1860  met  at  Chicago 
to  nominate  a  Republican  candidate  for  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  all  eyes  were  turned 
toward  Mr.  Greeley,  who  seemed  to  hold  the  key 
to  the  situation  ;  nor  was  this  hypothesis  a  false 
one.  At  that  time,  there  were  substantially 
but  two  candidates  in  the  field — Seward  and 
Lincoln.  Mr.  Seward  stood  high  in  the  estima- 
tion of  his  party  both  East  and  West,  and  his 
record  was  untarnished  by  any  political  act  that 
would  not  bear  the  closest  scrutiny.  Moreover, 
he  was  well  versed  in  all  the  affairs  of  State, 
having  been  Governor,  Senator  and  Foreign 
Minister,  and  his  soundness  on  the  vital  issues 
essential  to  the  fulfillment  of  the  Republican 
doctrines  was  not  to  be  questioned.  These 
qualifications  would  seem  to  give  him  an  assur- 
ance of  success,  and  would  certainly  have  done 
so  but  for  the  influence  of  Mr.  Greeley.  Some 
years  before  this  period,  a  rupture  broke  out 
between  Mr.  Seward  and  Mr.  Greeley,  growing 
out  of  a  complaint  on  the  part  of  the  latter  that 
the  former  had  neither  appreciated  nor  re- 
warded him  for  his  services  in  the  great  Whig 
cause,  in  which  the  two  were  co-workers.  As 
to  this  quarrel  between  these  two  distinguished 
and  estimable  statesmen,  the  public  were,  in  the 
main,  reticent,  but,  at  the  convention  of  1860, 
it  was  in  vain  that  Mr.  Seward's  friends  tried 
to  win  over  the  great  journalist — he  cast  his  in- 
fluence in  favor  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  and  turned 
the  scale. 

In  this  sketch  of  Mr.  Greeley,  it  would  be  un- 
timely to  state  the  conditions  that  placed  Mr. 
Lincoln  in  a  position  so  high  that  only  Mr. 
Greeley's  influence  was  necessary  to  make  him 
the  winner  over  the  great  statesman  opposed  to 
him,  and  we  will  pass  to  the  next  point  in  Mr. 
Greeley's  life.  When  the  rebellion  broke  out, 
he  first  proposed  to  let  the  seceding  States  go 


in  peace  under  a  belief  that  they  would  soon  be 
glad  to  come  back  into  the  Union,  but  he  did 
not  long  hold  to  this  theory,  and  advocated  a 
vigorous  prosecution  of  the  war. 

Omitting  a  record  of  his  acts  till  1 872,  let  us 
look  on  both  sides  of  the  question  which  made 
him  accept  the  nomination  of  the  Democrats  to 
be  run  by  them  as  their  candidate  for  the  Presi- 
dency. First,  he  did  not  accept  a  plank  in 
their  platform  which  could  in  any  way,  even  bv 
implication,  compromise  his  life-long  teachings 
of  Whig  and  Republican  doctrines.  The  whole 
Democratic  party  virtually  abandoned  their 
ground  and  threw  themsfelves  at  his  feet — he 
whom  they  had  ever  affected  to  despise.  As. 
far  as  the  substance  went,  this  was  a  sufficient 
vindication  of  Mr.  Greeley's  course;  but,  in 
theory,  it.  looked  otherwise  to  many  who  had 
been  his  friends.  He  was  accused  of  apostacy, 
and  made  the  butt  of  unsparing  ridicule  beyond 
the  power  of  his  hitherto  philosophic  mind  to 
bear.  He  sank  rapidly  beneath  his  load  of 
humiliation,  and  died  shortly  after  the  election 
a  victim  to  despair. 

His  funeral  was  one  of  the  most  impressive 
ever  known  in  New  York,  and  every  tongue 
that,  but  a  few  days  before  had  spoken  ill  of  him 
was  now  softened  into  charity  for  him  who  had 
ever  been  the  great — the  honest — the  fearless 
mouthpiece  of  the  Republican  party. 

John  G.  Fee  was  born  in  Bracken  County, 
Ky.,  in  1816.  When  a  young  man,  he  was 
ostracized  by  his  parents  for  advocating  anti- 
slavery  sentiments.  He  organized  three 
an ti- slavery  societies  in  the  face  of  fierce  op- 
position, and,  continuing  his  efforts  in  this 
direction,  he  became  the  victim  of  violent 
mobs  in  1856  and  later.  He  was  repeatedly 
threatened  with  death  if  he  did  not  leave  the 
State,  but  still  he  continued  his  labors.  Dur- 
ing the  war,  he  helped  to  establish  various  col- 
ored schools  in  Kentucky.  He  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  Berea  College,  and  is  now  pastor 
of  a  church  at  that  place. 


80 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


John  Brown  was  born  in  Torrington, 
May  9,  1800,  of  good  old  Puritan  stock,  being 
fifth  in  descent  from  Peter  Brown,  who  landed 
in  the  Mayflower  in  1620.  As  a  boy,  he  was 
an  industrious,  muscular,  hardy  and  a  capable 
worker  in  the  great  hive  of  industry  that  char- 
acterized the  age  of  his  youth.  But  he  never 
was  a  boy  except  in  years,  for  he  felt  the 
responsibilities  of  manhood  from  a  tender  age. 
From  his  earliest  recollections  he  entertained  st 
great  aversion  to  slavery,  and,  in  1854,  this 
trait  in  his  character  began  to  take  action  as 
the  Kansas  border  opened  a  field  for  it.  Four 
of  his  sons  had  settle'd  there,  eight  miles  from 
the  village  of  Osawatomie,  near  the  border. 
Here  they  became  an  object  of  great  aversion 
to  the  border  ruffians  from  Missouri  on  their 
father's  account  as  well  as  their  own,  being 
Free- State  men,  and,  in  obedience  to  their  call, 
their  father  came  the  next  year — 1855 — with 
arms  and  ammunition  to  defend  them.  During 
the  next  year,  he  had  several  successful  en- 
counters with  the  pro-slavery  raiders  who 
came  across  the  line  to  commit  depredations 
on  the  Free-State  men,  and  soon  gained  a  repu- 
tation which  made  him  hated  and  feared  by  his 
adversaries  in  the  irregular  style  of  warfare 
that  was  then  going  on  in  Kansas.  Thirty 
men  were  now  under  his  command  at  Osawat- 
omie, and  were  suddenly  attacked  by  a  force 
of  five  hundred  Missourians.  Their  advance 
was  so  sudden  that  half  of  his  men  were  cut 
off  and  taken  ;  but,  with  the  remainder,  Brown 
made  a  glorious  retreat,  fighting  his  pursuing 
army  as  he  fled  before  them,  and  inflicting 
severe  losses  upon  them.  For  this  gallant 
action  he  gained  the  sobriquet  of  "Osawat- 
omie Brown." 

Six  weeks  later,  he  held  command  of  the 
forces  to  defend  Lawrence  against  a  greatly  su- 
perior force  of  the  enemy  ;  but  the  latter  dared 
not  make  the  attack  against  so  obstinate  a 
leader. 

These  exciting  events  only  served  to  whet 


the  edge  of  his  sword  for  new  encounters  against 
the  slave  power,  against  which  his  whole  life 
and  soul  and  strength  was  pitted,  and  he  laid 
his  plans  accordingly. 

He  had  read  of  insurrections  among  slaves, 
and  fully  believed  that  if  a  respectable  nucleus 
of  strength  could  be  established  in  their  midst) 
an  army  could  soon  be  improvised  from  them, 
who  would  gather  force,  like,  a  whirlwind,  and 
sweep  through  the  South.  Under  this  belief, 
so  inspiring  to  his  hungry  soul,  he  contemplated 
seizing  the  United  States  Arsenal  at  Harper's 
Ferry,  where  from  100,000  to  200,000  stand  of 
arms  were  usually  stored. 

He  was  about  a  year  maturing  his  plans,  and 
all  things  being  ready  on  his  part,  he,  at  the 
head  of  twenty-two  men,  seventeen  of  whom 
were  white  and  the  remainder  colored,  made  the 
attack  at  10  o'clock  Sunday  night,  on  the  16th 
of  October,  1859.  The  three  watchmen  of  the 
arsenal  were  taken  prisoners,  and  the  town  of 
Harper's  Ferry  fell  into  his  hands.  Private 
houses  were  entered,  and  all  arms  found  therein 
were  taken.  The  next  morning,  he  had  sixty 
prisoners  in  his  camp,  many  of  whom  were  work- 
men in  the  employment  of  the  United  States. 

As  soon  as  the  temporary  stupor  caused  by 

his  audacity  had  passed  away,  the  citizens  of 

j  the  surrounding  country  began  to  gather  to  the 

'  scene,  while,  unfortunate!}'  for  Brown,  no  recruits 

•  came  to  his  standard  except  six  or  eight  slaves 

who  had  been  compelled  to  do  so.     An  attack 

was  now  made  upon  the  arsenal,  which  was  kept 

up  till  the  next  day  at  noon,  with  losses  on  both 

sides. 

Brown's  forces  were  now  all  killed  or  mortally 
wounded  but  three,  who  still  held  the  engine 
house  to  which  they  had  taken  refuge.  At  7 
o'clock,  the  door  of  their  "last  resort"  was 
battered  in,  when  Brown,  still  fighting  with  the 
courage  of  Charles  XII  at  Bender,  fell  beneath 
a  sabre  stroke,  receiving  two  bayonet  thrusts 
after  he  was  down,  and  the  victor}'  over  this 
strange  man  was  won. 


LIBRARY 

OF  liiE 

UNIVERSITY  OF   ILLINOIS 


HISTORY  OF    DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


83 


Now  came  his  greatest  triumph.  Senator 
Mason,  of  Virginia,  and  Gov.  Wise  confronted 
him  ;  but  his  bearing  was  dignified  and  cheer- 
ful. Nor  did  he  lose  those  masterly  qualities 
of  his  mind,  which  challenged  the  respect  of  his 
enemies  even  till  his  death.  His  trial  was  put 
off  till  the  31st  on  account  of  his  weakness  from 
his  wounds. 

In  the  defense  which  followed,  he  refused  to 
allow  his  counsel  to  put  in  the  plea  of  insanity, 
but  he  placed  his  defense  solely  on  the  moral 
points  in  the  case,  and  firmly  justified  his  course 
to  the  last.  He  was  found  guilty  by  the  court 
of  the  several  charges  brought  against  him,  and 
hung  on  the  2d  of  December. 

During  the  preparations,  he  was  the  calmest 
one  of  the  thousands  assembled  to  witness  the 
last  end  of  this  hero. 

That  he  was  an  offender  against  the  laws  of 
Virginia  no  one  can  question,  and  his  justifica- 
tion by  the  almost  entire  press  and  people  of 
the  North  was  one  of  the  many  proofs  that  the 
higher  law  is  stronger  than  any  that  man  can 
make  when  the  public  will  demands  its  exe- 
cution. 

"  John  Brown's  body  lies  moldering  in  the  dust ; 
His  soul  is  marching  on  !" 

became  the  song  of  the  war,  to  be  chanted  by 
thousands  of  voices  in  concert,  falling  upon  un- 
willing ears  like  the  voice  of  a  ghost,  as  the 
Northern  soldiers  marched  through  the  South. 
He  drew  the  first  blood  in  the  war  that  was 
hastened  by  his  death,  and  only  began  in  a 
small  way,  what  was  soon  to  be  carried  on  un- 
der the  forms  of  law  on  a  far  grander  scale. 

His  widow  visited  Chicago  in  August,  1882, 
and  was  received  with  public  honors. 

Charles  G.  Finney  was  born  in  Litchfield, 
Conn.,  August  29,  1792 — died  in  Oberlin,  Ohio, 
August  16,  1875 — became  President  of  Oberlin 
College  in  1852,  and  held  the  position  till  1866. 
The  college  over  which  he  presided  was  noted 
for  being  a  nursery  of  Abolitionists,  from  its 
first  organization,  under  his  rule. 


A  brief  sketch  of  Lane  Seminary  may  be  con- 
sidered as  exemplary  to  show  the  growing 
anti-slavery  sentiment  that  was  destined  first 
to  split  asunder  churches,  colleges  and  ulti- 
mately, for  a  time,  the  nation  itself.  It  was 
established  at  Cincinnati  in  1832  as  a  theo- 
logical school,  when  theology  by  many  people 
in  America  recognized  slavery  as  a  patriarchal 
institution,  justified  in  the  Old  Testament  by 
precedent  and  not  explicitly  forbidden  by  the 
new.  Dr.  Lyman  Beecher  was  President  of  this 
institution,  and  Calvin  E.  Stone  held  the  chair 
of  Professor  of  Biblical  Literature,  and  it  was 
the  first  of  its  kind  established  in  the  West  on 
a  footing  of  the  first  grade.  It  was  patronized 
by  the  best  representatives  of  the  orthodoxy  of 
the  country.  But,  unfortunately  for  Lane  as 
for  other  "  solid  "  institutions  of  the  country, 
there  was  at  that  time  subtly  creeping  into  the 
public  conscience  a  disintegrating  "  heresy," 
so  called,  and  the  very  attempts  that  the  found- 
ers of  these  various  institutions  made  to  sub- 
due the  "  heresy  "  (while  in  the  germ  cell)  only 
served  to  cultivate  it  into  a  vigorous  growth. 
What  could  these  perplexed  fathers  do  in  this 
dilemma?  If  they  gave  full  freedom  to  the 
young  mind  to  discuss  anti-slavery  sentiments, 
the  sturdy  old  leaders  both  in  church  and  in 
State  would  be  obliged  to  come  in  collision  with 
the  interests  of  their  Southern  associates,  whose 
tenacity  as  advocates  for  slavery  forbids  its 
merits  to  be  questioned  under  penalty  of  the 
severance  of  all  ties  of  friendship  and  alliance. 
Hence,  free  discussion  must  be  forbidden,  in 
order  to  retain  the  good  will  and  patronage  of 
southern  co-workers  in  religion  as  well  as  poli- 
tics. 

Pending  this  dilemma,  in  Lane  Seminarv 
many  of  its  earnest  students  became  thoroughly 
convinced  of  the  impolicy  and  wickedness  of 
slavery  through  the  teachings  of  Garrison,  as 
well  as  by  the  discussions  in  their  own  lyceutn 
on  the  subject,  and  formed  themselves  into  an 
anti-slavery  society.  When  the  preamble  and 


84 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


resolutions  of  this  society  were  read  to  their 
President,  the  venerable  father  acknowledged 
the  truth  and  force  of  them,  but  averred  that  it 
was  untimely  to  agitate  the  subject,  and  in- 
sisted that  they  should  desist  from  so  doing. 
This  requisition  the  zealous  students  refused 
to  comply  with,  but  published  their  sentiments 
to  the  world  through  the  press.  The  matter 
now  became  serious.  Many  papers  took  sides 
one  way  or  the  other,  and  the  students  unex- 
pectedly became  famous.  They  were  extolled 
as  heroes  by  the  Abolitionists,  and  branded  as 
fools,  and  threatened  with  mob  violence  by  the 
Kentucky  slaveholders  and  their  Cincinnati 
friends.  The  Trustees  of  Lane  Seminary  be- 
held the  opening  of  this  issue  with  consterna- 
tion. Lane  Seminary  was  a  "  hot-bed  of  aboli- 
tionism." went  forth  the  cry.  Summary  meas- 
ures must  be  taken  to  arrest  this  impression 
so  fatal  to  the  success  of  this  institution.  Ac- 
cordingly, new  rules  were  made  ;  the  students 
must  not  make  public  addresses  against  slavery; 
must  disband  their  anti-slavery  society,  and  the 
executive  committee  were  empowered  to  dis- 
charge any  student  from  the  institution  with- 
out notice  or  trial.  Tyranny  over  minds  could 
go  no  further.  All  but  the  victims  of  this  gag 
law  were  satisfied,  and  in  their  transcient  hour 
of  triumph  the  authors  of  it  thought  they  had 
settled  the  whole  matter.  It  is  justice  to  the 
memory  of  Asa  Mahan,  one  of  the  Trustees, 
to  state  that  he  protested  against  these  despotic 
rules,  but  he  was  powerless  to  prevail  against 
them.  He  then  informed  the  students  of  the 
substance  of  these  laws,  and  heartily  sympa- 
thized with  them  in  opposition  to  them. 

The  first  step  taken  by  the  Trustees  under 
the  new  regulations  was  to  make  an  order  to 
dismiss  Theodore  D.  Weld  and  W.  T.  Allan 
from  the  institution,  whereupon  H.  B.  Stan- 
ton,  then  a  student  of  Lane,  and  since  Secre- 
tary of  War,  called  the  attention  of  the  students 
to  the  situation,  saying,  "  The  question  now  is, 
can  we,  under  the  new  laws,  remain  in  the  in- 


stitution  ?  Let  all  who  answer  in  the  negative 
!  rise  to  their  feet."  Three-fourths  of  the  stu- 
|  dents  promptly  rose  and  bade  good-by  to  Lane, 
leaving  her  with  a  mill-stone  around  her  neck 
j  that  soon  sunk  her  to  rise  no  more,  and  her 
!  fate  became  that  of  all  parties,  politicians  and 
institutions  that  only  know  enough  to  step  in 
other  people's  tracks  and  follow  them  to  de- 
struction, because  they  happen  to  be  big  ones. 
And  here  it  may  be  meet  to  say  that  repub- 
lican institutions,  to  be  consistent  with  their 
principles,  should  accept  no  political  rule  or 
dogma  or  faith,  except  on  its  positive  merits, 
regardless  of  what  interested  parties  may  say 
or  pretend  to.  As  long  as  they  do  this,  and 
dispense  even-handed  justice  to  ever}7  interest 
and  every  individual,  so  long  will  such  a  gov- 
ernment stand,  if  it  is  to  the  end  of  time,  and 
it  is  not  too  much  to  add  that  no  government, 
of  whatsoever  form,  ever  went  into  decadence 
that  had  not  by  its  contempt  for  the  rights  of 
its  own  subjects,  deserved  first  their  apathy  and 
lastly  their  antagonism. 

Rufus  Lumry  was  of  French  Huguenot  an- 
cestry. He  was  born  in  Rensselaerville,  N.  Y.,  at 
the  close  of  the  last  century.  He  united  with 
__  the  Methodists,  and  became  a  minister  among 
them  at  his  maturity.  In  1835,  he  took  radi- 
cal anti-slavery  grounds  at  Princeton,  111.,  for 
which  he  was  arraigned  before  the  conference 
and  required  to  desist.  This  his  conscience 
forbade,  and  he  severed  his  connection  with  the 
church  and  joined  the  Wesleyans.  Subse- 
quently he  was  condemned  to  .suffer  death  on 
board  a  steamboat,  for  preaching  abolition 
sentiments,  and  given  half  an  hour  for  prep- 
aration. He  was  calmer  than  his  accusers,  for 
he  told  them  he  was  ready,  but  would  not  re- 
lent, while  they  reconsidered  and  did  not  kill 
him.  He  was  a  co-worker  with  Owen  Lovejoy, 
Z.  Eastman,  I.  Codding  and  others,  and  with 
them  was  kicked,  buffeted  and  despised  by  the 
populace.  The  year  1862  found  him  in  Colo- 
rado, pursuing  his  work  of  reform,  where  he 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


85 


was  accidentally  drowned  in  crossing  a  mount- 
ain torrent. 

H.  H.  Hininan  was  born  in  Connecticut  in 
1822,  graduated  at  Willoughby  Medical  Col- 
lege in  1846;  came  to  Illinois  in  1849,  was  or- 
dained to  the  ministry  and  went  as  a  mission- 
ary to  Africa  in  1860.  In  1866,  he  returned 
and  labored  as  a  home  missionary  in  Wiscon- 
sin till  1873,  and  the  next  year  came  to  Wheat- 
on,  111.  His  first  vote  for  President  was  for 
Birney  in  1844.  He  always  took  radical 
ground  on  the  slavery  question,  advocating  its 
universal  and  unconditional  abolition  by  the 
Government.  He  helped  organize  the  first 
Republican  party,  and  start  their  first  paper  in 
Livingston  County.  He  always  assisted  fugi- 
tive slaves  to  get  their  liberty,  and  did  not  con- 
sider himself  a  violator  of  law  by  so  doing,  as 
he  looked  upon  all  laws  to  enslave  them  as  void. 
He  believes  in  Divine  Law  as  the  true  basis  of 
civil  law — in  the  prohibition  of  the  liquor 
traffic — the  suppression  of  secret  societies,  and 
the  substitution  of  international  arbitration  for 
war.  Mr.  Hinman's  home  is  in  Wheaton,  111. 

J.  C.  Webster.  The  pastorates  of  ministers  in 
"  ye  olden  time,"  were  longer  than  they  are  now. 
Rev.  Josiah  Webster  presided  over  his  flock  at 
Hampton,  N.  H.,  about  thirty  years,  and  during 
this  term  of  ministerial  service,  his  son,  Jesse 
C.  Webster,  was  born.  It  was  in  January,  1810. 
From  him  he  inherited  his  Congregationalism, 
and  his  love  for  the  ministerial  calling.  Even 
in  that  day,  slaver}"  was  abhorred  by  benevolent 
men,  and  young  Jesse  also  inherited  this  sen- 
timent from  his  father,  who,  with  prophetic  vis- 
ion, said  that  slavery  was  destined  to  be  "  blot- 
ted out  in  blood." 

Mr.  Webster  graduated  at  the  theological 
institution  at  Andover  in  1832.  About  this 
time,  a  member  of  the  British  Parliament  came 
to  the  place  to  lecture,  named  George  Thomp- 
son. To  the  conservative  element,  he  was  a 
fire-brand,  but  many  conscientious  young  men 
did  not  view  him  in  that  light,  and  Mr.  Web- 


ster was  one  of  these.  He  identified  himself 
with  the  agitators,  and  was  reproved  by  the 
professors  of  Andover  for  it,  and  even  rebuked 
for  walking  arm  in  arm  with  Rev.  A.  A.  Phelps 
because  he  was  a  coworker  with  Thompson. 
Mr.  Webster  left  the  seminary  with  its  parting 
blessing,  cum  grano,  and  soon  after  delivered 
an  abolition  lecture,  getting  pay  for  the  same 
in  eggs,  unsavory  as  they  were,  hurled  at  his 
head.  He  next  became  pastor  of  a-  Congrega- 
tional Church  at  Hopkinton,  Mass.,  and  during 
his  long  term  there,  advocated  the  cause  of  the 
slave  and  became  President  of  the  American 
Church  Anti-Slavery  Society,  the  object  of 
which  was  the  exclusion  of  pro-slavery  senti- 
ments from  the  church.  From  that  day  to  the 
present,  he  has  been  true  to  the  cause,  and  like 
other  Abolitionists  has  become  noted  for  what 
was  once  considered  a  weakness,  and  he  has 
recently  been  honored  with  the  title  of  D.  D. 
Hia  home  is  Wheaton,  111. 

James  B.  Walker  is  one  of  the  well-preserved 
specimens  of  the  pioneer  preacher,  editor  and 
Abolitionist,  so  few  of  whom  are  now  among  us 
to  take  us  back  to  early  days  when  men  had 
not  sought  out  so  many  inventions  to  subordi- 
nate true  merit  to  the  control  of  pretentious 
purposes.  He  was  born  in  Philadelphia  in  July, 
1805,  but  by  the  death  of  his  father,  which  took 
place  before  his  birth,  his  mother  was  thrown 
into  the  generous  household  of  her  parents,  who 
lived  twenty  miles  from  Fort  Pitt  (now  Pitts- 
burgh), and  here  young  James'  first  resolutions 
fastened  upon  his  childish  mind  to  live,  and 
grow  from  the  log  cabin  in  which  he  dwelt  to 
the  varied  positions  which  he  has  honored  in 
his  long  and  eventful  life 

He  began  his  career  clad  in  garments  spun, 
woven,  cut  and  made  by  his  mother,  on  the 
frontier  with  the  first  rudiments  of  science  dis- 
tilled into  his  mind  in  a  log  schoolhouse  by  a 
pedagogue  with  a  rod  in  one  hand  and  a  spell- 
ing-book in  the  other,  and  when  the  former  was 
once  used  on  him,  Mr.  Walker  still  remembers 


86 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


the  rueful  looks  and  illy-concealed  indications 
of  sympathy  which  little  Sarah  Trovillo  mani- 
fested on  the  occasion,  which  a  thousand-fold 
atoned  for  the  disgrace  of  the  whipping  which 
only  hurt  for  a  few  minutes,  while  Sarah's  inno- 
cent regrets  often  call  back  the  flowers  of  spring 
to  blossom  again  in  midwinter. 

Having  graduated  at  this  school,  young 
James  was  set  to  work  in  a  nail  factory  in 
Pittsburgh,  where  he  passed  the  red-hot  iron 
rods  from  the  furnace  to  the  workmen.  While 
thus  employed,  a  benevolent  gentlemen,  visiting 
the  shop,  saw  something  in  him  that  attracted 
•  his  attention,  and  gave  him  a  silver  half-dollar. 
It  made  him  feel  richer  than  he  has  ever  felt 
since. 

During  these  tender  years,  Mr.  Walker  says 
he  felt  afraid  to  pass  the  house  of  a  certain 
blacksmith  in  the  night  because  he  was  an  infi- 
del. 

Having  remained  at  work  in  the  nail  factory 
till  the  din  of  hammers  there  impaired  his 
hearing  for  a  time,  he  was  mercifully  taken 
from  the  place  and  set  to  work  as  a  store  boy 
at  Hookstown,  near  the  borders  of  Virginia. 
It  was  a  rough  place,  and  was  universally 
known  by  the  epithet  of  "  The  Devil's  Half 
Acre."  Mr.  Walker  speaks  of  the  disgusting 
scenes  of  drunkenness  and  fighting  that  he  saw 
during  his  two  years'  residence  at  the  place, 
sometimes  disfiguring  and  crippling  those  en- 
gaged in  them  for  life. 

The  next  change  in  the  life  of  young  Walker 
was  to  apprentice  him  to  Messrs.  Eichbaum  & 
Johnston,  who  published  the  Pittsburgh 
Gazette — the  first  newspaper  published  West  of 
the  Alleghany  Mountains.  It  was  edited  by 
Morgan  Neville.  This  occupation  opened  up  a 
new  field  for  the  genius  of  the  young  lad,  whose 
talents  had  hitherto  been  wasted  on  pursuits 
for  which  he  was  neither  mentally  nor  physic- 
ally fitted.  Here  he  remained  five  years,  in 
which  time  he  learned  the  printer's  trade, 
and  received  the  religious  teachings  of  the 


Scotch  Secession  Church,  of  which  his  mother, 
whose  home  was  now  at  Pittsburgh,  was 
a  member.  Mr.  Walker  speaks  of  early 
Methodism,  as  it  was  then,  as  follows  :  "  The 
men  wore  a  coat  of  the  Quaker  form, 
and  the  women  all  wore  the  Quaker,  or 
Methodist  bonnet.  To  be  a  Methodist  in  those 
days,  was  to  come  out  from  the  world  in  a 
sense  not  understood  at  the  present  time. 
When  a  young  woman  was  converted,  all  orna- 
ments were  laid  aside." 

While  at  work  on  the  Gazette,  Mr.  Walker 
says  he  sent  a  contribution  to  the  Evening 
Post,  of  Philadelphia,  which  was  rejected,  but 
he  reserved  the  same  for  publication  in  a  paper 
of  his  own,  which  acquisition — long  ago  a 
reality — seemed  even  then  a  distant  possibility 
in  his  ambitious  imagination. 

Mr.  Walker's  next  change  was  to  go  to  New 
York  City.  He  made  the  journey  on  foot — 300 
miles  in  ten  days,  carrying  his  pack  swung 
from  a  staff  across  his  shoulder. 

From  thence  he  went  to  Philadelphia,  and, 
like  Benjamin  Franklin  a  century  before  him, 
followed  type-setting.  After  remaining  here 
awhile,  he  again  returned  to  New  York,  and 
obtained  employment  for  a  short  season,  in  the 
capacity  of  clerk  for  the  celebrated  M.  M. 
Noah,  who  had  established  the  first  daily  paper 
ever  issued  in  New  York.  Its  first  name  was 
Noah's  Ark,  which  was  subsequently  changed 
to  the  Courier  and  Enquirer.  His  term  of 
service,  however,  soon  ceased  with  Mr.  Noah, 
as  he  sold  out  his  paper  and  became  Judge  of 
the  Court  of  Sessions.  On  parting  with  young 
Walker,  he  gave  him  a  letter  recommending 
him  to  Mr.  Booth,  a  celebrated  star  actor.  His 
son,  in  1865,  was  the  murderer  of  Abraham 
Lincoln.  Mr.  Booth  treated  the  young  appli- 
cant with  deserved  attention,  but  informed  him 
that  there  were  so  many  applicants  from  young 
men  wishing  to  try  their  fortunes  on  the  stage. 
that  he  could  not  give  him  any  encourage- 
ment. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


87 


Mr.  Walker's  means  now  became  exhausted, 
and  he  sold  a  cloak  to  get  money  to  pay  a 
washing  bill.  He  crossed  the  ferry  to  Hobo- 
ken,  and  started  into  the  country  on  foot,  not 
knowing  whither  he  was  going.  He  was  soon 
overtaken  by  a  farmer,  who  gave  him  an  invi- 
tation to  ride.  In  conversation  with  him,  he 
learned  that  a  schoolmaster  was  wanted  in  his 
district.  He  obtained  the  situation,  and  with 
it  relief.  Mr.  Walker,  having  finished  his  en- 
gagement, subsequently  returned  to  the  West 
and  bought  a  half-interest  in  the  Western 
Courier,  a  paper  published  in  the  Western 
Reserve,  Ohio. 

Soon  after  this,  he  made  the  acquaintance  of 
John  Brown,  Theodore  Weld  and  other  early 
Abolitionists,  and  espoused  the  cause  in  which 
these  men  were  engaged,  in  which  cause  he 
was  the  victim  of  a  determined  mob  at  Hud- 
son, Ohio,  while  he  was  a  student  at  the  West. 
ern  Reserve  College  at  the  place,  which  was 
shortly  after  his  connection  with  the  Western 
Courier.  He  had  been  invited  to  give  an  anti- 
slavery  lecture  at  the  Congregational  Church. 
It  was  known  beforehand  that  violence  would 
be  resorted  to  to  prevent  it,  and  the  preacher, 
either  through  fear  or  from  other  motives,  did 
not  attend.  He  might  have  been  like  the 
hunter  who  saw  an  animal  in  the  woods  that, 
in  the  bushes,  looked  some  like  a  calf  and 
some  like  a  deer,  and  prudentially  fired  at  it 
with  such  an  aim  as  to  miss  it  if  a  calf  and 
hit  it  if  a  deer.  In  like  manner,  many  preachers 
took  safe  ground  in  the  pioneer  days  of  aboli- 
tionism. But,  whatever  were  the  motives  of 
the  minister  in  question,  his  wife  nailed  her 
colors  to  the  masthead  and  boldly  took  her 
seat  in  the  church.  Young  Walker  "  laid  on  " 
heavy  and  unsparing.  The  mob  outside  hurled 
stones,  battered  the  doors,  broke  in  all  the 
windows,  and,  not  content  with  this,  threw  fire 
through  the  apertures.  By  this  time  the  audi- 
ence had  all  fled,  but  Mr.  Walker  and  the  hero- 
ine wife  of  the  minister  were  the  last  to  leave 


the  building.  He  was  not  molested  on  his 
retreat — perhaps  her  presence  saved  him. 

After  graduating  at  this  college,  he  was 
employed  as  editor  of  the  Ohio  Observer,  at 
Cleveland.  Subsequently,  Mr.  Walker  removed 
to  Cincinnati,  where  he  established  a  religious 
paper,  The  Watchman,  under  the  patronage  of 
the  Synods  of  Ohio,  Cincinnati  and  Indiana. 
Dr.  Stowe,  Jonathan  Blanchard  and  J.  Benton 
engaged  to  obtain  1,600  subscribers  for  his 
paper.  Dr.  Beecher  and  Dr.  Stowe  were  then 
professors  in  Lane  Seminary  at  Cincinnati 
which  was  thoroughly  pro-slavery,  and  ulti- 
mately went  down  under  the  teachings  of  abo- 
litionism. Meantime,  Mr.  Walker  did  not  tone 
down  his  editorials  as  to  the  'subject  of  slavery 
in  the  columns  of  the  Watchman,  though  he 
was  requested  to  do  so  by  some  of  its  time- 
serving supporters. 

While  engaged  in  these  editorial  duties,  he 
wrote  and  published  his  book,  "  Plan  of  Sal- 
vation." It  has  been  translated  into  six  lan- 
guages, and  is  a  text  book  in  the  Theological 
institutions  of  Europe  and  America. 

This  was  the  crowning  work  of  his  life,  but 
since  that  time  he  has  been  pastor  of  a  church 
in  Mansfield  and  Sandusky,  Ohio,  and  latterly 
Professor  of  Mental  Science  at  Wheaton  Col- 
lege, his  present  home,  where  he  is  now  enjoy- 
ing a  green  old  age,  beloved  by  all,  but  most 
by  those  who  know  him  best.  He  has  no  chil- 
dren, but  has  adopted,  raised  and  educated 
thirteen,  and  fitted  them  for  responsible  posi- 
tions in  life. 

Washington  and  Adams  belonged  to  the 
old  Federal  party.  Jefferson,  though  in  har- 
mony with  them  as  to  the  fundamental  prin- 
ciples of  Government,  yet  through  his  excessive 
zeal  for  the  broadest  forms  of  liberty,  laid  a  deep 
foundation  for  a  departure  from  the  old  Fed- 
eral conservative  policy.  He  was  radical,  san- 
guine, and  his  mind  was  ready  to  indorse  the 
verdict  of  popular  convictions,  even  though 
sometimes  perhaps  hasty  and  ill  digested.  It 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


was  due  to  his  diplomacy  and  his  public  policy 
combined,  that  the  declaration  of  the  war  of 
1812  was  made  against  England,  which  declar- 
ation was  in  violation  of  the  sentiment  of  New 
England,  as  history  abundantly  proves.  He 
had  been  Minister  to  France  during  the  tran- 
sient glories  of  the  Republic,  which  succeeded 
her  revolution  of  1798,  and  his  sympathies  be- 
ing entirely  with  her  he  never  lost  an  occasion 
to  give  England  a  thrust  in  the  conflict  that 
followed  between  her  and  France,  and  our 
declaration  of  war  against  England  helped 
France,  besides  settling  old  scores  on  our  own 
account. 

The  war  won  nothing  in  theory,  but  more 
than  an}'  one  could  have  hoped  for  in  practical 
results  and  military  glory.  Jackson's  victory 
at  New  Orleans,  though  achieved  after  peace 
had  been  signed,  placed  him  at  the  head  of  the 
accumulating  force  that  was  gathering  strength 
in  opposition  to  the  old  Federal  policy  of  Wash- 
ington, and  when  these  two  forms  were  arrayed 
against  each  other  with  John  Quincy  Adams, 
the  standard-bearer  for  the  time-honored  policy 
of  his  father,  and  Gen.  Jackson  the  exponent  of 
the  Jeffersonian  policy,  the  latter  won  the  day. 
Jackson  became  President,  and  the  beloved 
champion  of  popular  rights  par  excellence. 
Under  him  the  Democratic  party  became  strong 
and  invincible,  till  an  issue  came  up  bound  to 
crush  all  partisan  organizations.  Meantime 
the  Western  States  were  rapidly  being  settled, 
and  were  destined  to  become  the  base  of  oper-  j 
ations,  from  which  the  champions  of  each  side 
of  the  final  issue  between  slavery  and  anti- 
slavery  should  inaugurate  their  policy,  and 
put  their  respective  machinery  in  motion. 

The  Whig  party,  whose  success  had  been  but 
transient,  was  going  to  seed.  It  had  in  its  ranks 
too  many  Abolitionists  to  live  permanently, 
besides  its  banking  policy  had  been  disastrous 
to  the  country.  But  a  new  party  rose  into 
prominence  out  of  the  teachings  of  the  men 
whose  brief  biographies  have  just  been  given, 


and  in  the  State  of  Illinois  this  policy  gained 
its  first  substantial  success  politically,  and  set 
in  motion  a  train  of  events  as  to  State  policy, 
that  soon  found  its  way  into  the  national  policy. 
The  circumstances  are  these  : 

Soon  after  the  murder  of  Lovejoy  at  Alton, 
a  meeting  was  called  at  Chicago,  not  as  a  direct 
abolition  meeting,  but  to  characterize  the  ac- 
tion of  the  mob  that  killed  him  as  a  blow  aimed 
against  the  constitutional  right  of  the  freedom 
of  the  press. 

Rev.  F.  Bascom  (now  living  at  Downer's 
Grove),  the  late  Dr.  C.  V.  Dyer,  Philo  Carpen- 
ter and  Calvin  DeWolf  (now  living  at  Chicago) 
were  the  leading  spirits  of  this  meeting.  A 
watch  was  kept  outside,  lest  a  mob  might  assail 
them  during  their  deliberations,  but  no  one 
molested  them. 

This  was  the  first  meeting  ever  held  in  Chi- 
cago that  called  in  question  the  right  of  any- 
body to  oppose  slavery  agitation  by  any  means, 
fair  or  foul. 

As  has  already  been  recorded  in  the  biog- 
raphy of  Benjamin  Lundy,  he  came  to  Illinois 
after  the  death  of  Lovejoy,  and  established  a 
paper  in  defense  of  constitutional  rights. 

After  his  (Lundy's)  death  in  1 839,  his  paper 
was  continued  by  Hooper  Warren  and  Z. 
Eastman,  the  latter  now  a  resident  of  May- 
wood,  Cook  Co.,  111. 

In  1840,  an  Anti-slavery  Presidential  ticket 
was  formed  in  Illinois,  in  Fulton  County,  with 
James  Birney  as  standard-bearer.  Here  was 
the  beginning ;  but  more  practical  results, 
through  Illinois  men,  followed  in  due  course. 

Warren  and  Eastman's  paper  was  continued 
at  La  Salle,  on  the  same  press  that  the  old  vet- 
eran Lundy  had  consecrated  to  the  cause,  till 
1842,  when  Rev.  F.  Bascom  invited  Mr.  East- 
man to  come  to  Chicago,  Dr.  Dyer  being  the 
bearer  of  the  invitation.  It  was  accepted,  and 
Mr.  Eastman  transferred  his  type  and  presses 
thither  the  same  year  (1842),  and  continued  the 
paper  under  the  name  of  the  Western  Citizen. 


LIBR'KY 

OF  1,.E 

UNIVERSITY  OF  HUNOIS 


HISTOHY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


On  declaring  its  policy,  the  Citizen  said : 
"  We  see  no  reason  why  our  Government  should 
be  overturned,  our  Constitution  trampled  under 
foot  or  the  Union  dissolved,  or  why  the  church 
organizations  should  be  destroyed. 
We  wish  it  understood  that  our  course  is  re- 
formatory, and  not  destructive." 

Icabod  Codding  soon  became  associated  with 
Mr.  Eastman,  and  took  the  field  as  lecturer. 
Chief  Justice  Chase  said  he  was  the  most  elo- 
quent orator  he  ever  heard.  The  widow  of  Mr. 
Codding  is  still  living  at  Lockport,  111. 

A  convention  was  soon  held  in  Chicago,  at 
Chapman's  Hall,  on  the  southwest  corner  of 
La  Salle  and  Randolph  Streets,  at  which  the 
new  party  sat  in  council,  recognizing  not  only 
the  usual  methods  of  propagating  their  senti- 
ments, but  recognizing  the  Underground  Rail- 
road as  a  means  worthy  to  be  used.  From  this 
time  henceforward,  the  Liberty  party  always 
put  candidates  in  the  field  for  State  elections 
and  for  Congress  as  fast  as  the  principles  of 
the  party  gained  a  foothold  in  Congressional 
districts. 

The  Wilmot  Proviso,  the  Nebraska  Bill, 
Squatter  Sovereignty,  Fugitive  Slave  Laws,  Re- 
peal of  the  Missouri  Compromise,  John  Brown's 
Raid,  and  the  Dred  Scot  Decision  followed  in 
their  immutable  train  and  augmented  agitation 
till  two  great  Illinois  champions  were  brought 
into  the  arena  destined,  the  one  to  rend  asun- 
der the  Democratic  party,  and  the  other  to  be 
the  representative  of  the  new  party  that  was  to 
rise  into  being  amidst  the  din  and  strife  and 
contending  emotions  that  racked  the  brains  of 
politicians  opposed  to  moral  sentiment. 
While  numerical  force  was  centering  into  the 
hands  of  the  Liberty  part}'  during  these  years, 
the  old  Whig  party  still  kept  up  its  organiza- 
tion. Hon.  K.  B.  Washburn  was  one  of  their 
number,  and  owed  his  first  election  to  Con- 
gress to  votes  from  the  Liberty  party,  who 
joined  with  the  Whigs,  and  astonished  the 
stronghold  of  Democracy  by  electing  him. 


This  signal  defeat  for  the  Democrats  never  was 
recovered  from  ;  Mr.  Washburn's  heavy  blows 
fell  with  great  force  upon  the  party  to  which 
he  was  opposed,  and  will  descend  into  history 
as  a  monument  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of 
Illinois  as  the  vanguard  in  the  new  order  of 
things  about  to  take  place.  The  Liberty  party 
by  this  time  held  the  situation  in  their  own 
hands.  Not  that  they  outnumbered  the  Demo- 
crats, but  because  they  held  the  balance  of 
power.  The  Whigs  could  do  nothing  without 
them,  and  spread  their  sails  to  their  breezes. 
They  were  potent  in  the  Legislature,  for  these, 
too,  they  held  the  balance  of  power,  and  from 
this  time  onward  they  continued  to  circumvent 
their  opponents  till  strong  enough  to  take  the 
field  alone  in  their  own  name  and  with  their 
own  strength.  Mr.  Douglas'  term  in  the  South 
being  about  to  expire,  a  new  election  was  nec- 
essary in  1858.  His  joint  debate  with  Mr. 
Lincoln  at  that  time  is  still  fresh  in  the  minds 
of  Illinois  citizens.  Mr.  Douglas  was  elected 
by  a  majority  of  eight  votes  in  the  House  of 
Representatives,  which  decided  the  election  by 
their  vote,  but  Mr.  Lincoln  had  a  majority  of 
4,000  popular  votes  in  the  State,  and  won  the 
laurels  during  this  debate  that  made  him  can- 
didate for  the  Presidency  in  1860. 

An  anecdote  is  told  of  Mr.  Lincoln  concern- 
ing his  supposed  temerity  in  running  against 
Mr.  Douglas  for  the  Senate,  as  follows :  An 
inquirer  says  to  him  :  c<  You  don't  expect  to 
beat  Douglas,  do  you  ?"  To  which  Mr.  Lincoln 
responded  that  it  was  with  him  as  it  was  with 
the  boys  who  made  an  attack  on  a  hornets' 
nest.  "  What  do  you  expect  to  do,  boys  ?" 
You  don't  expect  to  take  that  hornets'  nest,  do 
you  ?"  "  We  don't  know  that  we  shall  exactly 
take  it,"  replied  the  boys,  "  but  we  shall  be- 
devil the  nest."  So  said  Mr.  Lincoln,  "  If  we 
don't  capture  Douglas,  we  shall  bedevil  his 
nest." 

Mr.  Douglas'  magnanimity  to  Mr.  Lincoln 
after  his  election  to  the  Presidency  is  well 


90 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


known.  He,  too,  was  an  Illinois  man.  He  was 
the  instrument  by  which  the  partisan  ties  that 
originally  bound  the  party  to  a  wrong  princi- 
ple were  rent  asunder,  when  he  became  the 
candidate  of  its  Northern  wing  for  President 
at  the  same  time  that  Lincoln  was  candidate  for 
the  Liberty  party  in  1860. 

Every  soldier  who  went  from  Illinois  to  fight 
against  the  rebellion  may  well  feel  pride  in 
the  part  their  State  took  in  it,  not  only  in  being 
the  first  State  to  define  the  new  policy  of  the 
Government,  but  in  furnishing  the  great  states- 
man to  direct  the  arm  of  the  nation  when  raised 
in  defense  of  those  rights  which  are  essential 
to  the  grandeur  of  a  State,  and  especially  to 
Illinois,  whose  central  position  binds  its  inter- 
ests alike  to  every  part  of  the  country.  The 
record  of  Du  Page  County  soldiers  in  the  con- 
flict that  decided  the  question  that  Illinois 
statesmen  had  been  the  first  to  give  form  and 
system  to,  is  a  noble  one. 

And,  though  the  county  is  small,  her  soldiers 
took  part  in  the  most  decisive  campaigns  and 
battles  of  the  war,  and  those  who  have  re- 
turned and  are  now  living,  are  among  our  most 


highly-esteemed  fellow-citizens — efficient  in  the 
arts  of  peace  as  they  were  formidable  on  the 
field  of  battle. 

The  same  may  be  said,  as  a  rule,  of  all  the 
soldiers  who  went  from  the  North,  and  it  may 
also  be  said  that  this  fair  fame  is  all  the  more 
to  be  prized,  because  so  many  share  it ;  but  let 
it  not  be  forgotten  that  the  Liberty  party  of 
Illinois  inserted  the  first  wedge  of  disintegra- 
tion into  the  slavery  plank  of  the  Democratic 
party.  This  plank  was  a  fungus  growth  on  the 
trunk  of  their  tree.  Jefferson,  from  whom  they 
claim  origin,  planted  no  such  seed  in  its  virgin 
soil,  but  it  grew  there  as  cancers  sometimes 
grow  in  stalwart  frames.  The  surgeon's  knife 
has  removed  it.  All  this  is  simple  history,  and 
not  partisan  pleading  in  any  sense. 

Both  the  officers  and  men  composing  the 
Union  army,  were  made  up  from  each  political 
party,  and  partisan  issues  were  lost  sight  of  in 
the  transcendent  crisis  thrust  upon  the  country 
by  the  hostile  shots  fired  at  the  American  flag 
that  waved  over  Fort  Sumter,  near  the  spot 
where  Fort  Moultrie  had  repulsed  the  British 
in  1776. 


CHAPTER   VI. 


RECORD  OF  1)U  PAGE  COUNTY  IN  THE  WAR  OF  THE  REBELLION. 


IN  the  war  with  Mexico,  in  1846-47,  the 
quota  of  Illinois  was  six  regiments,  which 
were  the  first  ever  raised  in  this  State  for 
regular  service  in  the  United  States.  Thirty- 
four  years  had  passed  since  that  time,  and 
though  the  art  of  war  had  gone  into  disuse, 
when  Abraham,  Lincoln  made  a  call,  April 
16,  1861,  for  75,000  troops  to  serve  three 
months,  ten  regiments  from  Illinois  responded, 
though  their  quota  was  but  six.  The  number- 
ing began  where  regiments  for  the  Mexican 
service  left  off,  consequently  the  number  of  the 


first  regiment  raised  for  service  in  the  war  of 
the  rebellion  was  numbered  seven. 

SEVENTH   REGIMENT. 

The  Seventh  Regiment  of  Illinois  Infantry 
was  among  President  Lincoln's  first  call  for 
three  months'  men.  It  was  first  organized 
April  25,  1861.  Twenty-four  men  from  Du 
Page  County  enrolled  themselves  in  it  as  pio- 
neers in  a  new  branch  of  industry  in  which  they 
mostly  if  not  all  as  yet  were  untaught.  That 
they  soon  (like  others  who  followed)  became 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


91 


efficient,  the  result  proved.  After  the  term  for 
which  this  regiment  had  enlisted  had  expired, 
many  of  the  men  re-enlisted,  and  the  regiment 
re-organized  as  veterans  for  three  years'  service 
at  Camp  Yates,  Springfield,  July  25, 1861.  Its 
first  destination  was  Ironton,  where  it  was 
placed  under  the  command  of  Gen.  Prentiss. 
Cape  Girardeau  was  the  next  point  reached,  and 
Fort  Holt,  Ky.,  its  next. 

On  the  3d  of  February,  it  reached  Fort  Henry, 
from  which  place  it  started  on  the  12th  for  Fort 
Donelson,  to  take  part  in  the  siege  of  that  post, 
then  in  the  hands  of  the  rebels,  and  here  it  was 
engaged  in  the  last  charge  made  against  the 
enemy's  works.  After  the  capture  of  this  fort, 
it  was  dispatched  to  the  Tennessee  Kiver,  and, 
the  following  April,  took  part  in  the  battle  of 
Shiloh,  and  subsequently  in  the  battleof  Corinth, 
which  took  place  October  3,  4,  during  both  of 
which  days  the  Seventh  was  much  of  the  time 
under  fire.  From  the  18th  of  December,  to  the 
following  year,  1863,  in  May,  it  was  mounted 
and  engaged  in  raiding  and  skirmishing.  On 
the  22d  of  December,  the  regiment  re-enlisted 
as  veterans.  On  the  llth  of  January,  1864,  it 
was  furloughed  for  thirty  days  to  rest  from  its 
hitherto  unceasing  toils,  at  the  expiration  of 
which  term  it  was  sent  to  Pulaski,  where,  being 
again  mounted,  it  went  into  scouting  service  in 
Northern  Alabama. 

On  the  5th  of  October,  1864,  it  was  in  the' 
sanguinary  battle  of  Altoona  Pass,  where  it  lost 
143  men.  On  the  9th  of  November,  it  joined 
Sherman's  army  in  its  march  to  the  sea,  after 
the  successful  accomplishment  of  which  exploit 
the  Seventh,  together  with  its  other  companions 
in  arms,  marched  in  review  before  President 
Lincoln  in  Washington,  who  there  beheld  the 
men  whose  hardihood  had  won  the  cause  for 
which  such  sacrifices  had  been  made. 

From  there  the  Seventh  proceeded  to  Louis- 
ville, where  it  was  mustered  out  July  9,  1865. 

Following  are  the  names  of  the  men  in  this 
regiment  : 


COMPANY  A. 

Bates,  Allen,  Wayne,  enlisted  and  mustered  in  July 
25,  1861;  killed  at  Shiloh  April  6,  1862. 

The  following  were  three  months'  men  from 
Du  Page  County,  enlisted  April  22  and  mus- 
tered in  the  25th,  1861  : 

Boutwell,  0.  M.;  Goodwin,  J.,  Musician;  Ham- 
mond, 8.  F. ;  Oyer,  Joseph;  Smith,  A.  R.;  Thomp- 
son, T.  J. ;  Wilson,  O.  R. 

Three  years'  service : 
Trick,  Richard  A.,  Wayne. 

COMPANY  C. 

Bader,  Emil,  Naperville. 

Battles,  Edwin  D.,  Turner  Junction. 

Erhardt,  John,  Naperville,  re-enlisted  as  veteran; 
promoted  Corporal. 

Gilhower,  John,  Naperville. 

Givler,  David  B.,  Naperville,  Musician;  re-enlisted 
as  veteran. 

Hamilton,  Jesse,  Naperville;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Lamb,  Lyman,  York,  discharged  May  6,  1862. 

Mitchell,  Robert,  Warrenville;  re-enlisted  as  vet- 
eran. 

_WaddlehofEer,  Charles,  Naperville ;  re-enlisted  as 
veteran. 

Stafflinger,  John,  Naperville. 

Ward,  Stephen  D.,  Warrenville,  killed  at  Rome; 
Ga.,  August  21,  1864. 
(All  the  above  were  enlisted  July  18,  and  mustered 

in  the  25th,  1861.) 

Ward,  Charles,  Warrenville,  enlisted  September  27, 
1861;  discharged  May  19, 1862. 

Fisher,  William,  Naperville,  enlisted  and  mustered 
in  December  23,  1863. 

Hubreht,  John  B.,  Naperville,  enlisted  and  mustered 
in  December  23,  1863;  promoted  Corporal;  killed 
at  Altoona,  Ga.,  October  5,  1864. 

Vorhes,  William  W.,  Warrenville,  enlisted  and 
mustered  in  December  22,  1863;  promoted  Ser- 
geant. 

TENTH  REGIMENT. 

The  Tenth  Regiment  of  Illinois  Infantry  was 
mustered  into  service  at  Cairo  April  29,  1861. 
It  had  but  one  volunteer  from  Du  Page  County: 

COMPANY   C. 

Goodell,  Charles,  York,  enlisted  and  mustered  in 
August  31,  1864. 


92 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


TWELFTH   REGIMENT. 

The  Twelfth  Regiment  of  Illinois  Infantry 
was  organized  at  Cairo,  and  mustered  in  Au- 
gust 1,  1861.  It  had  two  volunteers  from  Du 
Page  County : 

COMPANY   I. 

Bolin,  Dennis,  Winfield,  enlisted  and  mustered  in 

October  25,  1864. 
Hannesey,  James,  Wayne,  enlisted  and  mustered  in 

October  25,  1864. 

THIRTEENTH  REGIMENT. 

The  Thirteenth  Regiment  of  Illinois  Infantry. 
Company  K,  of  this  regiment  was  from  Du 
Page  County.  It  was  organized  at  Dixon  May 
9,  1861,  and  mustered  into  service  on  the  24th. 
It  was  first  ordered  to  Caseyville,  111.,  thence 
to  Rolla,  Mo.,  and  the  succeeding  October  (the 
25th)  was  ordered  forward  to  join  Fremont's 
army  at  Springfield. 

Gen.  Fremont  being  now  removed,  the  plan 
of  the  campaign  was  changed,  and  the  Thir- 
teenth was  ordered  back  to  Rolla,  where  it  re- 
mained till  December  12.  From  there  it  was 
ordered  to  Salem  to  guard  against  guerrillas  for 
two  weeks,  after  which  it  returned  to  Rolla, 
where  it  remained  till  March  6,  1862,  when  it 
was  sent  to  join  the  army  of  Gen.  Curtis,  against 
whose  army  Price's  rebels  were  making  demon- 
strations. The  junction  was  made  with  Gen. 
Curtis  on  the  18th  of  March,  and  on  the  8th  of 
April  the  army  started  for  Helena,  Ark.  The 
march  was  one  unremitting  struggle  through 
mud  and  water,  and  it  was  not  till  the 
last  of  July  that  their  destination  was  reached. 
Here  the  regiment  was  attached  to  Gen.  Steel's 
division  of  Sherman's  army,  then  about  to 
move  against  Vicksburg,  the  key  to  the  Lower 
Mississippi,  and  as  such  a  strategic  point  of  im- 
portance second  to  no  other  in  the  Confederacy. 
On  the  22d  of  December,  1862,  an  immense 
fleet  of  transports  hung  along  the  banks  of  the 
river,  where  the  Thirteenth  had  enjoyed  a  brief 
respite  from  the  toils  of  marching.  Into  these 
the  men  were  closely  packed  and  turned  down 


the  turbid  waters  of  this  stream  till  the  mouth 
of  the  Yazoo  was  reached.  Here  under  a  con- 
voy of  gunboats  the}^  steamed  up  this  tribu- 
tary to  make  an  attack  on  Vicksburg  from  the 
east.  On  the  morning  of  the  27th,  the  line  of 
battle  was  formed,  the  Thirteenth  occupying  the 
left  wing  of  the  army  in  Gen.  Steel's  division. 
The  first  day  was  occupied  in  making  ap- 
proaches to  the  formidable  works  of  the  enemy, 
and  nothing  more  was  done  than  to  drive  in 
their  pickets.  The  next  morning  opened  with 
a  skirmish,  but  in  the  afternoon  the  Thirteenth 
and  Sixteenth,  led  by  Gen.  Wyman,  silenced 
some  of  the  batteries  of  the  enemy,  while  doing 
which  Gen.  Wyman  fell  mortally  wounded,  but 
he  still  encouraged  his  men.  All  this  was  but 
an  insignificant  skirmish  compared  to  the  work 
to  be  accomplished  before  the  stars  and  stripes 
could  shadow  the  defiant  town  in  the  closer  ap- 
proaches, to  which  death  lurked  in  ominous 
silence. 

On  the  29th,  the  desperate  charge  was  made. 
'Twas  upon  the  earthworks  along  the  banks  of 
Chickasaw  Bayou.  These  were  to  be  taken  by 
storm,  and  before  they  could  be  reached,  an 
open  space  must  be  traversed  under  fire  from  a 
sheltered  foe  from  two  directions.  Into  this 
terrible  arena  the  Thirteenth  led  the  way  across 
two  lines  of  rifle-pits,  which  they  captured. 
This  brought  them  within  thirty  rods  of  the 
frowning  battlements  yet  to  be  taken.  One 
hundred  and  seventy-seven  of  their  men  had 
fallen.  To  advance  was  death.  The  day  was  lost, 
and  they  retired  in  good  order.  The  enemy 
were  wild  with  delight,  but  the  end  was  not  yet. 

At  Arkansas  Post  was  a  large  depot  of  stores, 
and  5,000  rebel  troops  to  guard  them.  Gen. 
McClernand  was  sent  to  take  the  place,  and 
Gen.  Steel's  division,  among  whom  was  the 
Thirteenth,  were  a  part  of  his  forces.  The  at- 
tack was  suddenly  made,  and  a  day's  fighting 
was  rewarded  with  the  capture  of  the  place,  in- 
cluding 5,000  prisoners.  This  irreparable  loss 
to  the  enemy  was  soon  succeeded  by  another 


HISTORY  OF  DLT  PAGE  COUNTY. 


93 


severe  one  at  Greenville,  Miss.,  in  which  the  • 
Thirteenth  had  a  hand,  after  which  it  shared 
the  triumph  of  the  capture  of  Jackson,  the  capi- 
tal of  the  State  of  Mississippi,  from  whence  it 
was  ordered  again  to  Vicksburg,  and  there 
manned  the  trenches  which  environed  the  place 
amidst  a  tempest  of  shot  till  it  finally  surren- 
dered. July  13,  1863 — a  monument  of  tena- 
cious hardihood  in  triumph  over  audacious 
courage  almost  unparalleled  in  the  records  of  j 
modern  warfare. 

Chattanooga  was  the  next  principal  scene  of 
battle  for  the  Thirteenth.  It  guarded  the  bag- 
gage train  of  the  army  to  this  place  ;  was  fore- 
most in  the  capture  of  Tuscumbia,  and  lent  a 
hand  in  taking  Lookout  Mountain,  which  mir- 
acculous  achievement  was  soon  followed  by  the 
victory  of  Mission  Ridge,  where  the  Thirteenth 
captured  more  prisoners  of  the  Eighteenth  Ala- 
bama than  their  own  force  numbered.  The 
enemy  now  were  in  full  retreat,  and  the  Thir- 
teenth foremost  in  pursuit  of  them,  but  at  Ring- 
gold  Gap  they  made  a  stand,  and,  owing  to  the 
natural  strength  of  their  position,  held  our 
forces  at  bay.  In  the  first  charge  that  followed, 
many  were  killed,  among  whom  was  Capt.  Wal- 
ter Blanchard,  of  Downer's  Grove. 

But  a  desperate  encounter  was  yet  in  store 
for  this  regiment.     At  Madison  Station,  Ala.,  | 
where  it  was  posted,  after  being  reduced  by  the 
casualties  of  war  to  350  men  fit  for  duty,  it 
was  surrounded  by  more  than  one  thousand 
of  the  enemy's  cavalry,  with  three  pieces  of 
artillery.     After  two  hours'  fighting,  it  made 
good  its  retreat,  but  left  behind  sixty-six  men  ' 
as  prisoners.     The  enemy 's  loss  was  sixty  killed  ' 
and  wounded. 

In  the  summer  of  1864,  the  regiment  returned 
to  their  homes  to  rest,  but  soon  re-enlisted  in 
the  Fifty-sixth.      The   entire   loss   during  the  ' 
war,  from  all  causes,  was  565  men. 

COMPANY   H. 

Babcock,  Frederick  W.,  Naperville,  enlisted  and 
mustered  in  August  24,  1864. 


Thatcher,  Nelson  L.,  enlisted  and  mustered  in 
May  24, 1861 ;  mustered  out  June  18,  1864. 

COMPANY  K. 

Captains. — Blanchard,  Walter,  Downer's  Grove, 
date  of  rank  May  24,  1861,  died  December  4,  1863, 
from  wounds  received  at  Ringgold  Gap;  Cole,  Jor- 
dan J.,  Downer's  Grove,  date  of  rank  December  4, 
1863,  promoted  from  Second  Lieutenant  to  First 
Lieutenant.  Term  expired  June  18,  1864. 

First  Lieutenants. — Bailey,  Eli,  Naperville,  date 
of  rank,  December  29,  1862,  promoted  from  Ser- 
geant to  Second  Lieutenant.  Term  expired  June 
18,  1864;  Hobson,  Meritt  S.,  Naperville,  resigned 
January  22,  1862. 

Second  Lieutenant. — Naper,  George  A.,  Naper- 
ville, date  of  rank  January  22,  1862,  promoted  from 
Sergeant.  Killed  at  Vicksburg  December  29,  1862. 

Sergeants. — Page,  Edmund  E.  Lisle,  enlisted  June 
25,  mustered  out  June  18,  1864,  as  First  Sergeant; 
Ketcham,  Hiram,  Winfield,  enlisted  June  25,  1861, 
mustered  out  June  18,  1864,  wounded;  Gladding, 
John  G.,  Winfield,  enlisted  June  25, 1861,  discharged 
December  25,  1862;  disability. 

Corporals. — Pollard,  Reuben  B.,  Downer's  Grove, 
enlisted  June  25,  1861,  discharged  March  25,  1863; 
Blanchard,  Franklin,  Downer's  Grove,  enlisted  June 
25,  1861,  mustered  out  June  18,  1864,  as  Sergeant; 
Farrar,  Eugene  W.,Downer'sGrove,  enlisted  June  25, 
1861,  mustered  out  June  18,  1864,  as  Sergeant;  Riley, 
Patrick,  Downer's  Grove,  enlisted  June  25,  1861,  Col- 
or Sergeant,  killed  at  Ringgold  November  27,  1863; 
Kenyon,  Israel,  Naperville, enlisted  June  25, 1861,  dis- 
charged February  20, 1862,  disability;  Hyde,  Charles 
W.,  Naperville,  enlisted  June  25,  1861,  died  June  15, 
1863,  wounds;  Ball,  Lewis  C.,  Naperville,  enlisted 
June  25,  1861,  mustered  out  June  18,  1864. 

Musicians. — Perry,  Merritt,  Downer's  Grove,  en- 
listed June  25,  1861,  transferred  to  non-commis- 
sioned staff  September  10,  1861,  as  Principal  Musi- 
cian; Sucher,  James  W.,  Downer's  Grove,  enlisted 
June  25,  1861,  mustered  June  18,  1864;  Kenyon, 
John  M.,  York,  enlisted  June  25,  1861,  transferred 
to  non-commissioned  staff  November  20,  1863,  as 
Principal  Musician. 

Privates. — Beckman,  Charles,  Naperville,  June 
25,  1861,  discharged  March  10,  1864,  lost  right  arm; 
Bader,  Adolph,  Naperville,  June  25,  1861,  prisoner 
of  war,  mustered  out  June  18,  1865;  Bolles,  Charles 
E.,  Turner  Junction,  enlisted  and  mustered  in  March 
8,  1862,  discharged  February  10,  1863,  for  wounds; 
Beesing,  Lewis,  Naperville,  June  25,  1861,  died 
August  4,  1863;  Bullou,  Daniel  W.,  Naperville,  June 


94 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


25,  1861,  trans,  to  Tenth  Missouri  Cavalry,  promoted 
Second  Lieutenant;  Blanehard,  William,  Downer's 
Grove,  June  25,  1881,  discharged  April  18,  1862,  dis- 
ability; Boettger,  Charles,  Du  Page  County,  June 
25,  1861,  mustered  out  June  18,  1864;  Beuck,  Fritz, 
Du  Page  County,  June  25,  1861,  mustered  out  June 
18,  1864;  Balliman,  William,  Downer's  Grove,  June 
25,  1861,  mustered  out  June  18,  1864;  Baugertz,  Lor- 
entz,  Downer's  Grove,  June  25,  1861,  discharged 
July  25,  1862,  disability;  Bolles,  Essec,  Du  Page 
County,  June  25,  1861,  mustered  out  June  18,  1864, 
as  Corporal;  Carpenter,  Charles,  Downer's  Grove, 
June  25,  1861,  mustered  out  June  18,  1864;  Daniels, 
John,  Naperville,  June  25,  1861,  trans,  to  Tenth 
Missouri  Cavalry,  October  1,  1861;  Deuel,  Charles 
B.,  York,  June  25,  1861,  mustered  out  June  18,  1864; 
Dirr,  Adam  L.,  Naperville,  June  25,  1861,  mustered 
out  June  18,  1864;  Doerr,  Phillip,  Naperville,  June 
25,  1861,  trans,  to  Tenth  Missouri  Cavalry,  October 
1,  1861;  Fowler,  Oliver  S.,  York,  June  25,  1861, 
mustered  out  June  18,  1864,  as  Corporal ;  Farrell, 
James,  Du  Page  County,  June  25,  1861,  re-enlisted 
as  veteran  January  1,  1864,  trans,  to  Company  I, 
Fifty-sixth  Illinois,  prisoner  of  war;  Ferris,  Charles 
H.,  Lisle,  .June  25,  1861,  died  November  26,  1861; 
Greggs,  Joseph,  Du  Page  County,  June  25,  1861, 
discharged  September  18,  1863;  disability;  Griffith, 
Charles,  Warrenville,  June  25,  1861,  mustered  out 
June  18,  1864;  Gokey,  Lewis,  Warrenville,  June  25, 
1861,  re-enlisted  as  veteran  January  1, 1864,  trans,  to 
Company  I,  Fifty-sixth  Illinois;  Howard,  Abraham 
C.,  Downer's  Grove,  June  25,  1861,  trans,  to  Invalid 
Corps  September  1,  1863;  Hart,  Matthias,  Naper- 
ville, June  25,  1861,  mustered  out  June  18,  1864,  as 
Corporal;  Holley,  James  L.,  Du  Page  County,  June 
25,  1861,  mustered  out  June  18,  1864;  Hunt.  Henry, 
Downer's  Grove,  June  25,  1861,  discharged  Febru- 
ary 20,  1862,  disability;  Howland,  Charles  E.,  Lisle, 
June  25,  1861,  died  October  25,  1861;  Hintz,  Mi- 
chael, Du  Page  County,  June  25,  1861,  discharged 
March  30,  1863.  lost  his  arm;  Hartigan,  Patrick,  Du 
Page  County,  June  25,  1861,  mustered  out  June  18, 
1864;  Harris,  Charles,  Du  Page  County,  June  25, 
1861,  re-enlisted  as  veteran  January  1,  1864,  prisoner 
of  war;  Henrick,  Christian,  Brush  Hill,  enlisted  and 
mustered  in  June  25,  1861,  mustered  out  June  18, 
1864;  Johnson,  William,  Du  Page  County,  June  25, 
1861,  re-enlisted  as  veteran  January  1,  1864;  Kuchel, 
Mathias,  Lisle,  June  25,  1861,  mustered  out  June 
18,  1864;  Kreitzer,  Ferdinand,  Du  Page  County, 
June  25,  1861,  discharged  October  1, 186',  disability; 
Kniffin,  Daniel.  Lisle,  June  25,  1861,  transferred  to 


Invalid  Corps;  Kenyon,  William  J.,  Naperville,  June 
25,  1861,  died  April  20,  1863;  Miller,  John  F.,  Na- 
perville, June  25,  1861,  prisoner  of  war,  mustered 
out  June  7,  1865;  Neas,  Baptiste,  Naperville,  June 
25,  1861,  killed  at  Chickasaw  Bayou  December  29, 
1862;  Naper,  JohnN.,  June  25,  .1861,  discharged  Jan- 
uary 1,  1864,  disability;  Neaderhauser,  Daniel,  Na- 
perville, June  24,  1861,  died  October  27, 1861;  Potter, 
William,  Naperville,  June  25,  1861,  trans,  to  Inva- 
lid Corps  September  21,  1863;  Potter,  Robert  K., 
Naperville,  June  25,  1861,  discharged  May  26,  1863, 
disability;  Rose,  William  E.,  Naperville,  June  25, 
1861,  mustered  out  June  18,  1864;  Smith,  Joseph, 
Lisle,  enlisted  and  mustered  in  June  25,  1861,  mus- 
tered out  June  18,  1864;  Snyder,  Reuben,  Naper- 
ville, June  25,  1861,  died  December  21, 1863,  wounds; 
Sucher,  Jacob,  Downer's  Grove,  June  25, 1861,  mus- 
tered out  June  18,  1864;  Shuestcr,  William,  Lisle, 
June  25,  1861,  prisoner  of  war;  Standage,  Henry, 
Du  Page  County,  June  25,  1861,  reported  dead; 
Turner,  George,  Downer's  Grove,  June  25,  1861, 
mustered  June  18,  1864;  Townsend,  Lysander,  York, 
June  25,  1861,  discharged  December  10,  1863,  disa- 
bility; Tuttle,  Charles,  Du  Page  County,  June  25, 
1861,  died  December  26,  1861:  Toitlet,  John,  Dow- 
ner's Grove,  June  25,  1861,  prisoner  of  war;  Wilflin, 
Christian,  Du  Page  County,  June  25,  1861,  re-en- 
listed as  veteran  January  1,  1864,  prisoner  of  war; 
Walters,  Christian,  Downer's  Grove,  June  25,  1861, 
mustered  out  June  18,  1864;  Woods,  Hollis,  Win- 
field,  June  25,  1861,  died  January  29,  1863,  wounds; 
Webster,  Charles,  Lisle,  June  25,  1861,  mustered  out 
June  18,  1864. 

Recruits.— Griffith,  Samuel,  Warrenville,  Sep- 
tember 10  1861,  discharged  February  7,  1863,  disa- 
bility; Hubbard  John  B.,  Naperville,  September  10, 
1861,  trans,  to  Invalid  Corps;  Hall,  Henry  K.,  Na- 
perville, September  10,  1861,  discharged  November 
15,  1862,  disability;  Ketcham,  Abraham,  Winfield, 
October  1,  1861,  re-enlisted  as  veteran;  Prandleburg, 
Joseph,  Du  Page  County,  July  8,  1861,  trans,  to 
Company  I,  Fifty-sixth  Illinois;  Remmel,  Matthias, 
Naperville,  September  10,  1861,  discharged  May  26, 
1863,  wounded  in  head;  Roush,  Jeremiah,  Naper- 
ville, September  10,  1861,  discharged  August  11, 
1863,  disability;  Rose,  William,  October  1,  1862,  dis- 
charged April  18,  1863,  disability;  Starnhagen,  John, 
Du  Page  County,  enlisted  and  mustered  in  July  21, 
1861,  died  May  24,  1862;  Stevens,  De  Witt,  Naper- 
ville, July  7,  1861,  killed  at  Chickasaw  Bayou,  De- 
cember 29,  1882;  Stark,  Henry,  Dn  Page  County, 
enlisted  and  mustered  in  July  15,  1861,  re-enlisted  as 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


95 


veteran;  Tennant,  Joseph,  Naperville,  September 
10.  1861,  re-enlisted  as  veteran;  Tilden,  Charles, 
Naperville,  March  24,  1863,  trans,  to  Company  I, 
Fifty-sixth  Illinois  Infantry;  Wescott,  Theophilus, 
Warrenville,  September  10, 1861,  discharged  October 
1,  1861,  disability. 

FIFTEENTH    REGIMENT. 

Fifteenth  Regiment  of  Illinois  Infantry  was 
organized  at  Freeport,  111.,  and  mustered  into 
service  May  24,  1861,  being  the  first  in  the 
State  for  the  three  years'  service  ;  had  four 
men  from  Du  Page  Count}7.  It  was  mustered 
out  September  1,  1865,  at  Fort  Leaven  worth, 
Kan. 

COMPANY  C. 

Truman,  Ira,  Milton,  enlisted  and  mustered  in  May 
.    24,  1861;  mustered  out  May  25, 1864. 
Truman,  Austin  B.,  Milton,  enlisted  and  mustered 
in  May  24,  1861;  mustered  out  May  25,  1864. 

COMPANY  E. 

Blaisdell,  William  E.,  Wayne,  enlisted  and  mustered 
in  May  24,  1861;  discharged  January  22,  1863. 

Watson,  Edward,  Wayne,  enlisted  and  mustered  in 
May  24,  1861;  killed  at  Shiloh  April  6,  1862. 

NINETEENTH  REGIMENT. 

The  Nineteenth  Regiment  of  Illinois  Infan- 
try in  its  formation  dates  from  the  opening  of 
the  war.  Three  companies  of  it,  without  wait- 
ing till  men  could  be  raised,  were  hurriedly 
sent  to  Cairo  April  14,  1861,  under  Gen.  Swift, 
to  guard  the  place  from  a  threatening  attack. 
The  regiment  was  completely  organized  and 
mustered  into  service  at  Chicago  June  17, 
1861.  and  mustered  out  at  the  expiration  of  its 
term  of  service  July  9,  1864.  It  had  one  man 
in  it  from  Du  Page  County. 

COMPANY  c. 

Miles,  Martin,  Wheaton,  who  remained  in  the  serv- 
ice during  its  term. 

TWENTIETH    REGIMENT. 

The  Twentieth  Regiment  of  Illinois  Infantry 
was  organized  at  Joliet  May  14,  and  mustered 


in  June  13,  1861.  It  took  part  in  the  siege  of 
Fort  Donelson  February,  1862,  and  in  the  bat- 
tle of  Shiloh  the  following  April.  It  also  was 
in  many  other  engagements  during  the  term  of 
its  service,  till  it  was  mustered  out  at  Louis- 
ville, Ky.,  July  16,  1865,  and  arrived  at  Chi- 
cago the  19th  for  discharge.  It  had  five  men 
from  Du  Page  Count}-. 

COMPANY  A. 

Scott,  Silas  C.,  First  Sergeant,  enlisted  and  mus- 
tered in  October  10,  1864. 

Ewing,  Robert,  Sergeant,  Naperville,  enlisted  and 
mustered  in  October  12,  1864. 

Bocker,  George  B.,  Addison,  enlisted  and  mustered 
in  October  12,  1864. 

Wante,  Lushing,  Naperville,  enlisted  and  mustered 
in  October  12,  1864. 

COMPANY  B. 

Neff,  Martin,  Du  Page  County,  enlisted  October  14, 
and  mustered  in  the  28th,  1861;  died  at  Cairo  Sep- 
tember 2,  1863. 

TWENTY-THIRD  REGIMENT. 

The  Twenty -third  Regiment  of  Illinois  In- 
fantry, known  as  the  Irish  Brigade,  was  organ- 
ized at  Chicago  May  17,  1861,  and  mustered 
into  service  June  17,  and  mustered  out  July 
24,  1865.  It  had  fifteen  men  from  Du  Page 
Count}'  in  its  ranks  as  follows  : 

COMPANY  H. 

Bates,  Francis,  Wheaton,  Sergeant. 

Watson,  Casper  W.,  Wheaton,  Corporal. 

Armbruster,  Adam,  Naperville. 

Austin  N.,  Wheaton. 

Beardsley,  Jerome  G.,  Wheaton. 

Drullard,  Thomas  W.,  Wheaton. 

Getsch,  Frank  S.,  Milton. 

Georo,  Serophine,  Milton. 

Manning,  Augustus,  Warrenville. 

Kovey,  Fred,  Milton. 

Kinyon,  Albert  R.,  York. 

Ott,  Peter,  Milton. 

Ulech,  Herman  W.  A.,  Wheaton. 

Wilskin,  Dominee,  Naperville. 

Yeates,  J.  K.  P. 

The  above  all  enlisted  in  March,  1865,  and 
were  mustered  out  with  the  regiment. 


90 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


THIRTY-THIRD    REGIMENT. 

The  Thirty-third  Regiment  of  Illinois  Infan- 
try, known  as  the  Normal  Regiment,  because  it 
was  composed  largely  of  teachers  and  stu- 
dents, was  organized  at  Camp  Butler  in  Sep- 
tember, 1861,  and  mustered  into  service  the 
same  month.  It  moved  immediately  to  Iron- 
ton,  Mo.,  where  it  remained  during  the  winter, 
doing  occasional  scout  service  and  fighting  the 
battle  of  Fredericksburg.  In  March,  1862,  it 
moved  southward  and  joined  Gen.  Curtis' 
army,  and  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Cache. 
After  being  engaged  here  in  several  skirmishes 
with  the  enemy,  it  moved  to  Pilot  Knob,  Mo., 
arriving  in  October,  1862. 

November  15,  it  moved  to  Van  Buren,  Ark., 
in  Col.  Harris'  brigade,  Brig.  Gen.  W.  J.  Ben- 
ton's  division  of  Gen.  Davidson's  corps,  and 
made  a  winter  campaign  in  Southeast  Missouri, 
passing  through  Patterson,  Van  Buren,  Alton, 
West  Plain,  Eminence  and  Centreville,  and 
returned  to  Bellevue  Valley,  near  Pilot  Knob, 
about  March  1,  1863. 

It  was  then  ordered  to  St.  Genevieve,  Mo., 
where,  with  the  command,  it  embarked  for  Mil- 
liken's  Bend,  La.  It  was  now  attached  to  the 
First  Brigade,  First  Division,  Thirteenth  Arm}- 
Corps,  and  with  it  took  part  in  the  battles  of 
Port  Gibson,  Champion  Hills,  Black  River 
Bridge,  the  assault  and  sieges  of  Vicksburg 
and  Jackson. 

In  August,  it  moved  to  New  Orleans  with 
the  Thirteenth  Corps.  In  October,  it  was  en- 
gaged in  the  campaign  up  the  Bayou  Teche, 
and,  returning  to  New  Orleans  in  November,  it 
was  ordered  to  Brownsville,  Tex.,  but  before 
landing  was  ordered  to  Arkansas  Pass.  It 
disembarked  on  St.  Joseph's  and  Matagorda 
Islands  to  Saluria,  participating  in  the  capture 
of  Ft.  Esperanza,  and  thence  moved  to  Indiau- 
ola  and  Port  Lavaca. 

The  First  Brigade,  while  on  the  mainland  of 
Texas,  was  commanded  by  Brig.  Gen.  Fitz 
Henry  Warren.  January  1. 1864,  the  regiment 


re-enlisted  as  veterans,  and  March  14  reached 
Bloomington,  111.,  and  received  veteran  fur- 
lough. 

April  18,  1864.  the  regiment  was  re-organ- 
ized at  Camp  Butler,  111.,  and  proceeded  to 
New  Orleans  via  Alton  and  St.  Louis,  arriving 
the  29th  and  camping  at  Carrollton. 

May  17,  it  was  ordered  to  Brashear  City, 
La.  Soon  after  its  arrival,  the  regiment  was 
scattered  along  the  line  of  the  road  as  guard, 
as  follows  :  Companies  F,  C  and  K  at  Bayou 
Boeuf ;  Company  I  at  Bayou  L'Ours  ;  Com- 
panies A  and  D  at  Tigerville  ;  Company  G  at 
Chacahula  ;  Company  E  at  Terre  Bonne  ;  Com- 
pany B  at  Bayou  La  Fourchc  and  Bayou  des 
Allemands ;  Company  H  at  Boutte ;  regi- 
mental headquarters,  Terre  Bonne.  The  dis- 
trict was  called  the  "  District  of  La  Fourche," 
commanded  by  Brig.  Gen.  Robert  A.  Cameron, 
headquarters  at  Thibodeaux. 

September  17,  1864,  the  non-veterans  of  the 
regiment  were  started  home,  via  New  York 
City,  in  charge  of  rebel  prisoners,  and  were 
mustered  out  at  Camp  Butler  about  October 
11,  1864. 

March  2,  1865,  it  was  ordered  to  join  the 
Sixteenth  Army  Corps.  Near  Boutte  Station 
the  train  was  thrown  from  the  track,  and  nine 
men  killed  and  seventy  wounded.  On  the 
18th,  the  regiment  embarked  on  Lake  Pon- 
chartrain  for  Mobile  expedition.  Company  K 
remaining  behind  to  guard  transportation, 
joined  the  regiment  April  11,  at  Blakely. 

It  next  moved  via  Fort  Gaines  and  Navy 
Cove,  landed  on  Fish  River,  Ala.,  and  marched 
with  Gen.  Canby's  army  up  the  east  side  of 
Mobile  Bay.  The  regiment  was  in  the  First 
Brigade,  Col.  W.  L.  McMillian,  Ninety-fifth 
Ohio  ;  First  Division,  Brig.  Gen.  J.  McArthur  ; 
Sixteenth  Army  Corps,  Maj.  Gen.  A.  J.  Smith. 

March  27,  it  arrived  in  front  of  Spanish 
Fort,  the  main  defense  of  Mobile,  and,  until  its 
capture,  April  18,  was  actively  engaged.  Loss, 
1  killed,  2  died  of  wounds,  and  9  wounded. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


97 


After  the  surrender  of  Mobile,  it  marched, 
April  13,  1865,  with  the  Sixteenth  Army 
Corps,  for  Montgomery,  Ala.,  where  it  arrived 
on  the  25th,  and  encamped  on  the  Alabama 
River.  Here  it  received  the  news  of  Lee  and 
Johnston's  sin-render,  after  which  its  operations 
were  not  of  a  hostile  character. 

May  10,  marched  to  Selma,  and  May  17  by 
rail  to  Meriden,  Miss.  In  the  latter  part  of 
July,  the  regiment  was  filled  above  the  maxi- 
mum by  men  transferred  from  the  Seventy- 
second,  One  Hundred  and  Seventeenth,  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-second  and  One  Hundred 
and  Twenty-fourth  Illinois,  when  it  moved  to 
Vicksburg  August  4,  1865,  and  remained  at 
that  place  until  mustered  out  of  service  No- 
vember 24,  1865,  and  ordered  to  Camp  Butler, 
111.,  for  final  payment  and  discharge.  It  had 
forty-seven  men  from  Du  Page  County. 

COMPANY  B. 
Morgan,  Moses  J.,  Naperville,  Captain;  date  of  rank 

September  18,  1861. 

Durant,  Edward  T.,  Lisle,  First  Lieutenant;  date  of 
promotion    from   Second  Lieutenant  March  20, 

1864. 
Morgan,  Sid.  O.,  Naperville,  Sergeant;  re-enlisted 

as  veteran. 
Lyon,  Forester  S.,  Downer's  Grove,  Sergeant;  re- 

enlisted  as  veteran. 
Barr,  James  M.,  Lisle,  Corporal;  discharged  March 

23,  1863,  for  disability. 
Cotter,    Charles    M.,   Lisle,   Corporal ;    discharged 

March  23,  1863,  for  disability. 
Green,  Frank  D.,  Lisle,  Corporal;  died  at  Ironton, 

Mo.,  February  15,  1862. 
Wakeman,   Bradford  J  ,   Cottage   Hill,    Musician; 

promoted  to  Fife  Major. 

PRIVATES. 
Allison,  Andrew,  Cass;  died  at  Helena  October  5, 

1862. 
Andrews,  Charles,   Downer's  Grove;  mustered  out 

October  11,  1864 
Andrews,  Giles,  York,   mustered  out  October  11, 

1864. 
Austin,  Charles  G.,  Jr.,  Downer's  Grove;  re-enlisted 

as  veteran. 
Ballou,  Morgan,  Lisle,  mustered  out  October  11, 

1864,  as  Corporal. 


Block,  Ferdinand,  Lisle;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Blodgett,  Scott,  Cass;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Clark,  Luther  J.,  Bloomingdale ;  re-enlisted  as  vet- 
eran. 

Chatfield,  Alonzo  B.,  Lisle;  discharged  for  wounds. 

Chatfield,  George  W.,  Lisle. 

Cry,  Samuel,  Naperville;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Clifford,  Edward.  Cass;  mustered  out  October  11, 
1874. 

Day,  Brice,  Cass,  died  at  Mound  City  September 
15,  1862. 

Durant,  William  E.,  Lisle;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Fetterman.  Cyrus,  Cass;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Fischer,  Frederick  J.,  Addison;  mustered  out  Octo- 
ber 11,  1864,  as  Corporal. 

Grothman,  Frederick,  Addison;  discharged  October 
4,  1864,  term  expired. 

Heartt,  George,  Cass;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Harberger,  Jacob,  Addison;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Holchany,  Frederick,  Addison  ;  re-enlisted  as  vet- 
eran. 

Hummer,  Jacob,  Naperville;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Koshner,  Charles,  Naperville;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Morgan,  Henry  G.,  Naperville;  discharged  Febru- 
ary 11,  1862,  for  disability. 

Marvin,  Hector  A.,  Lisle;  died  at  Ironton,  Mo., 
November  19,  1881. 

Rodgers,  Lucius  B.,  Milton;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Ridge,  Royer,  Naperville;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Smart,  Wesley,  Downer's  Grove;  mustered  out  Oc- 
tober 11,  1864. 

Schmidt,  Edward,  Addison. 

Schwartz,  Louis,  Addison;  died  at  Ironton,  Mo.,  Oc- 
tober 14,  1861. 

Shimmer,  J.  C.,  Addison;  mustered  out  October  11, 
1864. 

Turtlott,  James  M.,  Cass;  mustered  out  October  11, 

.   1864. 

Utting,  William,  Addison;  died  at  St.  Louis  October 
20,  1861. 

Wheatley,  William,  Lisle:  mustered  out  October  11, 
1864. 

RECRUITS. 

Grannke,  Charles,  Addison,  enlisted  December  2, 
1861;  died  at  Virginia  Station,  Mo.,  March  2, 
1862. 

Grothman,  Frederick,  York,  e  nlisted  October  4, 
1864. 

Hatch,  Edward  P.,  Lisle,  enlisted  September  20, 
1864;  discharged  July  20,  1865,  as  Sergeant  for 
promotion  in  U.  S.  Colored  Infantry. 

Renken,  Henry,  Addison;  transferred  to  gunboat 
service  February  7,  1863. 


98 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


COMPANY    P. 

Lapin,  Charles,  Warrenville. 

COMPANY   H. 

Nelson,  Henry,  Naperville,  enlisted  March  20; 
mustered  in  April  17, 1864. 

Those  who  were  mustered  in  October  4, 1864,  were 
such  as  did  not  re-enlist  after  their  terms  had  ex- 
pired. 

THIRTY-SIXTH    REGIMENT. 

The  Thirty-sixth  Regiment  of  Illinois  In- 
fantry was  organized  at  Aurora,  111.,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1861,  and  mustered  into  service  the  23d 
of  the  same  month.  It  was  sent  to  St.  Louis, 
where  it  received  its  arms,  from  whence  it  was 
sent  to  Holla,  where  it  remained  till  January 
14,  1862.  More  active  service  now  began,  and 
it  was  engaged  in  battle  at  Bentonville  and  Pea 
Ridge,  subsequent  to  which  it  was  assigned  to 
Gen.  Pope's  command.  It  was  next  engaged  in 
the  battle  of  Perryville,  where  it  lost  seventy- 
five  killed  and  wounded.  But  its  terrible  con- 
flict was  at  Stone  River,  where,  after  six  days' 
fighting,  it  came  out  with  only  200  men.  It 
was  subsequently  engaged  in  other  battles  near 
Chattanooga,  in  all  of  which  its  courage  was  not 
found  wanting.  It  was  mustered  out  at  New 
Orleans,  October  8,  1865,  and  arrived  at  Camp 
Butler  the  17th  for  discharge.  It  had  forty- 
seven  men  from  Du  Page  County. 

COMPANY  A. 

Taylor,  John  B.  F.,  Wheaton,  enlisted  August  8, 
and  mustered  in  September  33,  1861 ;  discharged 
September  28,  1864. 

COMPANY   C. 

Rothemel,  Benhard,  York,  enlisted  and  mustered 
in  October  14,  1864;  transferred  from  Seventy- 
fourth  Regiment. 

COMPANY  K. 

Captain— Adams,  John  Q.,  Wayne,  date  of  rank 
August  20,  and  mustered  in  September  23,  1861  ;  re- 
signed September  7,  1862. 

First  Lieutenants — Elliot,  John  F.,  Wayne,  date 
of  rank  September  7,  1862,  mustered  in  March  12, 
1863,  promoted  from  Sergeant,  discharged  May  30, 
1864  ;  Pratt,  Emery  W.,  Wayne,  date  of  rank  April 
11, 1865,  mustered  in  July  8,  1865. 


Second  Lieutenants — Hammond,  Mathew  J., 
Wayne,  date  of  rank  February  15,  1862,  resigned 
September  7,  1862 ;  Hazelhurst,  Charles,  Wayne, 
date  of  rank  September  7, 1862,  mustered  in  Novem- 
ber 17,  1862,  resigned  July  7,  1865. 

Sergeants — Smith,  Romain  A.,  Wayne,  enlisted 
August  12,  1861,  re-enlisted  as  veteran  ;  Adams,  El- 
dridge,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  12,  1861,  died  of 
wounds  January  18,  1863  ;  Dickenson,  David  H., 
Wayne,  enlisted  August  12,  1861,  as  Corporal,  pro- 
moted to  Second  Lieutenant  U.  S.  Colored  Infantry. 

Corporals— Folson,  Theodore  A.,  Wayne,  enlisted 
August  12,  1861. 
Ketchum,  Abram  J.,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  12; 

1861,  transferred  to  Company  K. 

Starr,  Robert  H.,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  12,  1861; 
re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Albro,  Eugene  P.,  Wayne,  Corporal,  enlisted  Au- 
gust 12,  1861. 

Adams,  Aseph  J.,  Wayne;  killed  in  battle  at  Stone 
River. 

Hemmingway,  George  W.,  Wayne,  musician,  en- 
listed August  12,  1861;  discharged  for  disability. 

Hazelhurst,  James,  Musician,  Wayne,  enlisted  Au- 
gust 12,  1861 ;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

PRIVATES. 

Allen,  Henry  C.,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  12,  1861, 
promoted  to  Corporal;  discharged,  February  25, 

1862,  for  wounds. 

Adams,  William,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  12,  1861; 
missing  at  Chickamauga  September  20,  1863. 

Blank,  Harrison  W.,  Wayne,  enlisted  September  20, 
1861;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Clark,  John  P.,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  12,  1861; 
died  at  Rolla  December  14,  1861. 

Delany,  James,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  12,  1861; 
discharged  September  22,  1864. 

Gordon,  John  M.,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  12,  1861; 
re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Grundy,  Samuel,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  12,  1861; 
killed  at  Chickamauga. 

Gates,  George  W.,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  19, 1861, 
killed  at  Dallas,  Ga.,  May  26,  1864. 

La  Rue;  Harrison  M.,  Du  Page  County,  enlisted  Sep- 
tember 24,  1861,  transferred  to  Fifteenth  Cavalry. 

Hillard,  Michael,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  12,  1861, 
died  at  Lebanon,  Mo.,  Feb.  12,  1862. 

Hazelhurst,  Frederick,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  12, 
1861,  mustered  out,  September  8,  1864,  a*  Cor- 
poral. 

Hammond,  Daniel,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  12,  1861, 
re-enlisted  as  veteran. 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


101 


Judd,  Francis,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  12,  1861,  re- 
enlisted  as  veteran. 
Matteson,  Thomas  P.,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  20, 

1861,  promoted  to  Principal  Musician. 
Minkler,  John  C.,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  24,  1861, 

re-enlisted  as  veteran. 
Monroe,  George,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  20,  1861, 

killed  in  battle  at  Stone  River. 
Monroe,   Edward  E.,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  20, 

1861. 
Piatt,  Emery  W.,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  12,  1861, 

re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Paul,  John,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  20, 1861,  re-en- 
listed as  veteran. 
Peterson,  John,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  21,   1861; 

transferred  to  V.  B.  C.  April  17,  1864. 
Skinner,    Harrison,    Wayne,    enlisted   August    12, 

1861;  killed  at  Perrsville,  Ky.,  October  8,  1862. 
Simmons,  Benjamin  W.,  enlisted  August  12,  1861. 

Scales,    George    M.,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  12, 

1861;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 
Samson,  Francis,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  12,  1861; 

died  of  wounds  received  at  Cassville/Mo.,  April 

16,  1862. 
Sanders,  Harlan,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  12,  1861; 

discharged  April  19,  1863,  for  wounds. 
Tukesbury,  Francis,   Wayne,   enlisted  August  12, 

1861;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 
Tucker,    Charles  A.,   Wayne,   enlisted  August  12, 

1861,  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 
Wood,  Orrin,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  12,  1861,  died 

January  19,  1863,  of  wounds. 
Wagoner,    Sidney  O.,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  12, 

1861,  discharged  March  16,  1864,  for  wounds. 

Unassigned  Recruits — Bissell,  Charles,  York,  en- 
listed and  mustered  in  October  14,  1864. 

THIRTY-SEVENTH   REGIMENT. 

The  Thirty-seventh  Kegiment  of  Illinois  In- 
fantry was  organized  at  Chicago  in  September 
1861,  and  mustered  out  at  Houston,  Tex.,  May 
15,  1866.  It  had  four  men  from  Du  Page 
County. 

Clark,  Elijah  A.,  Wheatou,  First  Assistant  Surgeon. 
promoted  by  the  President  to  Surgeon  of  Eighth 
Missouri  Cavalry. 

Blodgett.  Edward  A.,  Downer's  Grove,  Quartermas- 
ter's Sergeant. 

COMPANY  C. 

Newton,  Isaac,  Wheaton,  enlisted  September  1, 
1861 ;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 


COMPANY  G. 

Topel,  Dedrick,  Downer's  Grove,  enlisted  August 
15;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

THIRTY-NINTH   REGIMENT. 

The  Thirty-ninth  Regiment  of  Illinois  In- 
fantry began  recruiting  immediately  after  the 
firing  on  Fort  Sumter,  but  was  not  ready  to 
take  the  field  at  the  first  call  for  six  regiments 
from  Illinois.  It  was  mustered  into  service 
August,  1861,  at  Chicago,  and  mustered  out 
at  Norfolk,  Va.,  December  5,  1865.  It  had 
two  soldiers  from  Du  Page  County. 

COMPANY  O. 

Cook,  Ezra  A.,  Wheaton,  enlisted  September  2, 
1861,  discharged  in  1864  for  disability;  Decker, 
Lewis,  Wheaton,  enlisted  August  9,  1861,  discharged 
the  80th  for  disability. 

FORTY-SECOND   REGIMENT. 

The  Forty-second  Regiment  of  Illinois  In- 
fanty  was  organized  at  Chicago  July  22,  1861 
It  bore  the  brunt  of  the  war,  being  in  the 
principal  battles  in  which  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland  was  engaged.  It  was  mustered 
out  at  Indianola,  Tex.,  December  16,  1865,  and 
reached  Camp  Butler  January  3, 1866.  It  had 
seven  men  from  Du  Page  County. 

COMPANY  B. 

O'Brien,  Edward,  Du  Page  County,  enlisted  and 
mustered  in  September  3,  1860,  at  Chicago,  re-enlist- 
ed as  veteran  from  Du  Page  County  January  1, 
1864,  transferred  to  V.  R.  C.  March  13,  1865. 

COMPANY  H. 

Bents,  Benjamin,  Naperville,  enlisted  and  mus- 
tered in  September  3,  1861,  re-enlisted  as  veteran; 
Butts,  Benjamin  F.,  Naperville,  enlisted  February 
16,  1861,  re-enlisted  as  veteran  January  1,  1864, 
mustered  out  December  16,  1865,  as  Sergeant;  Gillis, 
Thomas,  Naperville,  enlisted  and  mustered  in  Aug- 
ust 3,  1861,  killed  at  Farmington,  Miss.,  May  9, 
1862;  Itzenhauzer,  John,  Naperville,  enlisted  and 
mustered  in  September  10,  1861,  died  of  wounds 
January  8,  1862;  Shimp,  William,  Naperville,  en- 
listed and  mustered  in  September  10,  1861,  promoted 
to  Sergeant,  discharged  on  account  of  wounds  Sep- 

F 


102 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


tember  16,  1864;  Wilcox,  Elisha,  Naperville,  enlist- 
ed and  mustered  in  August  18,  1861,  re-enlisted  as 
veteran. 

FORTY-FOURTH   REGIMENT. 

The  Forty-fourth  Regiment  of  Illinois  In- 
fantry was  organized  in  August,  1861,  at  Camp 
Ellsworth,  in  Chicago,  and  mustered  out  Sep- 
tember 25,  1865,  at  Port  Lavaca,  Tex.  Ar- 
rived at  Springfield  October  15,  1865,  where  it 
was  discharged.  In  had  one  soldier  from  Du 

Page  County. 

COMPANY  K. 

Goldhammer,  Henry,  York,  enlisted  August  1, 
mustered  in  September  13,  1861,  transferred  to 
Company  K. 

FIFTY-FIRST    REGIMENT. 

The  Fifty-first  Regiment  was  organized  at 
Camp  Douglas  December  24,  1861.  April  2, 
1862,  it  moved  against  Island  No.  10.  It  suf- 
fered severely  at  the  battle  of  Chickamauga, 
being  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight.  On  Febru- 
ary 10,  1864,  the  whole  regiment  mustered  as 
veterans.  During  the  Atlanta  campaign,  it 
lost  3  officers  killed,  4  wounded,  and  105  men 
killed  and  wounded.  It  was  mustered  out  of 
service  at  Camp  Irwin,  Tex.,  September  25, 
1865,  and  arrived  at  Camp  Butler  October  15. 
It  had  eighteen  men  from  Du  Page  County,  as 
follows : 

COMPANY  B. 

Bates,  Ansel,  Cottage  Hill,  enlisted  October  19, 
1861,  mustered  in  January  23,  1862,  promoted  Ser- 
geant and  Second  Lieutenant;  Bleasch,  Gustave, 
Cottage  Hill,  enlisted  October  19,  1861,  mustered  in 
January  23,  1862;  Burman,  Lewis,  Addison,  enlisted 
December  5,  1861;  Foley,  John,  Cottage  Hill,  en- 
listed November  26,  mustered  in  December  24, 1861, 
died  at  Chattanooga  June  1,  1864;  Hahn,  Henry, 
Brush  Hill,  enlisted  December  3,  1861;  Hoflman, 
Paul,  Cottage  Hill,  enlisted  December  5,  1861; 
Johnson,  Christian,  Cottage  Hill,  enlisted  Decem- 
ber 7,  mustered  in  the  24th,  1861;  Kehler,  Phillip, 
Cottage  Hill,  enlisted  December  7,  mustered  in  the 
24th,  1861,  died  at  Paducah  June  1,  1862;  Keiler, 
Stephen,  Cottage  Hill,  enlisted  December  13,  mus- 
tered in  the  24th,  1861,  discharged  October  2,  1862; 
Kernan,  Mark  T.,  York,  enlisted  November  26, 


1861;  Lapp,  Henry,  Cottage  Hill,  enlisted  December 
24.  1861,  mustered  in  January  23,  1862,  accidentally 
killed  March  16,  1862;  Lauerman,  John,  Cottage 
Hill,  enlisted  December  20,  1861,  mustered  in  Janu- 
ary 23,  1862;  Snow,  Edgar  J.,  Cottage  Hill,  enlisted 
October  23,  mustered  in  December  24,  1861 ;  Welsh> 
William,  Cottage  Hill,  enlisted  November  30,  mus- 
tered in  December  24,  1861;  Werden,  Frederic, 
Brush  Hill,  enlisted  December  2,  mustered  in  the 
24th,  1861. 

COMPANY   E. 

Hull,  Edward  E.,  Naperville,  enlisted  December 
24,  1863;  killed  at  Kenesaw  Mountain  June  15,  1864. 

COMPANY   I. 

Miller,  George  W.,  Cass,  enlisted  February  25, 
mustered  in  March  10, 1865  ;  Prickett,  "William  W., 
Cass,  enlisted  February  25,  mustered  in  March  10, 
1865 

FIFTY-SECOND    REGIMENT. 

The  Fifty-second  Regiment  was  organized  at 
Geneva,  111.  Its  first  active  service  was  at  Fort 
Donelson,  where  it  arrived  in  time  to  take 
charge  of  the  rebel  prisoners  taken  there  and 
deliver  them  at  Springfield  and  Chicago.  It  was 
then  ordered  to  join  the  Army  of  the  Tennes- 
see, and  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh, 
where  it  lost  in  killed,  wounded  and  missing 
over  one-third  of  its  number.  It  was  subse- 
quently in  the  battles  x>f  luka,  Corinth,  Snake 
Creek  Gap,  Resaca,  Lay's  Ferry,  Rome  Cross 
Roads,  Dallas,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Nickojack 
Creek,  Decatur  and  Altoona,  after  which  it 
was  with  Gen.  Sherman  on  his  march  to  the 
sea,  and  went  from  there  to  Richmond.  Was 
next  in  the  grand  review  at  Washington,  from 
whence  it  was  ordered  to  Louisville,  where  it 
was  mustered  out  only  517  strong  out  of  the 
original  940  men  in  its  ranks,  to  whom  400  had 
been  added  as  recruits,  823  men  having  been 
killed  or  disabled  in  the  battles  and  hardships 
which  this  regiment  had  passed  through.  It 
had  twenty-four  men  from  Du  Page  County, 
as  follows : 

COMPANY  A. 

Burnham,  Edward,  Du  Page  County,  enlisted  Oc- 
tober 12,  mustered  in  the  25th,  1861;  Giles,  Jerry  W., 
Naperville,  enlisted  September  16,  mustered  in  Oc- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUXTY. 


103 


tober  25,  1861;  Graves,  James  D.,  Naperville,  en 
listed  October  25,  1861. 

COMPANY  C. 

Parks,  Isaac,  Naperville,  enlisted  September  15, 
mustered  in  November  19,  1861. 

COMPANY  D. 

Brown,  Gilbert  N.,  Winfleld,  enlisted  September 
10,  mustered  in  November  19,  1861,  re-enlisted  as 
veteran,  promoted  to  Sergeant;  Hammond,  James 
W.,  Winfleld,  enlisted  January  20,  mustered  in 
February  27, 1864;  Hammond,  William  H.,  Winfleld, 
enlisted  and  mustered  in  at  the  same  time  ; 
Reckenback,  Christian,  Winfleld,  enlisted  Sep- 
tember 10,  mustered  in  November  19,  1861  ; 
Stanfer,  Lewis,  Winfield,  enlisted  and  mustered  in 
at  the  same  time,  re-enlisted  as  veteran;  Swenson, 
John,  Warrenville,  enlisted  and  mustered  in  at  the 
same  time,  re-enlisted  as  veteran;  Vanderogen, 
John,  Naperville,  enlisted  January  19,  mustered  in 
February  27,  1864,  died  near  Marietta,  Ga.,  July 
23,  1864. 

Recruit — La  Plant,  Medar,  Naperville,  January, 
13,  1864. 

COMPANY   I. 

Farnham,  Thomas  E.,  Warrenville,  enlisted  Sep- 
tember 11,  and  mustered  in  October  25,  1861. 

COMPANY  K. 

Cleveland,  Sylvester,  Naperville,  enlisted  January 
9,  1864;  Currier,  William  R.,  Turner  Junction,  en- 
listed September  6,  mustered  in  October  25,  1861. 

Unassigned  Recruit — Ford,  John,  Naperville, 
mustered  in  February  27,  1864. 

The  following  were  musicians  who  enlisted 
October  25,  1861,  all  from  Naperville  : 

Glines,  A.  B.,  Heitzler,  John,  Mathias,  Gregory, 
Sayler,  Alexander  H.,  Sayler,  Morgan  F.,  Sayler, 
Thomas  W.,  Swartz,  Joseph,  Vallette,  James  M. 


FIFTY-THIRD    REGIMENT. 

The  Fifty-third  Regiment  of  Illinois  Infantry 
was  organized  at  Ottawa,  111.,  in  the  winter  of 
1861-62,  and  moved  to  Camp  Douglas  Febru- 
ary 27.  It  was  mustered  out  at  Louisville, 
Ky.,  July  22,  1865,  and  arrived  at  Chicago  the 
28th.  It  had  one  man  from  Du  Page  County 
in  its  ranks. 


COMPANY  K. 

Kingston,  George,  Downer's  Grove,  enlisted  as 
recruit  October  19,  1864. 

FIFTY-FOURTH    REGIMENT. 

The  Fifty-fourth  Regiment  was  organized  at 
Camp  Dubois,  Aurora,  III,  in  November,  1861, 
as  a  part  of  a  Kentucky  brigade.  It  was  mus- 
tered into  service  February  18,  1862.  This 
regiment  was  actively  engaged  raiding  against 
and  skirmishing  with  the  enemy  much  of 
the  time  during  the  war,  and  in  consequence 
many  of  them  were  taken  prisoners,  but  were 
exchanged  December  5,  1864. 

It  was  mustered  out  at  Little  Rock  October 
15,  1865,  and  was  discharged  at  Camp  Butler 
the  26th.  It  had  thirteen  men  from  Du  Page 
County. 

COMPANY  B. 

Miller,  Alexander,  Milton,  enlisted  November  21, 
and  mustered  in  February  16,  1861;  re-enlisted  as 
veteran. 

COMPANY  D. 

Cox,  William,  Downer's  Grove,  enlisted  as  re- 
cruit March  31,  1865,  died  at  Fort  Smith,  Ark., 
September  12,  1865;  Cox,  Wesley  H.,  Downer's 
Grove,  enlisted  as  recruit  March  6,  1862,  died  at 
Memphis  October  1,  1863;  Hardsoc,  Elzy,  Downer's 
Grove,  enlisted  as  recruit  March  1,  1865,  mustered 
out  October  15,  1865. 

COMPANY   G. 

Busick,  James  A.,  Milton,  enlisted  December  2, 
1861,  mustered  in  February  18,  1862,  re-enlisted  as 
veteran;  Sutherland,  Amaziah,  Milton,  enlisted  De- 
cember 2,  1861,  re-enlisted  as  veteran;  Stevens, 
John  W.,  Milton,  enlisted  December  2,  1861,  re-en- 
listed as  veteran. 

COMPANY  I. 

Farroll,  Ezra  R.,  York,  enlisted  and  mustered  in 
as  recruit  March  7,  1865,  mustered  out  October  15, 
1865;  Riscoe,  John,  York,  enlisted  and  mustered  in 
March  7,  1865,  mustered  out  October  15,  1865. 

COMPANY  K. 

Campbell,  James  H.,  Milton,  enlisted  as  Wagoner 
December  10,  1861,  mustered  in  February  10,  1862; 
Boyd,  Ithamer,  Milton,  enlisted  December  10,  1861, 
mustered  in  February  16,  1862;  re-enlisted  as  vet- 
eran. 


104 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


TJNASSIGNED  RECRUITS. 

Baker,  Henry  J.,  York,  enlisted  and  mustered  in 
March  8,  1865;  Plumby,  Andrew  J.,  Milton,  enlisted 
and  mustered  in  March  30,  1864,  transferred  to  V. 
R.  C.  September  22,  1864. 

FIFTY-FIFTH  KEGIMENT. 

The  Fifty-fifth  Regiment  of  Illinois  with  the 
Fifty-fourth  Ohio  Infantry,  distinguished  them- 
selves by  their  obstinate  valor  at  the  battle  of 
Shiloh,  where  they  held  the  extreme  left  of  the 
Union  army  against  a  greatly  superior  force  of 
the  enemy  till  the  main  body  had  retired. 
Their  loss  in  this  engagement  was  ten  officers 
and  102  killed  or  mortally  wounded.  The 
regiment  was  organized  at  Camp  Douglas,  and 
mustered  into  service  October  31,  1861,  and 
and  mustered  out  at  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  August 
14,  1865.  It  arrived  at  Chicago  August  22, 
where  it  was  discharged.  It  had  in  its  ranks 
thirty-five  men  from  Du  Page  County  : 

COMPANY  c. 

Sanders,  Calvin  A.,  Naperville,  enlisted  Septem- 
ber 26,  1861,  discharged  January  5,  1863,  for  dis- 
ability; Summers,  Thomas,  Du  Page  County,  en- 
listed September  30,  1861,  died  at  Memphis  Septem- 
ber 22,  1862;  Schultz,  Theodore,  Du  Page  County, 
enlisted  August  27,  1861,  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

COMPANY  B. 

First  Lieutenant. — Dixon,  William  H.,  Downer's 
Grove,  resigned  March  13,  1862. 

Privates. — Arnot,  Hugo,  Naperville,  enlisted  Sep- 
tember 3,  1861,  promoted  to  Corporal;  Bautling- 
hause,  Amos,  Naperville,  enlisted  September  6, 
1851;  Benie,  Henry,  Naperville,  enlisted  September 
25,  1861,  re-enlisted  as  veteran ;  Baiger,  Dedric, 
Naperville,  enlisted  September  26,  1861,  re-en- 
listed as  veteran;  Dixon,  Robert,  Du  Page  County, 
enlisted  February  18,  mustered  in  the  27,  1861, 
promoted  to  Captain  from  First  Sergeant,  re-en- 
listed as  veteran ;  Downing,  William,  Blooming- 
dale,  enlisted  March  1,  mustered  in  April  12,  1861; 
Garbs,  Richard,  Naperville,  enlisted  September  16, 
died  at  St.  Louis  of  wounds  October  31,  1864;  Garst, 
Christian,  Naperville,  enlisted  September  6,  1861, 
re-enlisted  as  veteran  ;  Gleastfer,  Andrew,  Naper- 
ville, enlisted  September  9,  1861,  re-enlisted  as  vet- 
eran ;  Gushard,  Emanuel,  Naperville,  enlisted  No- 


vember 1,  1861,  taken  prisoner  November  3,  1863; 
Gushard,  Isaac,  Naperville,  enlisted  September  26. re- 
enlisted  as  veteran ;  Kailer,  Frederick,  Naperville,  en- 
listed September  3,  1861,  re-enlisted  as  veteran;  Kei- 
ser,  Henry,  Naperville,  enlisted  September  3,  1861, 
re-enlisted  as  veteran;  Kennedy,  James,  Naperville, 
enlisted  September  8, 1861;  Kellogg,  Samuel  C.,  Na- 
perville, died  at  Vicksburg  July  18,  1863;  Leibern- 
guth,  Christian,  Naperville,  enlisted  September  6, 
re-enlisted  as  veteran;  Leibernguth,  Christian,  Cass, 
enlisted  January  24,  mustered  in  February  16,  1864, 
promoted  fo  Sergeant;  Misner,  Andrew,  Naperville, 
enlisted  September  19,  1861,  re-enlisted  as  veteran; 
Porter,  William,  Naperville,  promoted  to  Captain 
April  1,  1863,  killed  in  battle  June  27,  1864;  Papp, 
Martin,  Naperville,  enlisted  September  20,  1861,  dis- 
charged September  26,  1863,  for  wounds;  Porter, 
Martin  R.,  Du  Page  County,  enlisted  September  3, 
1861,  discharged  for  disability  June  28,1863;  Rey- 
nolds, Henry,  Naperville,  enlisted  September  6, 
1861;  Reinoehl,  Henry,  Naperville,  re-enlisted  as 
veteran  January  23,  1864;  Reinoehl,  Joseph,  Naper- 
ville, enlisted  November  18,  1861;  Shaning,  Dede- 
rick,  York,  re-enlisted  as  veteran  January  23,  1864, 
killed  at  Kenesaw  Mountain  June  27,  1864;  Shan- 
ing,  Richard,  Naperville,  enlisted  September  5, 
1861,  re-enlisted  as  veteran;  Stretcher,  David,  Na- 
perville, enlisted  September  5,  1861,  re-enlisted  as 
veteran;  Teisel,  Henry,  Naperville,  enlisted  Septem- 
ber 6,  1861;  Trinke,  Harman,  Naperville,  enlisted 
October  16,  1861,  died  at  Napoleon,  Ark.,  January 
17,  1863;  Warden,  Moses,  Du  Page  County,  enlisted 
Septembers,  1861,  re-enlisted  as  veteran;  Warden, 
John,  Du  Page  County,  enlisted  September  7,  1861, 
re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

FIFTY-EIGHTH    REGIMENT. 

The  Fifty-eighth  Regiment  of  Illinois  Infan- 
try was  organized  with  nine  companies  at  Camp 
Douglas,  and  mustered  into  service  December 
24  and  25,  1861,  the  remaining  tenth  company 
being  mustered  in  February  7,  1862.  It  par- 
ticipated in  the  capture  of  Fort  Donelson,  and 
was  in  many  sanguinary  battles  during  the 
war.  It  was  mustered  out  at  Montgomery, 
Ala.,  April  1,  1866.  Twelve  Du  Page  County 
men  were  in  its  ranks,  as  follows  :  _ 

COMPANY  c. 

Atwater,  Benjamin  F.,  York,  enlisted  December 
12,  mustered  in  the  25th,  1861,  discharged  June  17, 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


105 


for  disability:  Eldridge,  George  W.,  York,  enlisted 
January  12, 1862,  discharged  for  disability. 

COMPANY  D. 

Mehan,  John,  Naperville,  enlisted  December  3, 
1861,  mustered  in  the  20th,  1861,  re-enlisted  as  vet- 
eran; Stuber,  Daniel,  Addison,  enlisted  November 
9,  mustered  in  December  31,  1861,  killed  at  Shiloh, 
April  6,  1862. 

COMPANY  F. 

Hoehn,  George,  Corporal,  Brush  Hill,  enlisted 
and  mustered  in  December  31,  1861,  re-enlisted  as 
veteran;  Ugoveck,  Albert,  Cottage  Hill,  Corporal, 
enlisted  November  12,  mustered  in  December  31, 
1861;  Shultz,  John,  Brush  Hill,  enlisted  October  30, 
mustered  in  December  31,  1861. 

COMPANY  G. 

Battles,  Caleb,  Winfleld,  enlisted  and  mustered  in 
December  31, 1861,  transferred  to  Company  I,  March 
2,  1862. 

COMPANY  H. 

Scoville,  George  R.,  Wheaton,  enlisted  October  8, 
1861,  discharged  for  disability;  Scoville,  Goodwin 
D.,  Wheaton,  enlisted  October  8,  re-enlisted  as  vet- 
eran. 

COMPANY  I. 

Dooner,  Jeremiah,  Turner  Junction,  enlisted  De- 
cember 9,  mustered  in  the  24th,  1861,  died  of  wounds 
received  at  Shiloh. 

SIXTY-SEVENTH   REGIMENT. 

The  Sixty-seventh  Kegiment  of  Illinois  In- 
fantry was  organized  at  Camp  Douglas  June 
13,  1862,  for  three  months'  service,  where  it  re- 
mained during  its  term.  It  had  in  its  ranks 
three  men  from  Du  Page  County. 

COMPANY  B. 

Farnagham,  Melvin,  Warrenville,  enlisted  June 
4  and  mustered  in  the  13th,  1862. 

COMPANY  D. 

Blanchard,  William  F.,  Wheaton,  enlisted  June 
2,  and  mustered  in  the  13th,  1862;  Ward,  Isaac  8., 
Wheaton,  enlisted  and  mustered  in  at  the  same  time. 

SIXTY-NINTH    REGIMENT. 

The  Sixty-ninth  Regiment  Illinois  Infantry 
was  organized  at  Camp  Douglas,  and  mustered 
into  service  as  a  three  months'  regiment  June 


14,  1862.     It  had  five  Du  Page  County  men  in 
its  ranks. 

COMPANY  B. 

Benedict,  Thomas,  Wayne,  Donovan,  Henry, 
Turner  Junction;  Griffith,  William,  Turner  Junction ; 
Ketchum,  Charles  F.,  Turner  Junction;  Stephens, 
Alonzo  S.,  Winfield;  all  mustered  out  at  the  expira- 
tion of  their  term. 

SEVENTY-SECOND    REGIMENT. 

The  Seventy-second  Regiment  of  Illinois  In- 
fantry was  organized  by  the  Board  of  Trade, 
Chicago,  July  23,  1862.  It  took  part  in  the 
campaign  on  the  Big  Black,  siege  of  Vicksburg, 
battle  of  Nashville,  Fort  Pillow,  Fort  Pember- 
ton  and  many  other  lesser  battles.  It  was  mus- 
tered out  of  service  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  August 
13,  1865.  It  had  fifteen  men  from  Du  Page 
County  in  its  ranks. 

COMPANY  A. 

Black,  Henry,  York,  enlisted  and  mustered  in 
Octobers,  1864,  transferred  to  Twenty-third  Veteran 
Reserve  Corps,  April  24,  1865;  Schurzman,  Charles, 
Addison,  enlisted  and  mustered  in  October  8,  1864, 
died  of  wounds  at  Greenville,  Ala.,  April  16,  1865. 

COMPANY  C. 

Gleason,  Henry  J.,  Milton,  enlisted  and  mustered 
in  August  21,  1862,  promoted  to  Captain  September 
8,  1864;  Gleason,  Bishop  J.,  Milton,  enlisted  Janu- 
ary 4,  and  mustered  in  the  31st,  1864,  transferred  to 
Thirty-third  Regiment. 

COMPANY  D. 

Graves,  Julius,  Lisle,  enlisted  July  28,  mustered  in 
August  21,  1861. 

COMPANY   E. 

Wells,  Abraham,  Downer's  Grove,  enlisted  Au- 
gust 8,  mustered  in  the  21st,  1862;  Wells,  Lucian, 
Cass,  enlisted  and  mustered  in  at  the  same  time; 
Winterton,  William,  Downer's  Grove,  enlisted  and 
mustered  in  at  the  same  time. 

COMPANY   O. 

Stinson,  Thomas,  Naperville,  enlisted  August  12, 
and  mustered  in  the  21st,  1862,  died  May  28,  1862,  of 
wounds. 

COMPANY   K. 

Heinricks,  Peter,  York;  Heinrick,  Christopher, 
York,  enlisted  and  mustered  in  October  8,  1864- 


106 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Newhouse,  Peter,  Addison,  enlisted  and  mustered  in 
at  the  same  date;  Ross,  Charles,  York,  enlisted  and 
mustered  in  August  23, '1864;  Shattman,  Ernst,  Ad- 
dison, enlisted  and  mustered  in  October  8,  1864; 
Williams,  William  M.,  York,  enlisted  and  mustered 
in  October  14,  1864. 

EIGHTY-SECOND   REGIMENT. 

The  Eighty-second  Regiment  of  Illinois  In- 
fantry, called  the  Second  Hecker  Regiment, 
mostly  made  up  of  Germans  and  Scandinavians, 
was  mustered  into  service  at  Camp  Butler, 
August  26,  1862.  This  regiment  always 
honored  the  German  name  for  toughness  and 
endurance.  It  was  mustered  out  at  Chicago, 
June  17,  1865,  at  which  time  it  had  only  310 
men  left.  One  man  represented  Du  Page 

County  in  it. 

COMPANY  K. 

Bumgartner,  Andreas,  Winfleld,  enlisted  July  5, 
mustered  in  September  26,  discharged  May  5,  1864, 
for  disability. 

EIGHTY-EIGHTH   REGIMENT. 

The  Eighty-eighth  Regiment  of  Illinois  In- 
fantry, known  as  the  Second  Board  of  Trade 
Regiment,  was  mustered  in  at  Chicago  August 
27,  1862,  and  after  participating  in  its  share  in 
the  war  was  mustered  out  of  service  at  Chica- 
go, June  14,  1865.  Eight  men  from  Du  Page 
County  were  in  its  ranks. 

COMPANY  B. 

Hamilton,  Robert,  Musician,  died  at  Nashville, 
January  13,  1863;  Jones,  James  H.,  mustered  out 
June  9  as  Corporal;  Sutherland,  James  B.,  died  at 
Nashville  of  wounds  January  26,  1863 ;  Thomas, 
Samuel  8.,  transferred  to  Company  E. 

All  the  above  from  Milton,  and  enlisted  and 
mustered  into  service  in  August,  1862. 

COMPANY   G. 

Hubbart,  Nicholas,  enlisted  August  12,  mustered 
in  the  27th,  1862;  Hester,  Samuel  L.,  enlisted  August 
15,  mustered  in  the  27th,  1862,  mustered  out  as  Cor- 
poral; Hester,  Samuel,  enlisted  and  mustered  in  at 
the  same  time;  Kelly,  Samuel,  enlisted  and  mus- 
tered in  at  the  same  time. 

All  the  above  from  Milton. 


EIGHTY-NINTH   REGIMENT. 

The  Eighty-ninth  Regiment  of  Illinois  In- 
fantry was  organized  at  Chicago  under  the 
united  supervision  of  several  railroad  com- 
panies, whose  parent  offices  were  at  the 
place.  Hence  it  was  called  the  Railroad  Regi- 
ment. Its  first  company  was  mustered  into 
the  service  August,  25,  and  its  last  the  27, 
1862.  It  belonged  to  the  Army  of  the  Cumber- 
land, and  Nashville  was  the  last  great  battle  in 
which  it  was  engaged,  at  which  place  it  was 
mustered  out  of  service  June  10,  1865.  It  had 
seven  men  from  Du  Page  County  in  its  ranks. 

COMPANY  K. 

Watson,  Emery  B.,  Turner  Junction,  Corporal, 
enlisted  August  5,  mustered  in  the  25th,  1862,  dis- 
charged September  25,  1864,  for  disability  ;  Fort- 
man,  Louis,  Milton,  enlisted  August  4,  and  mus- 
tered in  the  25th,  1862,  died  at  New  Albany,  Ind., 
December  12,  1862  ;  Leary,  John,  Turner  Junction, 
enlisted  August  11,  and  mustered  in  the  25th,  1862  ; 
Scott,  Otis  P.,  Turner  Junction,  enlisted  August  7, 
and  mustered  in  the  25th,  1862  ;  Temple,  George, 
Naperville,  enlisted  January  23,  1864  ;  Washington, 
George,  enlisted  at  the  same  time  ;  Wright,  Wallace, 
Turner  Junction,  enlisted  August  7,  mustered  in 
the  25th,  1862,  killed  at  Chickamauga  September 
19,  1863. 

NINETY- FIFTH   REGIMENT. 

The  Ninety-fifth  Regiment  of  Illinois  Infan- 
try was  mustered  into  the  service  at  Rockford, 
111.,  September  4,  1862.  Its  chief  field  of  op- 
eration was  around  Vicksburg,  New  Orleans 
and  Mobile.  It  was  mustered  out  at  Camp 
Butler,  Springfield,  August  16,  1865.  It  lost 
84  men  in  battle,  and  276  of  disease.  Two 
men  from  Du  Page  Count}'  was  in  its  ranks. 

COMPANY  A. 

Pomery,  Luther,  Addison,  enlisted  October  17,1864, 
transferred  to  the  Forty -seventh  Illinois  Infantry  ; 
Smith,  Thomas,  Turner  Junction,  enlisted  January, 
25,  1865. 

ONE    HUNDREDTH   REGIMENT. 

The  One  Hundredth  Regiment  of  Illinois  In- 
fantrj-  was  organized  August  28,  1862,  and 


LIBR'RY 

OF  V.E 

UNIVERSITY  OF  IUINOIS 


HISTORY   OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


107 


known  as  the  Will  County  Begiment.     It  had 
one  man  from  Du  Page  County. 

COMPANY  D. 

Saylor,  Peter  H.,  Naperville,  enlisted  August  1, 
mustered  in  the  30th. 

ONE    HUNDRED   AND    FIFTH   REGIMENT. 

The  One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Regiment  of 
Illinois  Infantry  deserves  a  more  extended  his- 
tory than  any  other  to  whose  ranks  Du  Page 
County  contributed  her  citizen  soldiers,  not  be- 
cause these  soldiers  were  better  than  others 
who  had  gone  from  this  count}'  into  the  war 
before  or  after  them,  but  because  there  were 
more  of  them  than  had  enlisted  into  any  other 
single  regiment  from  this  county. 

The  first  call  for  volunteers  had  been  made 
April  16,  1861,  more  than  a  year  previous  to 
the  initiatory  steps  taken  to  raise  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Fifth  Regiment.  Du  Page  County 
had  fully  contributed  her  quota  to  fill  the  first 
demand  made  upon  her  public  spirit.  Her 
young  men  had  gone  forth,  with  many  others 
from  the  entire  North,  and  the  enemy  had  been 
met  on  many  a  field.  Sometimes  defeat  and 
sometimes  victory  had  followed,  but  as  yet  no 
substantial  results  had  been  reached  as  to  how 
the  conflict  was  to  end.  The  rebels  had  lost 
none  of  their  confidence  ;  on  the  contrary,  their 
resolution  and  courage  seemed  to  be  gathering 
force. 

While  this  was  true,  it  may  with  equal 
truth  be  said  the  inflexible  determination  of  the 
North  to  conquer  them  had  become  the  trans- 
cendent sentiment  of  the  pulpit,  forum  and 
the  press,  and  had  fired  the  ambition  of  almost 
every  young  heart  to  interpose  the  muscular 
frame  that  encased  it  between  the  sacred  shrine 
of  his  country's  freedom  and  the  enemy  who 
had  attacked  it.  The  pleasing  illusions,  first 
that  the  rebels  would  not  fight,  and  next  that 
they  could  be  conquered  in  three  months,  had 
vanished — the  first  when  they  fired  on  Fort 
Sumter,  and  the  second  when  they  met  they 


met  the  Union  forces  in  the  field  as  "Greek 
meets  Greek." 

And,  while  we  condemned  them  none  the 
less,  we  have  been  taught  to  respect  them  more, 
at  least  for  their  fighting  qualities.  Such  was 
the  spirit  of  public  sentiment  when  the  One 
Hundred  and  Fifth  Regiment  was  organized  in 
the  counties  of  De  Kalb  and  Du  Page — six 
from  the  former  and  four  from  the  latter.  It 
was  in  response  to  a  call  from  President  Lin- 
coln for  300,000  more  men. 

The  One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Regiment  Illi- 
nois Infantry  Volunteers  was  mustered  into  the 
service  of  the  United  States  September  2, 1862, 
at  Dixon,  111. 

On  the  8th,  moved  to  Camp  Douglas  ;  on  the 
30th  left  Camp  Douglas  for  Louisville,  Ky.; 
arriving  on  the  2d  of  October  and  reporting  to 
Gen.  Dumont,  was  attached  to  his  division, 
Brig.  Gen.  W.  T.  Ward's  Brigade  ;  on  the  3d 
moved  in  the  direction  of  Frankfort ;  arrived 
on  the  9th  after  a  severe  march  ;  were  engaged 
in  guard  and  picket  duty,  with  occasional  slight 
skirmishing  with  the  enemy.  While  at  Frank- 
fort, made  a  raid  to  Lawrenceburg  and  returned. 
On  the  26th  moved  en  route  to  Bowling  Green, 
arriving  on  the  4th  of  November,  and  remain- 
ing one  week.  Was  ordered  to  Scottville,  No- 
vember 25  ;  moved  to  Gallatin,  Tenn.,  Decem- 
ber 11  ;  moved  to  South  Tunnel  February  1, 
1863  ;  returned  to  Gallatin,  remaining  until  the 
1st  day  of  June,  1863,  when  it  moved  to  La- 
vergne  ;  from  thence  to  Murfreesboro,  Tenn.; 
returning  to  Lavergne  the  last  of  July,  moved 
to  Nashville  August  19  ;  was  quartered  in  Fort 
Negley,  doing  guard  duty  in  it  and  the  city  of 
Nashville ;  exchanged  the  Austrian  musket, 
with  which  the  regiment  had  been  armed,  for 
the  Springfield  rifle  musket.  Meanwhile  it  was 
attached  to  the  Eleventh  Army  Corps,  Maj. 
Gen.  0.  0.  Howard  commanding. 

On  the  24th  of  February,  1864,  it  took  the 
line  of  march  in  the  diriction  of  Chattanooga, 
Tenn.  On  the  — th  day  of  March  it  arrived 


108 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


at  Wauhatcliie,  at  which  place  it  remained 
until  the  2d  day  of  May,  being  brigaded  with 
the  One  Hundred  and  Second  and  One  Hun- 
dred and  Twenty-ninth  Illinois,  Seventieth  Indi- 
ana and  the  Seventy-ninth  Ohio,  with  which  it 
remained  during  the  war.  In  the  meantime, 
the  Eleventh  and  Twelfth  Army  Corps  were 
consolidated  under  the  name  of  the  Twentieth 
Army  Corps,  Maj.  Gen.  Joseph  Hooker  com- 
manding. May  2,  moved  to  Gordon's  Mills ; 
May  6,  marched  to  Leet's  Farm ;  thence  to 
Taylor's  Kidge  on  the  7th  ;  May  10,  moved  to 
Snake  Creek  Gap  ;  May  12,  to  Sugar  Valley  ; 
May  13,  moved  in  the  direction  of  Resaca, 
Ga.,  skirmishing  that  evening  and  the  next 
day.  The  morning  of  the  15th,  moved  with 
the  corps  to  the  extreme  left  of  the  lines.  Im- 
mediately upon  its  arrival,  took  part  in  a 
charge  upon  the  enemy's  works,  which  were 
carried,  losing  several  men  in  the  engagement 
On  the  16th,  pursued  the  retreating  army, 
arriving  at  Calhoun  on  the  17th.  On  the  18th, 
moved  to  near  Cassville.  On  the-  19th,  the 
One  Hundred  and  Fifth  being  in  advance, 
skirmished  with  the  rear  guard  of  the  enemy, 
driving  them  at  every  point.  Kemained  near 
Kingston  until  the  23d,  when  ordered  forward, 
crossing  the  Etoway  River;  24th,  moved  to 
Burnt  Hickory.  On  the  25th,  continuing  its 
march  to  Dallas,  Ga.,  encountering  the  enemy, 
having  a  brisk  engagement  until  dark — -the 
casualties  numbering  15,  including  two  com- 
missioned officers. 

From  this  time  until  the  1st  of  June,  the 
regiment  was  engaged  in  advancing  the  line, 
building  and  strengthening  the  works  and 
skirmishing,  losing  16  men. 

On  the  1st  of  June,  moved  to  the  extreme 
left  with  the  Twentieth  Corps.  On  the  2d,  the 
One  Hundred  and  Fifth  was  ordered  out  as 
flankers,  in  which  position  it  lost  a  most  excel- 
lent officer,  Surgeon  Horace  S.  Potter,  being 
killed  by  a  shell.  On  the  3d,  moved  around 
and  beyond  the  enemy's  right,  encamping  near 


Ackworth,  Ga.  Here  it  remained  until  the  6th, 
when  it  moved  forward  and  took  position  at 
Golgotha  Church,  in  line  of  battle,  throwing 
up  intrenchments  and  remaining  until  the  15th, 
when  it  again  moved  forward,  encountering 
the  enemy  behind  the  breastworks.  A  steady 
fire  was  kept  up  until  dark.  That  night  and 
the  next  day  (the  16th)  was  occupied  in 
strengthening  the  position  by  erecting  breast- 
works, being  exposed  to  the  fire  of  the  enemy. 
Lost  19  men  during  the  two  days.  The  night 
of  the  16th,  the  enemy  retreated.  On  the 
17th,  18th,  19tb  and  20th,  followed  the  retreat- 
ing enemy,  with  slight  skirmishing  at  inter- 
vals ;  21st,  severe  skiruYish  fighting ;  22d, 
moved  forward  about  a  mile,  in  close  proxim- 
ity to  the  enemy's  works,  exposed  to  their  fire, 
losing  1 1  men.  The  enemy  evacuated  its  posi- 
tion during  the  night  of  July  2.  On  the  3d, 
moved  in  the  direction  of  Marietta,  Ga.  The 
brigade  to  which  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifth 
was  attached  being  the  advance,  skirmished 
with  the  enemy,  losing  1  man  killed  and  2 
wounded,  camping  about  four  miles  from  Mari- 
etta, Ga.,  in  plain  view  of  a  portion  of  the 
rebel  army.  On  the  evening  of  the  4th,  con" 
tinned  the  march  in  the  direction  of  the  Chat- 
tahoochie  River,  camping  within  two  miles  of 
that  stream,  on  the  north  side,  the  night  of  the 
6th.  Remained  there  until  the  17th,  when  it 
crossed  the  river  and  encamped  until  the  after- 
noon of  the  18th  ;  moved  forward  about  five 
miles  and  rested  until  the  morning  of  the  20th; 
crossed  Peach  Tree  Creek  and  came  upon  the 
enemy. 

A  line  of  battle  was  formed,  a  charge  of  the 
enemy  was  repulsed  in  the  afternoon,  and  sev- 
eral prisoners  captured,  also  the  colors  of  the 
Twelfth  Louisiana.  The  21st  was  occupied  in 
burying  the  dead  of  both  sides,  and  collecting 
and  turning  over  ordnance  and  other  property.. 
On  the  22d,  moved  forward  about  three  miles, 
when  the  enemy  was  again  encountered,  posted 
behind  the  defenses  of  Atlanta.  Intrenchments 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


109 


were  immediately  thrown  up.  Kemained  in 
this  position  until  the  26th,  when  relieved  and 
placed  on  reserve  ;  29th.  moved  six  miles  to 
the  right  of  the  line.  Making  the  position 
secure  by  throwing  up  works,  remained  until 
the  2d  da}'  of  August ;  returned  to  the  left  and 
took  position,  which  was  fortified  and  strength- 
ened. Constant  skirmishing  and  artillery  firing 
was  kept  up  until  the  night  of  the  25th  of 
August,  when  ordered  to  fall  back  to  the  Chat- 
tahoochie.  Here  it  remained  until  the  27th, 
when  it  took  position  on  the  north  side  of  that 
stream,  doing  picket  and  guard  duty.  The  2d 
day  of  September  the  city  of  Atlanta  surren- 
dered. The  regiment  remained  in  the  vicinity  of 
Atlanta  until  the  15th  of  November,  when  the 
"  grand  march  to  the  sea "  was  begun.  The 
One  Hundred  and  Fifth,  accompanying  the  ex- 
pedition, bore  its  full  share  of  the  trials  and 
hardships  incident  thereto. 

Passing  on  the  route  Decatur,  Lithonia,  So- 
cial Circle,  Rutledge  and  Madison,  at  which  last- 
named  place  it  arrived  on  the  19th  of  Novem- 
ber. From  thence  marched  southward  to  the 
city  of  Milledgeville,  the  capital  of  Georgia,  ar- 
riving on  the  22d,  and  remaining  until  the  27th. 
Thence  to  the  north  of  the  Mississippi  & 
Georgia  Central  Railroad.  Passing  through 
Sandersville,  Davisboro  and  Louisville  (the  One 
Hundred  and  Fifth  and  part  of  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Second  meeting  a  body  of  rebel  cav- 
alry between  the  two  last-mentioned  places), 
reaching  Milan  on  December  3. 

Continuing  the  march  toward  Savannah,  pass- 
ing through  Springfield  on  the  7th,  having  a 
slight  skirmish  with  the  guerrillas,  arriving  in 
the  city  of  Savannah  on  the  10th.  The  One 
Hundred  and  Fifth  being  the  advance  that  day, 
had  a  brisk  skirmish  with  the  enemy's  pickets, 
driving  them  within  the  defenses  of  that  city. 
Participated  in  the  siege  of  Savannah,  which 
surrendered  to  a  magnanimous  foe,  to  use  the 
words  of  the  Savannah  Republican.  This  was 
the  crowning  success  of  the  campaign,  and  the 


troops  were  in  ecstacies.  They  mingled  freely 
with  the  populace,  bought  hot  cakes  of  the 
pretty,  bright-eyed  feminine  rebels,  who  didn't 
look  so  very  hostile  to  the  boys  as  they  ate  from 
their  pie-tins  the  delicious  tid-bits  prepared  for 
them,  "  all  for  greenbacks,"  of  course,  and  yet, 
greenbacks  nevertheless,  it  was  a  pleasant 
change  to  eat  food  prepared  by  female  hands. 
On  the  31st  of  December,  A.  D.  1864,  and  Jan- 
uary 1,  1865,  was  occupied  in  crossing  the  Sav- 
annah River,  losing  one  man  by  a  musket  shot 
from  the  enemy.  Moved  five  miles,  and  en- 
camped until  the  4th  of  January.  Marched 
north  to  Hardee's  farm,  and  again  encamped 
remaining  until  the  17th,  with  slight  skirmishes . 
at  intervals.  Moved  to  Hardeeville,  remaining 
there  until  the  29th,  when  it  started  on  the 
campaign  of  the  Carolinas.  Moving  northward, 
nothing  of  interest  occurred  until  the  2d  day  of 
February,  when  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifth  be- 
ing in  the  advance,  encountered  the  enemy  near 
Lawtonville,  strongly  posted  behind  their  bar- 
ricades ;  it  immediately  charged  the  enemy, 
driving  them  from  their  position  through  the 
town,  losing  eight  men  in  the  engagement. 

Continued  the  march  on  the  3d,  4th,  5th,  6th 
and  7th,  when  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifth  had 
the  advance.  Had  some  slight  skirmishes 
with  Wade  Hampton's  cavalry  ;  8th,  9th  and 
10th.  were  engaged  in  tearing  up  railroad  be- 
tween Graham  Station  and  Williston  ;  from 
thence  across  the  North  and  South  Edisto 
Rivers,  on  the  road  to  Columbia,  arriving  op- 
posite that  city  on  the  16th,  after  a  very  disa- 
greeable march  through  swamps  and  marshes. 
Not  being  able  to  cross  the  Congaree  at  that 
point,  moved  up  the  river  and  crossed  the 
Broad  and  Saluda  Rivers,  which  unite  and 
form  the  Congaree.  Marching  northward,  ar- 
rived at  Winnsboro  on  the  21st.  On  the  22d, 
the  regiment,  again  in  the  advance,  had  some 
skirmishing  with  Butler's  rebel  cavalry,  and 
crossed  the  Wateree  River  ;  reached  Hanging 
Rock  on  the  27th  ;  rested  one  day  ;  29th  moved 


110 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


forward,  arriving  at  Chesterfield  March  3  ;  at 
Cheraw  March  6.  Crossed  Great  Pedee  and 
Lumber  Rivers,  and  arrived  at  Fayetteville  on 
the  llth.  Resting  three  days,  15th  moved  in 
the  direction  of  Raleigh,  N.  C.,  some  ten  miles, 
when  it  encountered  the  enemy,  heavily  in- 
trenched near  Averysboro  ;  then,  on  the  16th, 
followed  the  battle  of  Averysboro,  the  enemy 
being  driven  from  their  position.  The  One 
One  Hundred  and  Fifth  lost  six  killed  and  six- 
teen wounded. 

On  the  19th,  20th  and  21st,  took  part  in  the 
engagement  near  Bentonville  ;  the  enemy  evac- 
uated that  place  on  the  night  of  the  21st.  Ar- 
rived at  Goldsboro  on  the  night  of  the  24th. 
Thus  ended  the  campaign  of  the  Carolinas. 

Remained  at  Goldsboro  until  April  10, 1865. 
Continued  the  march  toward  Raleigh,  arriving 
at  Smithfleld  on  the  llth,  and  at  Raleigh  on 
the  13th,  encountering  but  little  opposition 
from  the  enemy.  Resting  till  the  25th,  moved 
out  some  fourteen  miles  on  the  Holly  Springs 
road,  in  the  direction  of  Gen.  Johnston's 
army.  Encamped  during  the  26th  and  27th. 
In  the  meantime,  Gen.  Johnston  surrendered. 

On  the  28th,  returned  to  Raleigh,  and  imme- 
diately began  making  preparations  for  the 
homeward  march.  On  the  30th.  left  Raleigh 
en  route  to  Washington  City,  by  way  of  Rich- 
mond, passing  through  the  latter  city  on  the 
llth  of  May  :  arrived  in  the  vicinity  of  Alex- 
andria, Va.,  on  the  19th  ;  took  part  in  the 
grand  review  at  Washington  on  the  24th,  when 
the  regiment  received  a  compliment  for  their 
movements  in  the  manual  of  arms  and  their 
military  appearance.  Remained  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Washington  until  the  7th  of  June,  when 
the  regiment  was  mustered  out  of  the  service 
and  started  by  rail  for  Chicago,  111.,  where  it 
arrived  on  the  10th.  Remained  at  Camp  Fry 
until  the  17th,  when  paid  off  and  disbanded. 


LIEUTENANT   COLONEL. 


Vallette,  Henry  F.,  Naperville;  date  of  rank  Sep- 
tember 2,  1862;  resigned  June  18,  1864. 


Phillips,  William  N.,  Wayne;  date  of  rank  Sep- 
tember 2,  1862;  resigned  Decembers,  1862. 

SURGEONS. 

Potter,  Horace  S.,  Milton;  date  of  rank  Septem- 
ber 5,  1862;  killed  in  battle  June  2, 1864. 

Waterman,  Alfred,  Warrenville;  date  of  rank  June 
2,  1864;  promoted  from  First  Surgeon;  mustered  out 
June  7,  1865. 

FIRST  ASSISTANT  SURGEON. 

Beggs,  George  W.,  Naperville;  date  of  rank  June 
2,  1864;  promoted  from  Second  Surgeon;  mustered 
out  June  7,  1865. 

NON-COMMISSIONED    STAFF. 

SERGEANT   HAJOR8. 

Vallette,  Jonathan  G.,  Milton;  discharged  July  6, 
1864,  to  accept  commission  in  volunteer  service. 

Whitlock,  Ogden,  Milton,  mustered  out  June  7, 
1865. 

COMMISSARY   SFRGEANT. 

Clinton,  Beach,  Winfield;  promoted  First  Lieu- 
tenant and  Quarter-master  in  United  States  Colored 
Troops. 

HOSPITAL  STEWARDS. 

Beggs,  George  W.,  Naperville;  promoted  Assistant 
Surgeon. 

PRINCIPAL  MUSICIANS. 

Fuller,  Morell,  Du  Page  County. 
Van  Vetzger,  Walter. 

COMPANY  B. 

CAPTAINS. 

Rogers,  Theodore  S.,  Naperville,  date  of  rank 
September  2,  1862;  resigned  September  30,  1864. 

Church,  Lucius  B.,  Winfield,  date  of  rank  Sep- 
tember 80,  1864;  promoted  from  Lieutenant;  mus- 
tered out  June  7,  1865. 

FIRST   LIEUTENANT. 

Scott,  Willard,  Jr.,  Naperville,  date  of  rank  Sep- 
tember 30,  1864;  promo  ted  from  Second  Lieutenant; 
mustered  out  June  7,  1865. 

SECOND  LIRUTENANT. 

Bedell,  Gilbert,  Winfield,  date  of  rank  June  7, 
1865;  mustered  out  (as  Sergeant)  June  7,  1865. 

FIRST    SERGEANT. 

Sedgwick,  John  A.,  Naperville,  enlisted  August  2, 
1862;  discharged  November  15,  1864. 

SERGEANTS. 

Kelley,  Isaac  D.,  Naperville,  enlisted  July  29, 
1862;  mustered  out  June  7,  1865. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE   COUNTY. 


Ill 


Carpenter,  Ashley  E.,  Milton,  August  6;  died  at 
Scottville,  Ky.,  November  30,  1862. 

Bedell,  Gilbert,  Winfield,  August  4;  mustered  out 
June  7,  1865,  First  Sergeant;  commissioned  Second 
Lieutenant,  but  not  mustered. 

Townsend,  Perry,  Downer's  Grove,  July  29;  mus- 
tered out  May  18,  1865. 

COBPOR&L8. 

Naper,  Mark  A.,  Naperville,  August  6  ;  mustered 
out  June  7,  1865,  as  Sergeant. 

Town,  Morris,  Winfield,  August  6  ;  mustered  out 
June  7,  1865,  as  Sergeant. 

Cooley,  Elias  A.,  Winfield,  Augusts,  private  ;  died 
June  22,  1864  ;  wounds. 

Freeto,  William,  Milton,  July  29 ;  mustered  out 
May  13,  1865. 

Burns,  Elias,  York,  August  4  ;  died  June  32, 1864  ; 
wounds. 

Yock,  Nicholas,  Naperville,  August  4  ;  mustered 
out  June  7,  1865. 

Foster,  Alexander  F.,  Downer's  Grove,  August  12  ; 
discharged  April  7,  1863  ;  disability. 

Barr,  Samuel  A.,  Naperville,  August  6  ;  mustered 
out  June  7,  1865. 

PRIVATES. 

Beach,  Clinton,  Winfield,  August  5  ;  promoted 
Commissary  Sergeant. 

Burns,  John  B.,  York,  August  2. 

Beggs,  George  W.,  Naperville,  August  6 ;  pro- 
moted Hospital  Steward. 

Bovvker,  George,  Bloomingdale,  August  7. 

Branch,  Royal  D.,  Naperville,  August  2. 

Bucks,  Wesley,  Lisle,  August  2. 

Beidleman,  William,  Lisle,  August  3. 

Bachlem,  William,  Winfield,  August  5. 

Buchannan,  Albert,  Winfield,  August  5 ;  dis- 
charged June  26,  1863  ;  disability. 

Brown,  William  H.,  Winfield,  August  6 ;  pro- 
moted First  Lieutenant  United  States  Colored  In- 
fantry. 

Bannister,  Edmund  B.,  Naperville,  August  4 ; 
discharged  January  20,  1863  ;  disability. 

Babbitt,  John  H.,  Naperville,  August  4. 

Balch,  Homer,  Naperville,  August  5. 

Butz,  Joseph  J.,  Naperville,  August  6. 

Coslett,  Robert,  Winfield,  August  6 ;  mustered 
out  June  7,  1865,  as  Corporal. 

Cooper,  Frederick,  Winfield,  August  6 ;  died  at 
Bowling  Green,  Ky.,  January  1,  1863. 

Cotes,  John  S.,  Winfield,  August  11  ;  died  at  Mur- 
freesboro  July  25,  1863. 

Cornell,  Joseph,  Downer's  Grove,  August  11. 


Chase,  Samuel  B.,  Downer's  Grove,  August  11. 
Davis,  Zora  B.,  Naperville,  August  6  ;  discharged 
October  29,  1864  ;  disability. 

Fuller,  Morell,  Downer's  Grove,  August  4 ;  pro- 
moted Drum  Major. 

Fowler,  Daniel  H.,  Naperville,  August  7 ;  trans- 
ferred to  Company  D,  One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Illi- 
nois Infantry. 

Fisher,  Abram  B.,  Naperville,  August  5. 
Fey,  Albert,  Winfield,  August  5  ;  mustered  out 
June  7,  1865,  as  Corporal. 

Gager,  John  T.,  Lisle,  July  29  ;  mustered  out  June 
7,  1865,  as  Corporal. 

Gushert,  Conrad,  York,  August  4 ;  discharged 
January  21,  1863  ;  disability. 

Grumbine,    Moses,    Naperville,    August    4 ;    dis- 
charged May  2,  1865  ;  disability. 
Hand,  Lewis  J.,  Lisle,  August  5. 
Hickel,  George,  York,  August  6. 
Hynen,  Ernest,  Lisle,  August  4  ;  killed  at  Averys- 
boro,  N.  C.,  March  16,  1865. 
Hoffman,  Bartholomew,  Naperville,  August  5. 
Hammschmidt,  Joseph,  Winfield,  August  5  ;  mus- 
tered out  July  1,  1865. 
Hughes,  William  S.,  Winfield,  August  6. 
Johnston,   William,   Naperville,  August  4 ;  dis- 
charged January  21,  1863  ;  disability. 

Jones,  Daniel,  Downer's  Grove,  August  6 ;  mus- 
tered out  July  10,  1865. 

Kenyon,  Paris,  York,  July  29  ;  died  August  16, 
1864;  wounds. 

Kummer,  Henry,  Lisle,  August  6  ;  transferred  to 
Veteran  Reserve  Corps  March  13,  1864. 

Kimball,  Delos,  Naperville,  August  7 ;  discharged 
May  23,  1863  ;  disability. 

Kenyon,  Nicholas  R.,  York,  August  4  ;  discharged 
Marcli  2,  1863  ;  disability. 
Kessell,  George,  Naperville,  August  6. 
Kopp,  Henry  C.,  Naperville,  August  6  ;  mustered 
out  July  22,  1865  ;  prisoner  of  war. 

Lindsey,  Merritt,  Naperville,  August  3 ;  died  at 
Nashville,  Tenn.,  April  9,  1864. 
Murray,  Charles,  Winfield,  August  5. 
Motzberger,  Henry,  Milton,  August  2. 
Mowry,  Henry,  Winfield,  July  31. 
Meyers,  Edwin  B.,  Milton,  August  4  ;  discharged 
April  6,  1863  ;  disability. 
Meyers,  Frederick  A.,  Milton,  August  4. 
Meyers,  William  H.,   Milton,   August  4;  trans- 
ferred to  Engineer  Corps  August  15,  1864. 
McMillan,  James,  Naperville,  August  5. 
Mayers,  Henry,  Naperville,  August  4. 
McQuinston,  William,  Lisle,  August  6. 


112 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Mussleman,  Harrison,  Lisle,  August  6. 

Norton,  Henry,  Naperville,  August  6  ;  died  August 
19,  1864 ;  wounds. 

Neitz,  Moses,  Naperville,  August  15. 

O'Conner,  Hains,  Winfield,  August  5. 

Pratt,  Lorenzo,  Wheaton, '  August  5  ;  discharged 
April  6,  1863  ;  disability. 

Purnell,  William,  Winfield,  August  5  ;  mustered 
out  May  19,  1865. 

Reynolds,  Alonzo  L.,  Naperville,  August  5  ;  dis- 
charged January  21,  1868  ;  disability. 

Rickert,  Edwin  C.,  Milton,  August  4 ;  mustered 
out  June  7,  1865,  as  Corporal. 

Stanley,  Joseph,  Naperville,  August  7  ;  absent ; 
sick  at  muster  out  of  regiment. 

Stephenson,  John  P.,  Winfield,  August  5. 

Stevens,  Matthias  A.,  Naperville,  August  7. 

Strong,  Robert  H.,  Du  Page  County,  August  3. 

Stutenroth,  Charles  W.,  Naperville,  August  4 ; 
mustered  out  June  7  as  Corporal. 

Smith,  Chauncey  G ,  Du  Page  County,  August  9  ; 
discharged  December  20,  1863  ;  disability. 

Stanley,  Joel,  Naperville,  August  3. 

Townsend,  Augustus,  York,  July  29 ;  discharged 
May  17,  1863  ;  disability. 

Tucker,  George,  Winfield,  August  9. 

Van  Veltzer,  Walter,  Downer's  Grove,  August  4  ; 
promoted  Fife  Major. 

Van  Oven,  Adelbert,  Naperville,  August  9. 

Wallace,  Gerry,  Downer's  Grove,  August  15. 

Weaber,  Edward,  York,  August  9  ;  mustered  out 
June  7,  1865,  as  Corporal. 

Wright,  Albert  H.,  Naperville,  August  11. 

Weaver,  Daniel  R.,  Naperville,  August  4. 

Wiant,  'Albert  H.,  Wheaton,  August  6. 

Wilson,  Moultrie,  Winfield,  August  15  ;  discharged 
February  20,  1863  ;  disability. 

Watson,  Sanford,  Winfield,  August  5  ;  transferred 
to  Engineer  Corps  August  15,  1864. 

Wyman,  William  H.,  Winfield,  August  5  ;  dis- 
charged January  20,  1863  ;  disability. 

Zeutmeyer,  Henry  S.,  Naperville,  August  5  ;  died 
August  2,  1864  ;  wounds. 


RECRUITS. 


Leffler,  Jeremiah,  Naperville,  mustered  in  No- 
vember 27,  1863;  transferred  to  Company  K,  Six- 
teenth Illinois  Infantry. 

Palmer,  Alonzo  L. 

COOKS  or  A.  D. 

Perkins,  Tillman,  mustered  in  June  1,  1863. 

Link,  Robert,  mustered  in  March  17, 1863  ;  absent, 
sick,  at  muster  out  of  regiment. 


COMPANY  D. 

CAPTAINS. 

Graves,  Amos  C.,  Winfield,  date  of  rank  Septem- 
ber 2,  1862;  discharged  March  30, 1865. 

Graves,  Judson  A.,  Winfield,  date  of  rank  April 
20,  1865;  promoted  from  Sergeant;  mustered  out  (as 
First  Lieutenant)  June  7,  1865. 

FIBBT  LIEUTENANTS. 

Jeffers,  William  H.,  Downer's  Grove,  date  of  rank 
September  2,  1862;  resigned  May  5,  1864. 

Peaslee,  Luther  L.,  Naperville,  date  of  rank  May 
5,1864;  promoted  from  Second  Lieutenant;  resigned 
September  24,  1864. 

Coffin,  Edward  B.,  Winfield,  date  of  rank  April 
20,  1865;  mustered  out  as  Sergeant  June  7,  1865. 

SECOND   LIEUTENANT. 

Brown,  George,  Du  Page  County,  date  of  rank 
June  7,  1865;  mustered  out  as  Sergeant  June  7, 1865. 

FIRST    SERGEANT. 

Valette,  Jonathan  G.,  Milton,  enlisted  August  14, 
1862;  promoted  Sergeant  Major. 

SEROEANTS. 

Sedgwick,  George  G.,  Bloomingdale,  enlisted 
August  14;  discharged  February  23, 1863;  disability. 

Billings,'  John,  Jr.,  Winfield,  August  11;  dis- 
charged February  6,  1863;  disability. 

Munk,  Edward,  Jr.,  Winfield,  August  11;  dis- 
charged July  11,  1863,  to  accept  commission  Four- 
teenth U.  S.  C.  T. 

CORPORALS. 

Graves,  Adoniram  J.,  Winfield,  August  12;  pro- 
moted First  Sergeant,  First  Lieutenant  and  Commis- 
sioned Captain. 

Coffin,  Edwin,  Winfield,  August  12;  First  Ser- 
geant, commissioned  First  Lieutenant,  but  not 
mustered;  mustered  out  June  7,  1865;  wounded. 

Pinny,  Milton,  Winfield,  August  12;  discharged 
April  25,  1863;  disability. 

Apthorpe,  George,  Bloomingdale,  August  14;  dis- 
charged July  11,  1863,  to  accept  commission  in 
Fourteenth  U.  S.  C.  T. 

Hayes,  George,  Bloomingdale,  August  8;  died  at 
South  Tunnel,  Tenn.,  December  29, 1863. 

Fowler,  Ferdinand  F.,  Naperville,  August  12;  dis- 
charged February  18,  1863;  disability. 

Freer,  Theodore  R.,  Downer's  Grove,  August  14; 
died  at  South  Tunnel,  Tenn.,  January  30,  1863. 

MUSICIANS. 

Watts,  Joseph  H.,  Winfield,  August  14;  mustered 
out  June  7,  1865. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


113 


White,  Uriah  C.,  Winfield,  August  14;  mustered 
out  June  7,  1865. 

WAGONEH. 

Wood,  James  H.,  Milton,  August  15;  discharged 
July  16,  1864. 

PRIVATES. 

Barrows,  James,  Downer's  Grove,  August  14. 

Berry,  Isaac  J.,  Winfleld,  August  14;  mustered  out 
June  7,  1865,  as  Sergeant. 

Billings,  Simeon,  Winfleld,  August  12;  mustered 
out  May  20,  1865. 

Bostwick,  Hiram  A.,  Winfleld,  August  12;  mus- 
tered out  June  7,  1865,  as  Corporal. 

Bartholomew,  Charles,  Winfield,  August  14;  died 
at  South  Tunnel,  Tenn.,  January  18,  1863. 

Bostwick,  Arthur,  Winfield,  August  14. 

Blakeman,  Jacob,  Downer's  Grove,  August  12; 
mustered  out  May  20,  1865. 

Brown,  George,  Du  Page  County,  August  11; 
mustered  out  June  7,  1865,  as  Sergeant;  commis- 
sioned Second  Lieutenant,  but  not  mustered. 

Bartholomew,  Darius,  Naperville,  August  14. 

Collins,  George,  Lisle,  August  14. 

Conners,  James,  Downer's  Grove,  August  14. 

Cry,  David,  Naperville,  August  14;  mustered  out 
June  7,  1865,  as  Corporal. 

Chapman,  Edward,  Bloomingdale,  August  7; 
killed  at  Dallas,  Ga.,  May  29,  1864. 

Clark,  Henry  E.,  Bloomingdale,  August  14;  died 
at  Gallatin,  Tenn.,  February  8,  1863. 

Dalton,  Naylor,  Winfleld,  August  11. 

Dixon,  James  C.,  Downer's  Grove,  Sergeant; 
transferred  to  Engineer  Corps  August  7,  1864. 

Denny,  Charles,  Naperville,  August  11;  discharged 
September  22,  1864;  insane. 

Drullard,  Alvaro,  Kaperville,  August  10;  Cor- 
poral; died  at  Murfreesboro  September  2,  1863. 

Elsy,  Isaac,  Naperville,  August  14;  died  at  Gal- 
latin, Tenn.,  April  9,  1863;  accidental  wounds. 

French,  Joseph  G.,  Bloomingdale,  August  12; 
mustered  out  June  7,  1865,  as  Corporal. 

Gary,  Erastus  N.,  Milton,  August  14;  discharged 
September,  1864,  as  Sergeant;  wounds. 

Givler,  Solomon,  Jr.,  Naperville,  August  14  ;  died 
at  Scottsville,  Ky.,  December  5,  1862. 

Godfry,  Luther  N.,  Bloomingdale,  August  13  ; 
discharged  February  24,  1863  ;  disability. 

Gumpsheimer,  Christ,   Downer's  Grove,  August 
14  ;  discharged  January  15,  1864. 
Goodel,  Henry,  Du  Page  County,  August  12. 
Hatch,  Reuben  R.,  Lisle,  August  10  ;  discharged 
April  1,  1863  ;  disability. 


Ingalls,  Abner  E.,  Lisle,  August  10  ;  discharged 
March  14,  1863  ;  disability. 

Ingalls,  Andrew  E.,  Lisle,  August  14  ;  died  at  Gal- 
latin, Tenn.,  February  14,  1863. 

Kumner,  Herman,  Milton,  August  10  ;  mustered 
out  as  Corporal ;  wounded. 

Leonard,  Charles,  Naperville,  August  10  ;  killed 
Averysboro,  N.  C.,  March  16,  1865. 

Landon,  Dwight,  Bloomingdale,  August  14. 

Lawrence,   Charles,   Bloomingdale,   August    14 ; 
discharged  May  29,  1863  ;  disability. 

Lilly,  Emery  A.,   Bloomingdale,  August  14  ;  left 
at  Scottsville,  Ky.,  November  24,  1862. 

Linck,  Antone,  Lisle,  August  14  ;  mustered  out  as 
Corporal. 

Meyrs,   John  M.,  Downer's  Grove,   August   12 ; 
died  at  Gallatin,  Tenn.,  Aprils,  1863. 

McQuestion,  Christ,  Naperville,  August  14  ;  dis- 
charged December  23,  1863  ;  disability. 

Munk,  James  C.,  Winfield,  August  14  ;  killed  at 
Resaca,  Ga.,  May  15, 1864. 

Meachem,  Lucius,  Bloomingdale,  August  6  ;  dis- 
charged December  5,  1862  ;  disability. 

Morey,  John,  Lisle,  August  15;  discharged  April 
18,  1865. 

Miles,  James,  Lisle,  August  14;  discharged  De- 
cember, 29,  1862. 

Palmer,  Alonzo,  Lisle,  August  14;  transferred  to 
Company  D  March  21,  1863. 

Puffer,  Charles,  Lisle,  August  14. 

Pierce,  John  H.,  Bloomingdale,  August  14;  died 
at  Frankfort,  Ky.,  November  13,  1863 

Robberts,   Charles,   Naperville,  August  14;     dis- 
charged January  9,  1863;  disability. 

Rogers,  Bloomingdale,  August  7;  mustered  out  as 
Sergeant;  was  a  prisoner. 

Rogers,  Dedrich,  Lisle,  August  14. 

Ruckerick,  Henry,  Downer's  Grove,  August  12; 
mustered  out  June  7,  1865;  wounded. 

Richards,  Samuel  T.,  Lisle,  August  13,;  died  South 
Tunnel,  Tenn.,  January  28,  1863;  wounded. 

Resequie,  Lucien  V.,  Winfield,  August  14;  mus- 
tered out  May  19,  1865. 

Streblow,  Frederick,  Downer's  Grove,  August  14; 
mustered  out  as  Corporal. 

Shiinelspfenig,    Frank,    Naperville,   August  14  ; 
mustered  out  as  Corporal. 

Schroder,   John,    Naperville,  August  13;    trans- 
ferred to  Mississippi  Marine  Brigade  March  25,  1863. 

Straul,  Antone,  Lisle,  August  14. 

Straul,  Antonie,  August  14. 

Shilling,  Jacob,  Downer's  Grove,  August  12. 


114 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Stanley,  Elisha,  Napervillc,  August  14;  killed  at 
Kenesaw  Mountain  June  16,  1864. 

Taylor,  Rufus  B.,  Lisle,  August  10. 

Thompson,  William,  York,  August  14;  transferred 
to  navy  June  30, 1863. 

Umberger,  Hiram,  Naperville,  August  13;  mus- 
tered out  July  1,  1865,  as  Corporal:  prisoner  of  war. 

Wray,  William  T.,  Winfleld,  August  12;  killed 
at  Resaca,  Ga.,  May  15,  1864. 

Wheatley,  Isaac,  Lisle,  August  11;  mustered  out 
as  Sergeant. 

Wilson,  Rolon,  Winfield,  August  12;  discharged 
April  4,  1863. 

Wallace,  Resell,  Bloomingdale,  August  14. 

Winop,  Daniel,  Downer's  Grove,  August  13;  trans- 
ferred to  Engineer  Corps  August  7,  1864. 

Yender,  Allis,  Lisle,  August  14. 

RECRUITS. 

Cline,  Lewis,  Downer's  Grove,  October  18,  1864; 
transferred  to  Company  F,  Sixteenth  Illinois  Infan- 
try. 

Edlie,  J.,  Downer's  Grove,  Oct.  18,  1864;  trans- 
ferred to  Company  F,  Sixteenth  Illinois  Infantry. 

Fowler,  Daniel,  Naperville;  died  at  Gallatin, 
Tenn.,  March  28,  1863. 

Graves,  James  D.,  Naperville,  November  27,  1863; 
transferred  to  Company  F,  Sixteenth  Illinois  In- 
fantry. 

Gieble,  John,  Downer's  Grove,  October  18,  1864; 
transferred  to  Company  F,  Sixteenth  Illinois  In- 
fantry. 

Gerlin,  John,  Downer's  Grove,  October  18,  1864; 
transferred  to  Company  F,  Sixteenth  Illinois  In- 
fantry. 

Mayo,  Alfred  H.,  Naperville,  November  27,  1863; 
transferred  to  Company  F,  Sixteenth  Illinois  In- 
fantry. 

Mochel,  George,  Downer's  Grove,  October  18, 
1864;  transferred  to  Company  F,  Sixteenth  Illinois 
Infantry. 

Wolf,  George,  September  20,  1862. 

Winslow,  Edward  M.,  September  20,  1862. 

COOKS  OF  A.  D. 

Ayers,  Peter,  October  14,  1863;  died  at  Nashville, 
Tenn.,  March  4,  1864. 

Jones,  Robert,  November  14,  1863;  absent,  sick, 
at  muster  out  of  regiment. 

COMPANY  p. 

CAPTAINS. 

Daniels,  Seth  F.,  Wheaton;  date  of  rank,  Sept- 
ember 2,  1862;  discharged  June  7,  1865. 


Adams,  Samuel,  Wayne;  date  of  rank,  September 
2,  1862;  resigned  April  13,  1864. 

rinST    LIEUTENANTS. 

Tirtlatt,  William  M.,  Milton;  date  of  rank  April 
13,  1864;  promoted  from  Sergeant  to  Second  Lieu- 
tenant November  28,  1864. 

Smith,  Melvin,  Winfield;  date  of  rank  April  13, 
1864;  promoted  from  Sergeant. 

SECOND  LIEUTENANTS. 

Porter,  Warner,  York;  date  of  rank  September  2, 
1862;  resigned  April  17,  1863. 

Cram,  George  F.,  Wheaton;  date  of  rank  June  7, 
1865 ;  commissioned,  but  not  mustered  ;  muster  out 
June  7,  1865,  First  Sergeant ;  promoted  from  Cor- 
poral ;  wounded. 

SEROEAXTS. 

Wheeler,  Henry  C.,  Milton,  enlisted  August  8, 
1862;  promoted  Second  Lieutenant  Fourteenth  U. 
S.  C.  T. 

Wolcott,  Morgan,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  5, 
1862;  discharged  March  4,  1863,  disability. 

Perry,  Daniel  E.,  Winfield,  enlisted  August  9, 
1862:  died  July  29,  1863. 

COKPOHALS. 

Boutwell,  George  W.,  Wayne,  enlisted  July  31, 
discharged  July  6,  1864,  to  accept  promotion  in  U. 
S.  C.  T. 

Akin,  Sterlin  D.,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  5,  1862; 
died  at  Frankfort,  Ky.,  October  24,  1862. 

Smith,  George  A.,  Wayne,  August  5,  1862;  trans- 
ferred to  Mississippi  Marine  Brigade  March  2,  1863. 

Perry,  Harris,  York,  August  3,  1862;  discharged 
March  6,  1863,  as  private;  disability. 

Meachem,  Marchal  E.,  Milton,  August  10,  1862, 
died  at  Scottsville,  Ky. ,  November  25,  1862. 

Thompson,  John,  Jr.,  Wayne;  enlisted  August  5; 
1862;  discharged  April  20,  1863;  disability. 

Knine,  George  W.,  Bloomingdale,  enlisted  Aug- 
ust 7,  1862. 

•       MUSICIANS. 

Kenyon,  George  W.,  York,  enlisted  July  29,  1862; 
mustered  out  June  7,  1865,  as  private. 

Standish,  Hiram  C.,  Lisle,  enlisted  August  11, 
1862;  discharged  February  19,  1863;  disability. 

WAGONER. 

Carter,  William,  Wayne,  enlisted  August  5,  1862 ; 
discharged  May  20,  1863;  disability. 

PRIVATtg. 

Adams,  Charles  H.,  Wayne,  August  5. 
Ackerman,  Alouzo,  Milton,  August  22. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


115 


Baker,  Silas,  Wheaton,  August  3. 

Bacheider,  John,  Milton,  August  9;  promoted 
Sergeant;  died  August  2,  1864,  wounds. 

Braud,  David  N.,  Wayne,  August  5;  died  Bowl- 
ing Green,  Ky.,  December  18;  1862. 

Blank,  Joel,  Wayne,  August  5;  died  Bowling 
Green,  Ky.,  November  14,  1862. 

Boutwell,  Charles  M.,  Wayne,  August  5;  pro- 
moted Sergeant. 

Brannon,  Patrick,  Winfleld,  August  7;  died  about 
June  25,  1864;  wounds. 

Brown,  William,  Wayne,  July  81;  discharged 
October  17,  1864;  wounds. 

Brody,  James,  Bloomingdale ;  August  5;  mustered 
out  as  Corporal ;  wounded. 

Conner,  Samuel  F.,  Wayne,  August  13;  dis- 
charged October  30,  1862;  disability. 

Compton,  Henry  D.,  Bloomingdale,  August  9. 

Gary,  Edward,  Winfield,  August  7;  wounded. 

Clark,  Norman  S.,  Wayne,  July  31;  mustered  out 
Sergeant. 

Congleton,  James  A.,  Bloomingdale,  August  7; 
mustered  out  as  Corporal. 

Dissing,  Aaron,  Naperville,  August  22;  wounded 
twice. 

Depue,  Hanson  J.,  Downer'-s  Grove,  August  11; 
discharged  September  10,  1864;  wounds. 

DeWolf,  Leonard  E.,  Milton,  August  8;  dis- 
charged January  3,  1863;  disability. 

Ehle,  Harmon  S.,  Bloomingdale,  August  7;  mus- 
tered out  June  10,  1865,  as  Corporal. 

Fairbank,  James  H.,  Winfield,  July  31. 

Fletcher,  W.  Nichols,  Wayne,  August  5;  mustered 
out  as  Sergeant. 

Fancher,  Allison,  Wayne,  August  13;  discharged 
January  11,  1863,  for  disability. 

Filer,  Frank,  York,  August  9  ;  absent,  sick,  at  mus- 
ter out  of  regiment. 

Geer,  Daniel  V.,  Winfield,  July  26;  died  January 
16, 1863. 

Geer,  Lewis  C.,  Winfield,  August  3;  discharged 
January  19,  1863,  for  disability. 

Griswold,  Martin  E.,  Wheaton,  August  22. 

Grant,  Isaac  J.,  York,  July  29;  discharged  March 
8,  1833,  for  disability. 

Grant,  David  J.,  York,  August  7;  mustered  out 
May  22,  1865,  as  Sergeant. 

Grant,  Orris  W.,  York,  August  7. 

Green,  Edwin,  Wayne,  August  5;  discharged  April 
7,  1863,  for  disability. 

Gray,  Virgil  V.,  Wayne,  August  22;  discharged 
April  13,  1863. 


Holmes,  Thomas  W.,  Milton,  July  30;  absent 
wounded  at  muster  out  of  regiment. 

Hadley,  Amis  L.,  Milton,  August  8. 

Hammond,  Perry  H.,  Wayne,  July  31;  died  at 
Nashville,  Tenn.,  December  24,  1863. 

Hammond,  John,  Jr.,  Wayne,  July  31;  mustered 
out  June  7,  1865,  as  Corporal. 

Johnston,  James  K.,  Downer's  Grove,  August  9. 

Jipson,  Thomas,  Milton,  August  22;  transferred  to 
Engineer  Corps,  August  15,  1864. 

Keniston,  Uriah  B.,  Wayne,  July  29;  wounded. 

Kingsley,  Henry  S.,  Milton,  July  28;  died  January 
17,  1863. 

Knickerbocker,  Wilson,  Milton,  July  30;  died  at 
Louisville,  Ky.,  November  11,  1862. 

Long,  Silas,  Wheaton,  Julr  26. 

Lewis,  William,  Wayne,  August  13;  wounded. 

Mills,  Samuel,  Wayne,  August  4;  transferred  to 
Company  I. 

Mattocks,  Andrew  J.,  Milton,  August  5;  died  Au- 
gust 5,  1864. 

Miller,  George,  York,  August  8;  mustered  out  as 
Corporal. 

Miller,  Albert,  York,  August  9. 

McGilvery,  John,  Wayne,  August  20;  wounded 
twice. 

Minor,  Briton,  Bloomingdale,  August  5. 

McLean,  Daniel,  Wayne.July  31,  Corporal;  trans- 
ferred to  navy  July  15,  1864. 

Mullen,  Orlando  J.,  Wayne,  July  31;  discharged 
March  22,  1864,  for  disability. 

McGraw,  Patrick,  Milton,  August  6;  wounded. 

Owen,  ElishaG.,  Wayne,  July  81;  died  March  28, 
1863. 

Pepper,  Patrick,  Wayne,  August  1 ;  transferred  to 
Company  I. 

Parker,  Dexter,  Milton,  August  15;  mustered  out 
May  17,  1865. 

Porter,  William,  Wayne,  August  6. 

Rice,  Arthur  P.,  Wheaton,  July  26;  killed  at  Res- 
aca,  Ga.,  May  15,  1864. 

Rudd,  William  C.,  Wheaton,  August  10. 

Reed,  George  B.,  Wayne,  August  13. 

Rush,  Green  B.,  Downer's  Grove.  August  8. 

Sullivan,  John,  Milton,  July  27. 

Stanham,  John,  Wayne,  August  5. 

Samuelson,  Gustavus,  Wayne,  August  10;  dis- 
charged April  20,  1863,  for  disability. 

Stover,  Lewis  C.,  Milton,  August  10;  discharged 
December  15,  1863;  wounded. 

Stockton,  Joseph,  Winfield,  August  7;  wounded. 

Sayer,  Warren  M.,  Wayne,  July  31. 


116 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUKTY. 


Trick,  Richard  A.,  Wayne,  July  30;  discharged 
December  17,  1862;  disability. 

Talmage,  George  H.,  York,  August  9. 

Vanhoughton,  John,  Milton,  August  22;  mustered 
out  as  Corporal. 

Wright,  Benjamin  F.,  Milton,  July  28;  supposed 
transferred  to  naval  service. 

Wheeler,  John  W.,  Wayne,  July  29. 

Whitlock,  Ogden,  Milton,  August  20;  promoted 
to  Sergeant  Major. 

Wakelee,  William  H.,  Wheaton,  August  3;  dis- 
charged for  disability. 

Wildman,  Joseph,  Milton,  August  5;  discharged 
December  20,  1862;  disability. 

Wheelon,  Peter,  Milton,  August  13;  transferred 
to  Company  I. 

Yander,  Samuel,  Lisle,  August  13;  died  February 
23,  1863. 

RECRUITS. 

Grant,  Isaac  J.,  Milton,  October  15;  transferred  to 
Company  K,  Sixteenth  Illinois  Infantry. 

Hiatt,  Luther  L.,  Wheaton,  October  15. 

Nash,  Delos,  Milton,  October  15;  discharged  Jan- 
uary 8,  1863;  disability. 

Riley,  George  W.,  Milton,  October  15;  mustered 
out  as  Corporal. 

Wilcox,  Herbert  W.,  Milton,  October  15;  dis- 
charged May  26,  1865. 

COOK  OF  A.  D. 

Branch,  John,  June  1,  1863;  absent,  sick,  at  mus- 
ter out  of  regiment. 

COMPANY  I. 

CAPTAINS. 

Jones,  Enos,  Milton,  date  of  rank  September  2, 
1862;  resigned  December  17,  1862. 

Locke,  William  0.,  Addison,  date  of  rank  Decem- 
ber 17,  1862;  discharged  August  25,  1864. 

Bender,  George  A.,  Wheaton,  date  of  rank  Oc- 
tober 14, 1864;  discharged  March  18, 1865;  promoted. 

Unold,  John,  Addison,  date  of  rank  May  19, 1865; 
mustered  out  as  First  Lieutenant  June  7,  1865;  pro- 
moted. 

FIRST   L  EUTBNANTS. 

Locke,  William  O.,  Addison,  date  of  rank  Sep- 
tember 2,  1862;  promoted. 

Frank,  David,  Babcock's  Grove,  date  of  rank, 
May  19, 1865;  mustered  out  as  Sergeant  June  7, 1865. 

PFCOND  LIEUTENANTS. 

Fischer,  Augustus  H.,  Addison,  date  of  rank  Sep- 
tember 2,  1862;  died  August  13,  1864. 

Reinking,  Henry,  Addison,  date  of  rank  June  7, 
1865,  mustered  out  as  Sergeant  June  7, -1865. 


SERGEANTS. 

Pierce,  Hannibal,  Addison,  enlisted  August  15; 
discharged  January  15,  1864,  as  First  Sergeant,  to 
accept  commission  in  Sixteenth  U.  S.  C.  T. 

Wagner,  Joseph,  Danby,  enlisted  August  15;  ab- 
sent, wounded,  at  muster  out  of  regiment. 

Baker,  John,  Wheaton,  enlisted  August  15;  pri- 
vate, absent,  sick  at  muster  out  of  Regiment. 

CORPORALS. 

Plummer,  Sephemus,  enlisted  August  15. 

Knust,  Frederick,  Addison,  enlisted  August  15; 
discharged  April  24,  1863. 

Rainking,  Henry,  Addison,  enlisted  August  15; 
commissioned  Second  Lieutenant,  but  not  mus- 
tered. 

Smith,  John,  Addison,  enlisted  August  15,  mus- 
tered out  June  7,  1865,  as  Sergeant;  wounded. 

Wigand,  Joseph,  Danby,  enlisted  August  15;  mus- 
tered out  July  1,  1865;  prisoner  of  war. 

Schmidt,  Louis,  Addison,  enlisted  August  15;  mus- 
tered out  June  7,  1865,  as  Sergeant. 

Werner,  Jacob,  Addison,  enlisted  August  15. 


Ashe,  August,  Addison,  August  15;  died  May  17, 
1864;  wounds. 

Anderson,  William,  Addison,  August  15. 

Andres,  Valentine,  Addison,  August  15;  died  at 
South  Tunnel,  Tenn.,  January  1,  1863. 

Baker,  John  H.,  Addison,  August  15. 

Brockman,  Henry,  Addison,  August  15. 

Brems,  John,  Bloomingdale,  August  15;  trans- 
ferred to  Engineer  Corps  August  15,  1864. 

Brems,  Henry,  Wheaton,  August  15. 

Dohlman,  Jochine,  Wheaton,  August  15. 

Dirking,  William,  Wheaton,  August  15. 

Damermays,  Henry,  Addison,  August  15;  died  at 
Gallatin,  Tenn.,  February  3,  1863. 

Dollinger,  Anton,  Danby,  August  15;  mustered 
out  as  Corporal. 

Fullman,  Frederick,  Addison,  August  15;  died  at 
Gallatin,  Tenn.,  June  5,  1863. 

Fredericks,  George,  Addison,  August  15;  dis- 
charged January  10,  1863. 

Fischer,  Diedrick,  Addison,  August  15;  died  at 
Louisville,  Ky.,  Februry  10,  1863. 

Fredricks,  John,  Addison,  August  15. 

Frank,  David,  Babcock's  Grove,  August  15,  com- 
missioned First  Lieutenant,  but  not  mustered;  mus- 
tered out  June  7,  1865,  as  First  Sergeant. 

Foust,  John,  Babcock's  Grove,  August  15;  died 
at  Louisville,  January  8,  1863. 


LIBRARY       ' 
OF  Ti.E 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


119 


Fork,  Gerhard  H.,  Babcock's  Grove,  August  15; 
died  at  South  Tunnel,  Tenn.,  January  20,  1863. 

Gray,  Fredrick  J.,  Addison,  August  IS. 

Gletcher,  Fredrick,  Addison,  August  15;  mustered 
out  as  Corporal. 

Gimble,  John,  Addison,  August  15;  mustered  out 
a?  Sergeant. 

Huehl,  Gerhard,  Addison,  August  15;  discharged 
December  14,  1862. 

Herbst,  Henry,  Addison,  August  15;  died  at  South 
Tunnel,  Tenn.,  January  1,  1863. 

Holdorf,  Gotlieb,  Addison,  August  15. 

Herneman,  David,  Addison,  August  15. 

Hinton,  Edward,  Addison,  August  15;  transferred 
to  Engineer  Corps  August  15,  1864. 

Hanebuth,  August,  Addison,  August  15;  mustered 
out  as  Corporal. 

Hanebuth,  William,  Addison,  August  15. 

Heller,  Henry,  Addison,  August  15;  absent,  sick, 
at  mustering  out  of  regiment. 

Jenkins,  William F.,  Addison,  August  15;  mustered 
out  June  7,  1865,  as  Corporal. 

Kemph,  Samuel,  Wheaton,  August  15;  mustered 
out  as  Corporal. 

Konson,  Henry,  Wheaton,  August  15. 

Koxing,  Henry,  Cottage  Hill,  August  15;  died  at 
Bowling  Green,  Ky.,  November  25,  1862. 

Kline,  John,  Wheaton,  August  15. 

Kniepenberg,  Henry,  Addison,  August  15. 

Kessel,  Christian,  Addison,  August  15;  mustered 
out  July  1,  1865. 

Lenehrson,  Frederick,  Addison,  August  15;  mus- 
tered out  as  Corporal. 

Lenesenhop,  William,  Addison,  August  15;  died 
at  Gallatin,  Tenn.,  December  18,  1862. 

Leseberg,  Frederick,  Addison,  August  15;  died  at 
Gallatin,  Tenn.,  February  23,  1863. 

Messenbrink,  Frederick,  Addison,  August  15. 

Messenbrink,  Lewis,  Addison,  August  15;  dis- 
charged February  27,  1865;  disability. 

Mueller,  Philip,  Addison,  August  15. 

Maas,  Peter,  Babcock's  Grove,  August  15;  dis- 
charged May  23,  1863. 

Mishe,  Augustus,  Wheaton,  August  15;  absent, 
sick,  at  mustering  out  of  regiment. 

Mills,  Samuel,  Wheaton,  August  15;  discharged 
February  19,  1863;  disability. 

Mehring,  Henry,  Addison,  August  15;  died  at 
Murfreesboro,  Tenn.,  July  4,  1863. 

Muss,  Nicholas,  Addison,  August  15;  discharged 
February  19,  1863;  disability. 

Newman,  Andrew,  Cottage  Hill,  August  15;  died 
May  27,  1864;  wounds. 


Pepper,  Patrick,  Wheaton,  August  15;  discharged 
December  31,  1862;  disability. 

Ritter,  Carl,  Addison,  August  15;  died  at  Bowling 
Green,  Ky.,  November  27,  1862. 

Ruprecht,  Henry,  Addison,  August  15;  transferred 
to  Invalid  Corps  February  24,  1864. 

Schmidt,  John  H.,  Addison,  August  15;  mustered 
out  as  Corporal. 

Schott,  Adam  J.,  Addison,  August  15;  discharged 
May  3;  disability. 

Spangenberg,  Christian,  Addison,  August  15;  died 
at  Albany/Ind.,  December  4,  1862. 

Schoh,  John  W.  H.,  Addison,  August  15;  died  at 
Gallatin,  Tenn.,  May  15,  1863. 

Stuve,  Diedrick,  Addison,  August  15. 

Schultz,  Carl,  Naperville,  August  15;  died  at  Gal- 
latin, Tenn.,  March  12,  1868. 

Tegtman,  Henry,  Addison,  August  15;  died  May 
17,  1864;  wounds. 

Timmer,  Herman,  Cottage  Hill,  August  15;  dis- 
charged March  3,  1863,  as  Corporal;  disability. 

Volberding,  Lewis  A.,  Addison,  August  15;  dis- 
charged April  22,  1863,  as  Corporal;  disability. 

Wilke,  Charles,  Addison,  August  15. 

Webber,  Frederick,  Addison;  mustered  out  June 
19,  1865. 

Wailon,  Peter,  Wheaton,  August  15;  transferred 
to  Engineer  Corps  August  15,  1864. 

Weisman,  Henry,  Addison,  August  15;  died  at 
Louisville,  Ky.,  December  25,  1862. 

Zarzo,  John,  Bloomingdale,  August  15. 

RECRUITS. 

Comro,  Adolf,  Addison,  October  12,  1864;  trans- 
ferred to  Company  H,  Sixteenth  Illinois  Infantry. 

Holt,  Henry,  Addison,  October  12,  1864;  trans- 
ferred to  Company  H,  Sixteenth  Illinois  Infantry. 

Jones,  David,  Milton;  died  at  Milton,  111.,  October 
8,  1862. 

Mockling,  Henry,  Addison,  Oct.  12,  1864;  trans- 
ferred to  Company  H,  Sixteenth  Illinois  Infantry. 

Wolf,  Christian,  Addison,  October  12, 1864;  trans- 
ferred to  Company  H,  Sixteenth  Illinois  Infantry. 

COOKS   OF   A.  D. 

Levi, ,  August  20,  1863;  absent,  sick,  at  mus- 
ter out  of  regiment.  . 

Roman, ,  September  15,  1863;  died  March  28, 

1865;  wounds. 

The  date  affixed  to  the  names  shows  the 
time  of  the  enlisnient  of  each  soldier. 

The  date  of  mustering  out  or  discharged  is 
also  given  to  such  soldiers  as  were  honorably 


120 


HISTORY   OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


discharged  before  the  regiment  was  mustered 
out.  The  term  "  discharged  "  means  an  honor- 
able discharge. 

ONE  HUNDRED  AND  TWENTY-SEVENH  REGIMENT. 

The  One  Hundred  and  Twenty -seventh  Regi- 
ment of  Illinois  Infantry  was  organized  at 
Camp  Douglas  and  mustered  into  service  Sep- 
tember 6,  1862.  It  started  out  with  887  men 
and  returned  with  but  231 — the  survivors  of  a 
hundred  battles — who  were  mustered  out  at 
Chicago  June  10,  1865.  It  had  four  men  from 
Du  Page  County  in  its  ranks. 

COMPANY  A. 

Mosely,  Albert,  Naperville,  enlisted  August  6, 
mustered  in  September  5,  1862;  died  at  Oswego,  111., 
September  7,  1868. 

Mosely,  Henry,  enlisted  and  mustered  in  at  the 
game  time;  absent  sick  at  muster  out  of  regiment. 

COMPANY  F. 

Lemis,  Daniel  W.,  Naperville,  enlisted  August  11; 
mustered  in  September  5,  1862;  detached  at  muster 
out  of  regiment. 

COMPANY  K. 

Ruckel,  Philip  H.,  York,  enlisted  August  14  and 
mustered  in  September  5,  1862;  died  at  Walnut 
Hill,  Miss.,  July  3,  1863. 

Regiments  from  number  132  to  143  inclu- 
sive were  enlisted  for  only  100  days'  service. 
These  fresh  recruits  were  designed  to  hold 
places  already  in  possession  of  the  Union 
forces  while  the  veterans  were  pushing  into 
the  extreme  limits  of  the  South. 


ONE    HUNDRED    AND    THIRTY-SECOND    REGIMENT. 

The  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-second  Regi- 
ment of  Illinois  Infantry  was  organized  at 
Camp  Fry,  Chicago,  and  mustered  in  for  100 
days'  service  from  June  1,  1864.  It  moved 
June  6  for  Columbus,  Ky.,  and  arrived  on  the 
8th.  It  was  sent  to  Paducah,  111.,  where  it 
remained  till  its  term  expired,  when  it  moved 
to  Chicago,  and  was  mustered  out  October  17 
1864.  It  had  fifteen  men  from  Du  Page 
County. 


COMPANY  c. 
Ufford,  Charles,  Naperville,  enlisted  May  31. 

COMPANY  H. 

Sedgwick,  John  A.,  Naperville,  Captain;  date  of 
rank  June  1,  1864. 
Rook,  Stephen,  Naperville;  recruit. 

COMPANY  I. 

Herrick,  Herrold  C.,  Naperville,  Sergeant,  enlist- 
ed May  16,  1864. 

Wright,  William  P.,  Naperville,  Corporal,  enlist- 
ed May  19,  1864. 

Bickford,  Levi  F.,  Wheaton,  Corporal,  enlisted 
May  17,  1864. 

Bunn,  Isaac  H.,  Warrenville,  enlisted  May  18, 
1864. 

Conklin,  Lewis,  Naperville,  enlisted  May  17. 1864. 

Denham,  George  W.,  Warrenville,  enlisted  May 
13,  1864. 

Hall,  Charles  H.,  Naperville,  enlisted  May  20, 
1864. 

Hallam,  Robert,  Naperville,  enlisted  May  12, 1864. 

Long,  Luther,  Wheaton,  enlisted  May  21,  1864. 

McNeal,  John,  Naperville,  enlisted  May  20,  1864. 

Sellers,  Edward  B.,  Wheaton,  enlisted  May  18, 
1864. 

Thatcher,  Charles  D.,  Naperville,  enlisted  May 
16,  1864. 

ONE     HUNDRED    AND     FORTY-FIRST     REGIMENT. 

The  Hundred  and  Forty-first  Regiment  of 
Illinois  Infantry  was  mustered  into  service 
June  16,  and  mustered  out  October  10,  1864,  it 
being  organized  for  one  hundred  days'  service. 
It  had  eighty  men  from  Du  Page  County. 

COMPANY  o. 
Town,  Albert,  Winfleld. 

COLOHEL. 

Bronson,  Stephen,  Milton. 

CAPTAIN. 

James,  Albert  S.,  Danby. 

FIRST   LIEUTENANT. 

Churchill,  A.  Danby. 

SECOND  LIEUTENANT. 

McChesney,  Joseph  R.,  Danby. 

MUSICIANS. 

Eldridge,  David,  York. 
Vallette,  Edward,  Milton. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


121 


I'RIVATKS. 


Ackerman,  Miles,  Milton;  mustered  out  as  Cor- 
poral. 

Bronson,  Charles;  mustered  out  as  First  Sergeant. 

Bird,  Henry;  mustered  out  as  Corporal. 

Bisbey,  Bruce;  mustered  out  as  Corporal. 

Barnes,  William;  mustered  out  as  Corporal. 

Burback,  Augustus  T.,  Elgin. 

Churchill,  Andrew,  Milton. 

Cook,  Nathaniel.  Milton. 

Cheney,  Eugene  M.,  Milton. 

Dodge,  Parker  C.,  Downer's  Grove. 

De  Wolf,  Franklin,  Milton. 

Doherty,  George,  Elgin. 

Eldridge,  George  W.,  Elgin. 

Efland,  Ernst,  Milton. 

Edwards,  John,  York. 

Finnamore,  Henry,  Milton. 

Ginter,  William,  Elgin. 

Giblin,  Henry,  Downer's  Grove. 

Gibbons,  John  J.,  Elgin. 

Holmes,  Alanson  N.,  Milton;  mustered  out  as  Cor- 
poral . 

Hockaday,   William,  Addison. 

Hatch,   Henry  M.,    Downer's  Grove;    promoted 
Sergeant. 

Hennessy.  Michael,  Milton. 

Hines,  Fred,  Downer's  Grove. 

Hubble,  John,  Milton. 

Hill,  David,  Milton. 

Harrington,  James  H.,  York. 

Hageman,  Francis  C.,  Milton;   promoted  Assist- 
ant Surgeon. 

Jewell,  Andrew,  Milton. 

Jamison,  Hugh,  Milton. 

Johnson,  William  H.,  Milton. 

Kane,  Thomas,  Milton. 

Knutt,  Herman,  York. 

Kelly,  James,  Winfield. 

Litchfleld,  Cyrenicus  W.,  York;  mustered  out  as 
Sergeant. 

Luke,  Robert  B.,  Milton. 

Lichundguth,  Michael,  Downer's  Grove. 

Myers,  Edwin   R.,  Milton;  mustered  out  as  Ser- 
geant. 

Muzzy,  Harrison,  Milton. 

McCormic,  John,  Milton. 

Myers,  Charles  M.,  Milton. 

Newton,  William  C.,  Milton. 

Nickerson,  James  D.,  Milton;  mustered  out   as 
Corporal. 
Peck,  Sanford,  York. 


Pierce,  William  H.,  Bloomingdale. 

Puffer,  George  W.,  Downer's  Grove;  died  at  Col- 
umbus, Ky.,  August  19,  1864. 

Peters,  John,  Elgin. 

Quigley,  Adelbert,  Milton. 

Rickert,  George,  Milton;  mustered  out  as  Corporal. 

Richardson,  Henry,  Milton. 

Sandercook,  George,  Milton. 

Stacy,  Philo  W.,  Milton;  mustered  out  as  Cor- 
poral. • 

Shepherd,  William,  Downer's  Grove. 

Smith,  John,  Downer's  Grove. 
y  ;Sabin,  Charles  A.,  Milton;  mustered  out  as  Cor- 
poral. 

Sprout,  William,  Milton. 

Steavens,  John,  Milton. 

Smith,  Charles,  Milton. 

Thompson,  Alexander,  Milton. 

Vallette,  John  O.,  Milton;  promoted  Hospital 
Steward. 

Vallette,  Henry  A.,  Milton;  mustered  out  as  Cor- 
poral. 

Warnock,  Benjamin  F.,  Elgin. 

White,  James,  Milton. 

White,  Michael,  Milton. 

Wallace,  Henry,  Downer's  Grove. 

Walsh,  Thomas,  Windfleld. 

Wilson,  Alexander,  Downer's  Grove. 

Weaber,  William,  York. 

Wing,  John  P.,  Milton. 

Young,  Andrew,  Milton. 

Zeir,  Peter,  Milton. 

Zerell,  Ferdinand,  Milton. 

Hagerman,  Francis  C.,  Milton;  recruit. 

ONE     HUNDRED    AND    FIFTY-SECOND    REGIMENT. 

The  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-second  Regi- 
ment of  Illinois  Infantry  was  organized  at 
Camp  Butler  February  18,  1865,  for  one  year, 
and  mustered  out  of  service  at  Memphis,  Tenn., 
the  following  September,  on  the  llth,  the  war 
having  closed  before  its  term  had  expired.  It 
had  one  man  from  Du  Page  County. 

COMPANY  o. 
Miller,  William  R.,  York. 

ONE     HUNDRED     AND     FIFTY-THIRD     REGIMENT. 

The  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-third  Regiment 
of  Illinois  Infantry  was  for  one  year's  service. 


122 


HISTORY"  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


It  was  organized  at  Camp  Fry,  and  was  mus- 
tered in  February  27,  1865.  Its  chief  mission 
was  to  defend  the  Nashville  &  Chattanooga 
Railroad.  It  was  mustered  out  at  Memphis, 
September  15,  1865.  The  number  of  men  from 
Du  Page  County  in  it  was  seventy-five,  as  fol- 
lows : 

COMPANY^  c. 

Adams,  Hiram,  Wayne. 

Barter,  Franklin,  Wayne ;  died  at  Nashville, 
Tenn.,  March  16,  1865. 

Barther,  William,  Bloomingdale. 

Bushe,  George,  Wayne. 

Chisholm,  Oliver  P.,  Bloomingdale;  promoted  to 
Second  Lieutenant. 

Eastman,  Edwin,  Bloomingdale,  Corporal. 

Fowler,  Charles,  Bloomingdale,  Wagoner. 

Grow,  Freeman,  Bloomingdale. 

Gage,  James  H.,  Wayne. 

Hall,  Charles  A.,  Wayne. 

Hammond,  Abram,  Wayne. 

Hemmingway,  Charles  E.,  Wayne. 

Johnson,  William  H.,  Milton;  promoted  to  Com- 
missary Sergeant. 

King,  George  T.,  Wayne. 

McAleer,  John,  Bloomingdale,  Sergeant. 

McKillips,  Albert  H.,  Wayne. 

McKillips,  William  M.,  Wayne. 

McNaught,  Ezekiel,  Wayne. 

O'Brien,  Henry,  Bloomingdale;  discharged  June 
1,  1865. 

Ray,  Lewis  C.,  Bloomingdale,  Corporal;  absent, 
sick,  at  muster  out  of  regiment. 

Shaw,  Willis,  Bloomingdale,  Musician. 

Shaw,  George  W.,  Bloomingdale. 

Smith,  Albert  E.,  Wayne. 

Turner,  August,  Wayne. 

Wheeler,  Danforth  M.,  Bloomingdale. 

COMPANY  D. 

Art,  James  J.,  York;  mustered  out  July  25, 1865. 

Atherton,  Lucius  W.,  York;  absent,  sick,  at  mus- 
ter out  of  regiment. 

Balcom,  Truxton  H.,  York. 

Delano,  William  B.,  York;  mustered  out  May  24, 
1865. 

Fuller,  Alonzo  W.,  York;  promoted  to  Second 
Lieutenant. 

Hulett,  John. 

Sperry,  William  0.,  York  ;  mustered  out  as  Cor- 
poral. 


Tuttle,  Francis  L.,  York;  mustered  out  as  Cor- 
poral. 

COMPANY   E. 

Brown,  Alfred,  Addison. 
Buckner,  Daniel,  Winfleld. 
Johnson,  Samuel,  Addison. 
Nicholas,  Samuel,  Addison. 
Reddick,  Austin,  Addison. 
Williams,  John  H. 

COMPANY   I. 

Warnock,  Benjamin  F.,  Milton,  Sergeant;  pro- 
moted to  Second  Lieutenant. 

Rickert,  George  J.,  Milton,  Sergeant;  mustered 
out  as  First  Sergeant. 

Cheeney,  Eugene  M.,  Milton,  Sergeant;  promoted 
to  Quartermaster's  Sergeant. 

Howard,  Charles  H.,  Milton;  absent  with  leave  at 
muster  out  of  regiment. 

Miller,  George  T.,  Milton,  Corporal,  mustered 
out  as  Sergeant. 

Miner,  Ithamer,  Milton,  Corporal. 

Wilson,  Walter  S.,  Winfield,  Corporal;  mustered 
out  as  Sergeant. 

Dore,  Thomas,  Winfield,  Corporal. 

Aitkin,  Walter,  Winfleld. 

Anderson,  Andrew,  Winfield. 

Brown,  Luther  D.,  York. 

Bristol,  Peleg,  York. 

Bristol,  Augustus,  York. 

Bphlander,  Philip  G.,  Milton. 

Bohlander,  Henry,  Milton. 

Boardman,  Albert,  Winfield. 

Cleveland,  Sylvester  J.,  Milton. 

Denham,  Robert,  Winfield. 

Ginter,  William,  Milton;  wagoner. 

Lewis,  Fletcher,  Milton. 

Moore,  Oscar,  Milton. 

O'Brien,  Thomas,  Winfield. 

Olsen,  Sinert,  Winfield. 

Perkins,  William  F.,  Winfield. 

Platt,  William  T.,  Milton;  discharged  July  16, 
1865,  for  disability. 

Ranston,  S.,  York;  discharged  August  31,  1865, 
for  disability. 

Stephen,  Archibald,  Milton. 

Sprout,  John,  Milton. 

Soler,  John  Dexter,  Winfield. 

Tansel,  Rand,  Milton;  absent,  sick,  at  muster  out 
of  regiment. 

Town,  Albert  S.,  Winfield. 

Weaver,  John,  Milton. 

Walau,  Henry,  Milton. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY, 


123 


Wilson,  Elliot,  Winfield. 

Young,  Andrew,  Milton  ;  mustered  out  as  Cor- 
poral. 

ONE  HUNDRED  AND    FIFTY-SIXTH  REGIMENT. 

The  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-sixth  .Regiment 
of  Illinois  Infantry  were  enlisted  for  one  year. 
It  was  mustered  into  service  at  Camp  Fry 
March  9,  1865,  and  was  detailed  to  guard  the 
railroad  between  Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  and  Dai- 
ton,  Ga.,  and  subsequently  to  do  patrol  duty  at 
Memphis.  It  was  mustered  out  at  Springfield, 
111.,  in  September,  1865.  It  had  ninety-nine  men 
from  Du  Page  Count}-  in  its  ranks  as  follows  : 

COMPANY   A. 

MUSICIAN. 

Zase,  Andrew,  Addison,  enlisted  February  18, 
1865;  mustered  out  September  20,  1865. 

PRIVATES. 

Alexander,  Samuel,  Addison,  February  18,  1865; 
mustered  out  September  20,  1865. 

Berry,  Washington,  Addison,  February  18,  1865; 
mustered  out  September  20, 1865. 

Breese,  James  M.,  Addison,  February  18,  1865; 
mustered  out  September  20,  1865. 

Durfey,  Jefferson,  Addison,  February  18,  1865; 
mustered  out  September  20,  1865. 

Killey,  Francis  M.,  Addison,  February  18,  1865; 
mustered  out  September  20,  1865. 

Stowers,  Robert  W.,  Addison,  February  18,  1865; 
absent,  sick,  at  muster  out  of  regiment. 

COMPANY  D. 
CAPTAIN. 

Blanchard,  William,  Downer's  Grove,  date  of 
rank  March  9,  1865;  resigned  June  14,  1865. 


TIRST    LIEUTENANTS. 


Bard,  Reuben  W.,  Naperville,  date  of  rank  March 
9,  1865;  resigned  May  81,  1865. 

Hudson,  David  G.,  date  of  rank  June  12.  1865; 
mustered  out  September  20,  1865. 

SECOND   LIEUTBNANrs. 

Mertz,  Solomon  E.,  Lisle,  date  of  rank  March  9, 
1865;  resigned  June  13,  1865. 

Wright,  William  P.,  Naperville,  date  of  rank 
June  31,  1865;  promoted  from  Sergeant,  then  Cap- 
tain; mustered  out  September  20,  1865. 


8EBGEAXTS. 

Heillegass,  William  H.,  Naperville,  enlisted  Feb- 
ruary 25,  1865;  mustered  out  September  20,  1865,  as 
First  Sergeant. 

Crampton,  William  M.,  Naperville,  enlisted  March 
1,  1865;  absent  at  muster  out  of  regiment. 

Hall,  George,  Naperville,  enlisted  February  25, 
1865;  mustered  out  September  20,  1865. 

Brown.  Jones  B.,  Downer's  Grove,  February  25, 
1865;  mustered  out  May  16,  1865. 

CORPORALS. 

Weaver,  Harvey,  Naperville,  enlisted  February 
25,  1865;  mustered  out  September  20,  1865,  as  Ser- 
geant. 

Dudley,  Edward  C.,  Lisle,  enlisted  February  25, 
1865;  mustered  out  September  20,  1865,  as  Sergeant. 

Knauss,  George  F.,  Lisle;  enlisted  February  25, 
1865;  mustered  out  September  20,  1865. 

Thatcher,  Charles  T.,  Naperville;  enlisted  Febru- 
ary 25,  1865;  mustered  out  September  20,  1865. 

Kulp,  George  J.,  Naperville;  enlisted  February  5, 
1865;  mustered  out  September  20,  1865. 

Wilson,  Alexander,  Downer's  Grove;  enlisted  Feb- 
ruary 25,  1865;  mustered  out  September  20,  1865. 

Rich,  Lewis  M.,  Downer's  Grove;  enlisted  March 
1,  1865;  mustered  out  September  20,  1865. 

Miller,  Levi,  Naperville;  enlisted  February  25, 
1865;  mustered  out  September  20,  1865. 


Shepherd,  Ralph  A.,  Downer's  Grove;  enlisted 
February  24,  1865;  mustered  out  September  20,  1865. 

Aaron,  Julius,  Naperville;  enlisted  March  1 ;  mus- 
tered out  May  20,  1865,  as  private. 

WAGONER. 

Esher,  Martin  E.,  Lisle;  enlisted  February  24, 
1865;  mustered  out  September  20,  1865. 


Atzel,  John,  Downer's  Grove,  March  1,  1865. 

Atwood,  William,  Downer's  Grove,  February  24, 
1865;  died,  date  and  place  unknown. 

Berry,  Charles  H.,  Downer's  Grove,  March  2, 
1865;  mustered  out  February  20,  1865. 

Bateman,  John  W.,  Downer's  Grove,  February  24, 
1865. 

Brown,  David,  Downer's  Grove,  February  25, 1865. 

Bapst,  Lewis,  Downer's  Grove,  February  29. 

Compte,  Eugene,  Naperville,  February  25. 

Craigmile,  Alexander,  Downer's  Grove,  February 
25,  1865. 


134 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Chomann,  Jacob,  Lisle,  February  25, 180"). 

Drew,  Robert,  Lisle,  February  25,  1865. 

Davenport,  Oscar,  Downer's  Grove,  March  1, 1865; 
absent  at  muster  out  of  regiment. 

Essington,  Thomas,  Lisle,  February  25,  1865. 

Ebberly,  John  B.,  Lisle,  February  24,  1865. 

Flisher,  John,  Downer's  Grove,  March  1,  1865. 

Getsh,  Anton,  Naperville,  February  25,  1865. 

Grass,  Frederick,  Naperville,  February  25,  1865. 

Gushart,  David,  Naperville,  February  25,  1865. 

Good,  Robert  G.,  Lisle,  February  25,  1865;  mus- 
tered out  May  13,  1865. 

Grassley,  Charles,  Lisle,  February  25, 1865. 

Hintz,  Frederick,  Downer's  Grove,  February  24, 
1865. 

Hines,  Frederick,  Downer's  Grove,  February  25, 
1865. 

Hubbard,  Charles  H.,  Naperville,  February  25, 
1865. 

Heim,  Henry,  Naperville,  February  25,  1865. 

Holderer,  Christian,  Naperville,  ^February  25, 
1865. 

Houser,  Milton  L.,  Lisle,  February  25,  1865. 

Heittler,  John,  Lisle,  February  25,  1865. 

Houser,  William,  Naperville,  February  25,  1865. 

Hammer,  Peter,  Lisle,  February  25,  1865. 

Hinderlong,  Christian,  Lisle,  February  25,  1865. 

Kreyder,  Charles,  Downer's  Grove,  March  1, 
1865;  mustered  out  as  Corporal. 

Kochley,  Joseph,  Naperville,  February  25,  1865. 

Kline,  Jacob,  Downer's  Grove,  February  25,  1865. 

Kreyder,  John,  Downer's  Grove,  February  24, 
1865. 

Kline,  William,  Lisle,  February  25,  1865. 

Lent,  Lawrence,  Naperville,  February  25,  1865; 
mustered  out  as  Corporal. 

Lienbundguth,  Michael,  Downer's  Grove,  Febru- 
ary 24,  1865. 

Mattis,  Sebastian,  Naperville,  February  25,  1865. 

Mattis,  Joseph,  Naperville,  February  25,  1865. 

Maynard,  Levi,  Downer's  Grove,  February  24, 
1865. 

Mertz,  Wellington,  Downer's  Grove,  February  24, 
1865;  mustered  out  May  26,  1865. 

Netzley,  John  W.,  Lisle,  February  25,  1865. 

Oldfield,  Joshua,  Downer's  Grove,  February  27, 
1865. 

Porter,  Alva  B.,  Downer's  Grove,  March  2,  1865. 

Peter  or  Petus,  Frederick,  Downer's  Grove,  March 
1,  1865. 

Riddler,  William,  Naperville,  February  25,  1865. 

Rickert,  Alexander  M.,  Naperville,  February  25, 
1865;  mustered  out  September  16,  1865. 


Rickert,  Lichard,  Lisle,  February  25,  1865;  absent 
at  muster  out  of  regiment. 

Rehin,  Andrew,  Downer's  Grove,  February  24, 
1865. 

Smith,  George,  Jr.,  Downer's  Grove,  March  11, 
1865. 

Smith,  Charles,  Downer's  Grove,  March  2,  1865. 

Schmidt,  Frederick,  Naperville,  February  25, 
1865. 

Stoner,  Frank  A.,  Naperville,  February  35,  1865. 

Stover,  Edmund,  Lisle,  February  22,  1865. 

Shaffer,  Alfred,  Lisle,  February  25,  1865. 

Stroule,  George,  Lisle,  February  25,  1865. 

Strauss,  Albert,  Lisle,  February  25,  1865. 

Shephard,  William,  Downer's  Grove,  February 
25,1865. 

Turner,  George,  Naperville,  February  25,  1865. 

Ulrich,  Henry,  Naperville,  March  1,  1865. 

Vogle,  Nelson,  Lisle,  February  25,  1865. 

Wagner,  Naperville,  February  25,  1865. 

Wheatley,  Frederick,  Lisle,  February  25,  1865. 

Whitney,  William  C.,  Lisle,  February  25,  1865. 

Wetten,  Valentine,  Downer's  Grove,  February  25,  . 
1865. 

Yender,  George,  Lisle,  February  25,  1865. 

Yund,  Simon  E.,  Naperville,  March  1,  1865;  mus- 
tered out  August  25,  1865,  as  Musician. 

COMPANY  E. 
PBIVATK. 

Kaley,  Jefferson,  Winfleld,  February  28,  1865. 

COMPANY  F. 
PRIVATES. 

Cragg,  Edward,  Winfield,  February  28,  1865. 

Cragg,  George  H.,  Winfield,  February  25,  1865; 
mustered  out  May  12,  1865. 

Griswold,  David  M.,  Winfield,  February  28,  1865; 
mustered  out  May  27,  1865. 

Misener,  Merit,  Winfield,  February  26,  1865. 

COMPANY  O. 
PBIVATE. 

Campbell,  Garrett,  Lisle,  March  1,  1865. 
The  date  of  the  enlistment  of  each  soldier  is 
affixed  to  his  name,  and  also  of  mustering  out, 
when  discharged   before  the  term  for  which  he 
enlisted. 

COGSWELL'S   BATTERY. 

West,  Louis,  Naperville,  enlisted  February  25; 
mustered  in  April  6.  1864;  mustered  out  as  Sergeant. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


125 


PETTIT  a  BATTERY. 

Pettit's  Battery  had  one  man  from  Du  Page 
County  : 

Wesley,  Christian,  Milton,  enlisted  in  1862;  served 
three  years  and  eleven  days;  wounded. 

Barker's  Dragoons  had  three  men  from  Du 
Page  County  : 

Litchfleld,  Cyrenius  W.,  York. 
Reihansperger,  Lawrence,  Winfield. 
Reiley,  John,  Winfleld. 

FIRST    ARTILLERY. 

The  First  Regiment  of  Light  Artillery  had 
three  men  from  Du  Page  County  enlisted  in  it : 

COMPANY  D. 

Schuerman,  Jacob,  Naperville;  mustered  in  July 
30;  discharged  September  20,  1861. 

COMPANY  M. 

Andreuss,  Charles  B.,  York,  enlisted  and  mustered 
in  October  14,  1864;  died  at  Camp  Butler  November 
20, 1864. 

Darst,  Jonathan  H.,  Winfield,  enlisted  and  mus- 
tered in  October  26,  1864. 

SECOND  ARTILLERY. 

The  Second  Artillery  had  eighteen  men  from 
Du  Page  County  : 

COMPANY  I. 

Rich,  Judson,  Naperville,  Second  Lieutenant;  pro- 
moted to  Captain. 

Ward,  George  T.,  Naperville,  First  Lieutenant; 
date  of  rank  December  9,  1864. 

Haight,  Charles  D.,  Naperville,  Quartermaster 
Sergeant;  promoted  to  Second  Lieutenant. 

Stolp,  Rufus,  Naperville,  enlisted  October  25,  1861; 
re-enlisted  as  veteran;  promoted  to  Sergeant. 

Stolp,  Rufus  S.,  Naperville,  enlisted  January  1, 
1864;  mustered  out  as  Sergeant. 

Black,  Neal  J.,  Naperville,  enlisted  December  12, 
1861;  mustered  out  as  Corporal. 

Blackstun,  Henry,  Naperville,  enlisted  December 
12,  1861. 

Potter,  Robert  K.,  Naperville,  enlisted  December 
12,  1861. 

COMPANY   K. 

Pool,  Francis  K.,  Downer's  Grove. 
Young,  John,  Downer's  Grove;  both  enlisted  and 
mustered  in  October  18,  1864,  as  recruits. 


COMPANY  L. 

Gager,  Charles  M.,  Brush  Hill. 

Coe,  Samuel  A.,  Downer's  Grove;  both  enlisted 
February  15,  and  mustered  in  the  28th,  1862. 

Coffin,  Menzo  C.,  Downer's  Grove. 

Fox,  Herman  M.,  Downer's  Grove;  both  enlisted 
and  mustered  in  October  18,  1864. 

Ireland,  John,  York,  enlisted  and  mustered  in  Feb- 
ruary 28,  1862;  discharged  March  31,  1864,  for  dis- 
ability. 

Reynolds,  Allen,  Downer's  Grove,  enlisted  and 
mustered  in  February  28,  1862 ;  re-enlisted  as 
veteran. 

Smith,  Otis  A.,  York,  enlisted  and  mustered  In 
February  28,  1862;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Buck,  Thomas,  Winfield,  unassigned  recruit;  en- 
listed and  mustered  in  October  25,  1864. 

SECOND    CAVALRY   REGIMENT. 

The  Second  Cavalry  Regiment  was  mustered 
into  service  August  12,  1861,  and  mustered  out 
of  service  at  San  Antonio,  Texas,  November  24, 
1865.  It  had  one  man  from  Du  Page  County. 

COMPANY  M. 

Preston,  Charles,  Milton,  enlisted  June  1;  mus- 
tered in  October  16,  1864. 

THIRD   CAVALRY   REGIMENT. 

This  regiment  was  organized  at  Camp  Butler, 
111.,  in  August,  1861,  and  mustered  out  at 
Springfield,  October  13,  1865.  It  had  four  men 
from  Du  Page  County. 

COMPANY  H. 

Hubbard,  William,  enlisted  February  25;  mus- 
tered in  the  27th,  1865;  promoted  to  Sergeant. 

Fischer,  James  H.,  Winfield,  enlisted  February 
28;  mustered  in  March  1,  1865. 

COMPANY  I. 

Backus,  Myron,  Addison,  enlisted  and  mustered  in 
February  28,  1865. 

COMPANY   K. 

Milner,  Henry  C.,  York,  enlisted  and  mustered  in 
March  7,  1865. 

FOURTH   CAVALRY   REGIMENT. 

This  regiment  was  mustered  into  service  at 
Ottawa  August  6,  1861,  and  mustered  out  in 


126 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


November,  1864.     It  had  two  men  from  Du 

Page  County. 

COMPANY  c. 

Avery,  John,  Milton,  enlisted  August  24,  1861; 
mustered  out  November  3,  1864,  as  Sergeant. 

Avery,  Frank  H.,  Milton,  enlisted  August  29,  1861; 
discharged  April  20,  1862,  for  disability. 

SIXTH   CAVAfRY    REGIMENT. 

This  regiment  was  organized  at  Camp  Butler, 
111.,  November  19,  1861,  and  mustered  out  at 
Selma,  Ala.,  November  5,  1865.  It  had  two 
men  from  Du  Page  County. 

COMPANY  B. 

McKinny,  John  H.,  Milton,  enlisted  and  mustered 
in  March  14,  1865. 

Rinehard,  John,  Milton,  enlisted  and  mustered  in 
March  21,  1865. 

EIGHTH   CAVALRY   REGIMENT. 

The  Eighth  Cavalry  Regiment  was  organ- 
ized at  St.  Charles,  111.,  in  September,  1861,  by 
Col.  Farns worth,  and  mustered  in  the  18th.  In 
October  it  moved  to  Washington,  and  in  De- 
cember, to  Alexandria,  Va.  The  following 
March,  it  joined  Gen.  Surnner's  division  in  his 
advance  on  Manassas,  after  which  it  guarded 
the  Rappahannock  till  May.  On  the  4th,  it 
moved  to  Williamsburg  under  command  of  Gen. 
Stoneham.  June  26,  it  held  the  enemy  under 
Jackson  in  check  at  Mechanicsville,  after  which 
battle  a  change  of  base  was  made  by  the  Union 
forces,  in  accomplishing  which  the  Eighth  pro- 
tected the  rear  of  the  army  by  successful  skir- 
mishes with  the  enemy.  At  Malvern  Hill,  it 
led  the  attack  which  was  made  on  that  place. 
August  30,  1862.  it  embarked  at  Yorktown  and 
landed  at  Alexandria  the  1st  of  September, 
from  which  place  it  took  the  offensive  and  capt- 
ured 220  prisoners,  two  guns  and  the  colors  of 
the  Twelfth  Virginia  Regiment. 

It  was  next  engaged  at  Antietam,  and  next 
at  Martinsburg,  after  which  it  led  the  advance 
of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  almost  constantly, 
skirmishing  with  the  enemy,  till  it  reached  Fal- 


mouth  November  23,  1862,  after  which  it  was 
on  picket  duty  during  the  active  operations 
that  immediately  followed. 

The  next  year,  1863,  its  earnest  work  was 
redoubled,  and  the  actions  in  which  it  was 
engaged  may  be  enumerated  as  follows  :  Sul- 
phur Springs,  April  14  ;  battle  near  Warrenton, 
the  17th  ;  Rapidan,  May  1  ;  Northern  Neck,  the 
14th  ;  Borstly  Ford,  June  9  ;  Upperville,  the 
21st ;  Fairville,  Penn.,  the  30th  ;  Gettysburg, 
July  1.  It  claims  the  honor  of  firing  the  first 
shot  at  this  decisive  battle  ;  Williamsport,  Md., 
the  6th  ;  Boonsboro,  the  8th  ;  Funkstown,  the 
10th ;  Falling  Waters,  the  14th  ;  Chester  Gap, 
the  21st ;  Sandy  Hook,  the  21st ;  near  Cul- 
pepper,  Va.,  August  1  ;  Brady's  Station,  the 
4th  ;  a  raid  to  Falmouth,  the  30th  ;  Pony  Moun- 
tain, September  13 ;  Liberty  Mills,  the  21st ; 
Brady's  Station,  October  11  ;  Manassas,  the 
15th  ;  Warrenton,  the  30th  ;  Rexleysville,  No- 
vember 8  ;  Mitchell's,  the  12th,  and  Ely's  Ford, 
the  30th. 

During  the  war,  the  following  is  a  summary 
of  the  results  of  their  arms,  from  official  rec- 
ords : 

Captured,  wounded  and  killed  of  the  enemy, 
3,946  ;  slaves  liberated,  3,000  ;  horses  killed  or 
captured,  4,110  ;  mules  killed  or  captured,  661  ; 
sheep  killed  or  captured,  1,400  ;  cattle  killed  or 
captured,  2,200  ;  wagons  captured,  280  ;  smug- 
gling crafts  destroyed.  208  ;  10  tons  of  ammu- 
nition ;  7  tons  of  leather,  and  16  tons  of  pork 
captured  ;  7  colors  and  6  guns  taken,  added  to 
which  were  cereals  and  small  arms,  valued  at 
$2,000,000.  These  men  were  among  the  best 
soldiers  in  the  war,  whose  bodies  were  hardened 
into  clear  muscle  and  bone,  by  their  unceasing 
activity,  made  effective  by  the  indomitable 
courage  that -held  their  uplifted  arms  to  the 
service. 

This  regiment  was  mustered  out  at  Benton 
Barracks,  Mo.,  July  17,  1865,  and  ordered  to 
Chicago,  where  its  remnant,  less  than  one-third 
of  its  original  number,  received  its  final  pay- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


127 


ment  and  discharge.     It  had  197  men  from  Du 
Page  County  in  its  ranks. 

MAJORS. 

Kelley,  ElishaS.,  Milton;  date  of  rank  December  5, 
1862;  resigned  May  23,  1863. 

CHAPLAINS. 

Matlock,  Lucius  C.,  Wheaton;  date  of  rank  Octo- 
ber 8,  1861 ;  mustered  out  August  25,  1862. 

NON-COMMISSIONED  STAFF. 
Cllinr  BUOLEBB. 

Bartholomew,  George  W.,  Winfield;  re-enlisted 
as  veteran  January  1,  1864. 

VETERAN  NON-COMMISSIONED  STAFF. 

QUARTERMASTER   SERGEANT. 

Gates,  Robert  W.,  Bloomingdale;  enlisted  Janu- 
ary 1,  1864;  promoted  to  Regimental  Quartermaster. 

COMPANY  A. 

Emery,  James  H.,  Wheaton;  enlisted  September 
8, 1861;  discharged  April  24,  1862. 

COMPANY  D. 

CAPTAI18. 

Gerhart,  Jacob  S.,  Bloomingdale ;  date  of  rank  Sep- 
tember 18,  1861 ;  resigned  July  28, 1862. 

SECOND  LIEUTENANTS. 

Verbeck,  Carlos  H.,  Bloomingdale;  date  of  rank 
September  18, 1861;  promoted  to  First  Lieutenant; 
term  expired  February  1,  1865. 

Dunning,  Andrew,  Addison;  date  of  rank  March  3, 
1865;  promoted  to  First  Lieutenant;  mustered  out 

July  17,  1865. 

mourn* 

Wallis,  George,  Bloomingdale;  enlisted  August  20, 
1861 ;  discharged  February  27, 1862,  for  disability. 

Clark,  Charles L.,  Bloomingdale;  enlisted  Septem- 
ber 4,  1861 ;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

CORPORALS. 

Dunning,  Andrew,  Addison;  enlisted  August  28, 
1861 ;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Farr,  Asa  W.,  Bloomingdale;  enlisted  August  28, 
1861 ;  mustered  out  September  28, 1864,  as  Sergeant. 

Coe,  Curtiss  H.,  Bloomingdale:  enlisted  August 
20,  1861;  died  at  Alexandria,  Va.,  May,  1862. 

Durland,  Garrett  P.,  Bloomingdale;  enlisted  Au- 
gust 28,  1861;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

PRIVATES. 

Avery,  Daniel  J.,  Wayne,  September  9,  1861: 
transferred  to  Company  M. 


Ackley,  John  W.,  Bloomingdale,  September  2, 
1861;  re-enlisted  as  veteran  January  1,  1864;  mus- 
tered out  as  Corporal. 

Asendorf,  Albert,  Addison,  September  12;  mus- 
tered out  September  28,  1864. 

Bunnell,  Marcus,  Bloomingdale,  September  9, 
1861  ;  re-entisted  as  veteran  November  30,  1863  ; 
mustered  out  as  Corporal. 

Baltz,  William,  Bloomingdale,  August  24,  1861: 
transferred  to  Company  M. 

Churchill,  Amos,  Milton,  August  30,  1861 ;  trans- 
ferred to  Company  M. 

Clark,  Morgan  L.,  Bloomingdale,  September  5, 
1861;  discharged  in  1862;  disability. 

Cheesman,  George  B.,  Addison,  September  17, 
1861. 

Chapman,  Thomas,  Bloomingdale,  August  20, 
1861;  discharged  February,  1862;  disability. 

Douglass,  James,  Bloomingdale,  August  20,  1861; 
re-enlisted  as  veteran  November  30,  1863;  mustered 
out  as  Wagoner. 

Deibert,  Jacob,  Bloomingdale,  September  4,  1861 ; 
mustered  out  September  28,  1864. 

Driscoll,  Obadiah,  Wayne,  September  9,  1861; 
discharged  July  31,  1862;  disability. 

Eggleston,  Surrial  G.,  Addison,  September  14, 
1861;  discharged  March  19,  1863;  wounds. 

Ehle,  Austin  J.,  Bloomingdale,  August  30,  1861  ; 
mustered  out  September  28,  1864. 

Ehle,  John  H.,  Bloomingdale,  September  16, 1861; 
died  at  Alexandria,  Va.,  April,  1862. 

Eggist,  Christopher,  Bloomingdale,  September  16, 
1861 ;  transferred  to  Company  M. 

Fink,  Barney  H.,  Addison,  September  4,  1861; 
discharged  November  12,  1862;  disability. 

Fournier,  Euseba,  Bloomingdale,  September  5, 
1861 ;  re-enlisted  as  veteran  January  1,  1864 ;  mus- 
tered out  as  Corporal. 

Gannon,  Thomas,  Bloomingdale,  September  3, 
1861 ;  re-enlisted  as  veteran  November  30,  1863; 
mustered  out  as  Corporal. 

Gerhardt,  Livingston  E.,  Bloomingdale,  Septem- 
ber 3,  1861;  prisoner  of  war,  reported  dead,  dropped 
from  rolls. 

Goodwin,  William  W.,  Bloomingdale,  August  30, 
1861;  discharged  November  26,  1862;  disability. 

Giedman,  Henry,  Addison,  August  28,  1861;  mus- 
tered out  September  28,  1864,  as  Corporal. 

Hackendorf,  Henry,  Bloomingdale,  August  28, 
1861;  discharged  February  4,  1863;  disability. 

Kollinan,  Henry,  Bloomingdale,  September  7, 
1861;  transferred  to  Company  M. 


128 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Kohn,  Frederick,  Bloomingdale,  September  17, 
1861 ;  transferred  to  Company  M. 

Landon,  Allen  S.,  Bloomingdale,  August  20,  1861; 
mustered  out  September  28,  1864. 

Landon,  Charles,  Bloomingdale,  August  30,  1861 ; 
re-enlisted  as  veteran  January  1,  1864;  mustered  out 
as  Corporal. 

Laning,  Dedrick,  York,  September  17,  1861;  re- 
enlisted  as  veteran  December  20, 1863;  mustered  out 
as  Saddler. 

Muzzy,  Emeric  O.,  Bloomingdale,  September  17, 
1861;  died  at  Alexandria,  Va.,  February,  1862. 

Meachem,  Sylvester,  Bloomingdale,  September  17, 
1861 ;  mustered  out  September  28,  1865. 

Mund,  Dedrick,  York,  September  9,  1861 ;  died  at 
Andersonville  Prison  September  6,  1864 ;  number  of 
grave,  7,989. 

Mclntosh,  Hugh,  Bloomingdale,  September  17, 
1861  ;  re-enlisted  as  a  veteran  November  30,  1863  ; 
mustered  out  as  Corporal. 

Nash,  DeWitt,  Bloomingdale,  September  7,  1861; 
mustered  out  September  28,  1864. 

Northrup,  Albert,  Bloomingdale,  September  4 ; 
mustered  out  as  Corporal. 

Noon,  John,  Bloomingdale,  September  9,  1861  ; 
re-enlisted  as  veteran  January  1, 1864:  mustered  out 
as  Sergeant. 

Pierce,  William  D.,  Bloomingdale,  August  20, 
1861 ;  transferred  to  Company  H. 

Pflarger,  August,  Bloomingdale,  September  2, 
1861  ;  re-enlisted  as  veteran  November  30,  1863 ; 
mustered  out  as  Sergeant. 

Rickert,  Jacob  D.,  Bloomingdale,  August  20,  1861; 
mustered  out  May  20,  1862,  prisoner  of  war. 

Rave,  William  D.,  Bloomingdale,  September  9, 
1861;  discharged  in  1862. 

Rode,  Ernst,  York,  September  9, 1861  ;  discharged 
May,  1862,  disability. 

Sedgwick,  Estus  P.,  Bloomingdale,  September  2, 
1861 ;  died  at  Alexandria,  Va.,  March,  1862. 

Segus,  Henry,  Bloomingdale,  September  5,  1861; 
killed  at  Culpepper,  Va.,  August,  1863. 

Teimer,  Herman,  Addiaon,  September  7,  1861; 
discharged  July  31,  1862,  disability. 

Thorne,  Alexander  P.,  Wayne,  September  16, 
1861;  mustered  out  September  28,  1864. 

Volke,  John,  Addison,  September  5,  1861 ;  died  at 
Washington,  D.  C.,  October  26,  1862. 

Weaber,  Benjamin  F.,  Bloomingdale,  Septem- 
ber 5,  1861;  killed  near  Boonesboro,  Md.,  July  8, 
1863. 

Weaber,  William,  Bloomingdale,  September  12, 
1861 ;  discharged  November  26,  1862,  disability. 


Wilk,  Henry,  Bloomingdale,  September  9,  1861; 
re-enlisted  as  veteran  January  1,  1864. 

Wedmeir,  Henry,  Bloomingdale,  September  4, 
1861;  re-eniisted  as  veteran  November  30,  1863. 

Woodworth,  Henry,  Wayne,  September  16,  1861 ; 
re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Way,  Edmund,  Bloomingdale,  August  25,  1861; 
transferred  to  Company  M. 

Wright,  Sylvester,  Bloomingdale,  September  17; 
mustered  out  September  28,  1864. 

Zooh,  Frederick,  Bloomingdale,  September  7, 
1861;  died  at  Baltimore  Cross  Roads,  Va.,  in  1862. 

YETEBAKS. 

Bye,  William,  Bloomingdale,  November  30,  1863; 
mustered  out  as  Sergeant. 

Clarke,  Charles  S.,  Bloomingdale,  January  1, 1864; 
mustered  out  as  Sergeant. 

Dunning,  Andrew,  Addison,  January  1, 1864;  pro- 
moted First  Lieutenant. 

Durland,  Garrett  B.,  Bloomingdale,  January  1, 
1864;  mustered  out  as  Sergeant. 

Duneka,  Henry,  Bloomingdale,  Dec.  20,  1863. 

Fehrman,  Lewis,  Bloomingdale,  December  20, 
1863;  mustered  out  as  Corporal. 

Fehrman,  August,  Addison,  January  1,  1864;  ab- 
sent, sick,  at  mustering  out  of  regiment. 

Rave,  August,  Bloomingdale,  January  1,  1864. 

RECRUITS. 

B W.,  Bloomingdale,  October  13,  1863. 

Brandt,  ,  Bloomingdale,  January  20,  1863; 

discharged  January  10,  1865;  disability. 

Clark,  Morgan  L.,  Bloomingdale,  February  3, 
1864. 

Dunning,  Samuel  N.,  Addison,  February  20. 

Elbert,  William,  Addison,  October  8,  1864. 

Miner,  William,  Bloomingdale,  October  14. 

Reinhardt,  Henry,  Addison,  October  8,  1864. 

COMPANY  E. 
CAPTAINS. 

Kelly,  Elisha  S.,  Milton,  date  of  rank  September 
18,  1861 ;  promoted  Major. 

Jones,  Marcellus  E.,  Wheaton,  date  of  rank  Oc- 
tober 10, 1864;  promoted  from  Sergeant  to  Second 
Lieutenant,  then  First  Lieutenant;  mustered  out 
July  17,  1865. 

Buck,  Daniel  N.,  Naperville,  date  of  rank  De- 
cember 5,  1862;  promoted  from  First  Sergeant  to 
First  Lieutenant;  term  expired  October  10,  1864. 

FIRST    LIEUTENANTS. 

Flagg,  Benjamin  L.,  Milton,  date  of  rank  Sep- 
tember 18,  1861 ;  resigned  July  15,  1862. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


129 


Riddler,  Alexander  McS.  S.,  date  of  rank  Octo- 
ber 10,  1864;  promoted  from  Corporal  to  Second 
Lieutenant;  mustered  out  July  17,  1865. 

SECOND   LIEUTENANTS. 

Taylor,  Woodbury  M.,  Milton,  date  of  rank  Sep- 
tember 18,  1861;  promoted  First  Lieutenant;  pro- 
moted second  time  Captain  Company  L  by  Presi- 
dent April  11,  1864. 

Whitaker,  Owen,  Milton,  date  of  rank  December 
8,  1864;  promoted  from  Corporal;  resigned  June  9, 
1865. 

Wayne,  Edward,  Naperville,  date  of  rank  June  20, 
1865;  mustered  out  as  Sergeant  July  17,  1865. 

QUARTEUMA8TEU   SERGEANT. 

Foster,  George,  Milton,  enlisted  September  5, 
1861;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

SERGEANTS. 

Smith,  Samuel  W.,  Naperville,  enlisted  Septem- 
ber 10,  1861;  promoted  Sergeant  Major. 

Hines,  Thomas  S.,  Naperville,  enlisted  Septem- 
ber 10,  1861;  mustered  out  September  28,  1864; 
term  expired. 

Mott,  Meritt,  Milton,  enlisted  September  5,  1861; 
discharged  April  18,  1862;  disability. 

CORPORALS. 

Harnes,  Benjamin  F.,  Naperville,  enlisted  Sep- 
tember 10,  1861;  discharged  February  15,  1863  as 
Sergeant;  wounds. 

Oberhallsen,  Samuel,  Naperville,  enlisted  Septem- 
ber 10,  1861;  discharged  November  28,  1862;  disa- 
bility. 

Fosha,  George,  Naperville,  enlisted  September  10, 
1861 ;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Crosby,  Frank,  Milton,  enlisted  September  5, 
1861;  discharged  October  8,  1864;  term  expired. 

Ackley,  Frank  M.,  Milton,  enlisted  September  5, 
1861 ;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

McNorth,  George  S.,  Winfleld,  enlisted  Septem- 
ber 5,  1861;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

BUGLEH. 

Lund,  Henry,  Milton,  enlisted  September  5,  1861 ; 
promoted  Chief  Bugler. 

FARRIER. 

Bond,  Samuel,  Naperville,  enlisted  September  13, 
1861;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

PRIVATES. 

Benjamin,  Henry  H.,  Lisle,  September  10,  1861; 
mustered  out  September  28,  1«64;  term  expired. 

Brooks,  Edwin  H.,  Milton,  September  10,  1861; 
re-enlisted  as  veteran;  mustered  out  as  Corporal. 


Bartholomew,  George  W.,  Warrenville,  Septem- 
ber 10;  promoted  Chief  Bugler. 

Burnham,  Remembrace,  Bloomingdale,  Septem- 
ber 5,  1861 ;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Cooley,  Herbert,  Wheaton,  September  5,  1861; 
re-enlisted  as  veteran;  mustered  out  as  Sergeant. 

Corbet,  Clark  S.,  Milton,  September  5,  1861 ;  dis- 
charged November  15,  1862;  disability. 

Chadwick,  William  H.,  Milton,  September  5, 
1861;  re-enlisted  as  veteran;  mustered  out  as  Corp- 
oral. 

Churchill,  William  H.,  York,  September  5,  1861; 
mustered  out  September  28,  1864. 

Ditzler,  Eli  H.,  Naperville,  September  10,  1861; 
mustered  out  September  28,  1864. 

Davis,  Samuel,  Milton,  September  5,  1861;  mus- 
tered out  September  28,  1864. 

Dense,  Darwin,  Danby,  September  14,  1861;  re- 
enlisted  as  veteran  January  1,  1864;  mustered  out 
as  Sergeant. 

Dissinger,  Aaron,  Naperville,  September  17,  1861 ; 
discharged  April  21,  1862;  disability. 

Dodge,  Horace  O.,  Milton;  September  18,  1861; 
mustered  out  September  28, 1864;  term  expired. 

Foster,  James,  Winfleld,  September  5,  1861;  dis- 
charged July  25,  1863. 

Franks,  Benjamin,  Naperville,  September  14, 
1861 ;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Flagg,  Sewell,  Milton,  September  14,  1861;  Ser- 
geant; killed  near  Manassas,  Va.,  October  15,  1863. 

Farrer,  Judson,  Downer's  Grove,  September  17, 
1861;  died  at  Alexandria,  Va.,  June  18,  1863; 
wounds. 

Guio,  Augustus,  Milton,  September  5,  1861;  dis- 
charged January  8,  1863;  disability. 

Jacob,  Gates,  Downer's  Grove,  September  18, 
1861;  discharged  November  28,  1862;  disability. 

Heim,  George,  Lisle,  September  17;  re-enlisted  as 
veteran  January  1,  1864;  mustered  out  as  Sergeant. 

Hardy,  Edgar  A.,  Milton,  September  5,  1861;  re- 
enlisted  as  veteran  January  1,  1864;  mustered  out  as 
Sergeant. 

Hart,  Horace,  Milton,  September  5,  1861;  re- 
enlisted  as  veteran  January  1,  1864. 

Hymes,  Jacob,  Naperville,  September  5,  1861; 
discharged  April  16,  1862;  disability. 

Hale,  James  O.,  Winfleld,  September  5,  1861;  re- 
enlisted  as  veteran  November  30,  1863;  mustered  out 
as  Corporal. 

Hughes,  Morgan,  Naperville,  September  17,  1861; 
re-enlisted  as  veteran  January  1,  1864;  mustered  out 
as  Bugler. 


130 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Hector,  Frank,  Milton,  September  13,  1861;  trans- 
ferred to  Company  A. 

Howell,  Charles,  Downer's  Grove,  September  18, 
1861;  mustered  out  September  28,  1864,  as  Cor- 
poral. 

Havens,  John  W.,  Downer's  Grove,  September 
18,  1861;  re-enlisted  as  veteran;  promoted  Corporal; 
absent,  sick,  at  muster  out  of  regiment. 

Hyde,  James,  Naperville,  September  17,  1861;  re- 
enlisted  as  veteran  January  1,  1864. 

Jewell,  Solomon  W.,  Milton,  Septembers,  1861; 
discharged  November  25,  1862;  wounds. 

Jones,  William,  Milton,  September  5,  1861;  dis- 
charged January  23,  1863,  as  Sergeant;  wounds. 

Jepperson,  Herman  K.,  Warrenville,  September 
18,  1861;  re-enlisted  as  veteran  January  1,  1864; 
died  of  starvation  February  21,  1865,  in  rebel  hospi- 
tal at  Danville,  Va. 

Kockley,  Jacob,  Naperville,  September  18,  1861 ; 
re-enlisted  as  veteran  January  1,  1864;  died  at 
Washington,  D.  C.,  August  10,  1864;  wounds. 

Kelly,  Benton  J.,  Milton,  September  17;  mus- 
tered out  September  28,  1864. 

Kinzie,  AbramA.,  Napervilie,  September  17,  1861; 
re-enlisted  as  veteran  January  1, 1864. 

Loser,  William,  Naperville,  September  17,  1861; 
re-enlisted  as  veteran  January  1, 1864. 

Loser,  John,  Naperville,  September  17,  1861:  re- 
enlisted  as  veteran  January  1,  1864;  mustered  out  as 
Corporal. 

Mott,  Gilbert,  Milton,  September  5,  1861;  re-en- 
listed as  veteran  January  1,  1864. 

Meachem,  Frank,  Milton,  September  5,  1861 ;  dis- 
charged December  5,  1862. 

Mertz,  Franklin  B.,  Naperville,  September  10, 
1861;  mustered  out  September  28,  1864;  term  ex- 
pired. 

Mills,  George  A.,  Milton,  September  14,  1861; 
died  at  Alexandria,  Va., February  22,  1862. 

McCauley,  Augustus,  Naperville,  September  17, 
1861;  mustered  out  September  28,  1864. 

McMillan,  Daniel,  Downer's  Grove,  September  18, 
1861;  discharged  September  22,  1862;  disability. 

Plumer,  Benjamin,  York,  September  18,  1861; 
promoted  Regimental  Commissary  Sergeant. 

Poison,  Emerick,  Milton,  September  14,  1861 ;  dis- 
charged February  28,  1863;  disability. 

Potter,  Nelson  A.,  Milton,  September  5,  1861; 
transferred  to  Company  A. 

Plant,  Roswell.  Naperville,  September  14;  re-en- 
listed as  veteran  January  1,  1864. 

Pinches,  William,  Downer's  Grove;  mustered  out 
September  28,  1864,  as  Corporal. 


Perry,  John,  Downer's  Grove,  September  17,  1861 ; 
discharged  March  21,  1864. 

Persem,  George,  Naperville,  September  17,  1861; 
killed  Funkstown,  Md.,  July  10,  1863. 

Ringman,  George,  Milton,  September  5,  1861; 
killed  Morton's  Ford,  Va.,  October  11, 1863. 

Rogers,  Francis  A.,  Downer's  Grove,  September 
18,  1861;  mustered  out  September  28,  1864;  term  ex- 
pired. 

Slyter,  Charles,  Milton,  September  5,  1861;  died 
at  Alexandria,  Va.,  July  1,  1863;  wounds. 

Strouse,  Lewis,  Lisle,  September  10,  1861 ;  re-en- 
listed as  veteran  January  1,  1861;  mustered  out  as 
Corporal. 

Stoner,  John,  Naperville,  September  17,  1861;  re- 
enlisted  as  veteran  January  1,  1864. 

Snyder,  Daniel,  Lisle,  September  14,  1861 ;  killed 
South  Mountain,  Md.,  September  14,  1862. 

Shaeffer,  Levi  S.,  Naperville,  September  18,  1861; 
discharged  October  8,  1864,  as  Sergeant. 

Stevens,  Abraham,  Warrenville,  September  18, 
1861;  discharged  February  13,  1863;  disability. 

Schuster,  Franklin,  Milton,  September  18,  1861; 
re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Tobias,  William  J.,  Naperville,  September  10, 
1861;  re-enlisted  as  veteran  January  1,  1864;  'died  at 
Naperville,  111.,  May  12,  1864. 

Wheeler,  Allen,  Downer's  Grove,  September  18, 
1861 

Wentworth,  Winfield,  Septembers,  1861. 

Weidman,  Curtis  S.,  Milton,  September  5,  1861; 
mustered  out  September  28,  1864. 

Wayne,  Edward,  Naperville,  September  17,  1861; 
re-enlisted  as  veteran  January  1,  1864;  mustered  out 
as  First  Sergeant;  commissionel  Second  Lieutenant, 
but  not  mustered. 

Whitaker,  Owen,  Milton,  November  30,  1863;  pro- 
moted Sergeant,  then  Second  Lieutenant. 

BEUBU1T8. 

Ashley,  Benedict,  Downer's  Grove,  October  18, 
1864. 

Burnham,  Oscar  D.,  Naperville,  January  10,  1864, 
veteran. 

Britegan,  William,  Naperville,  February  23,  1864; 
absent,  sick,  at  mustering  out  of  regiment. 

Bennett,  William,  Milton,  September  27,  1864. 

Bunn,  Henry,  Downer's  Grove,  October  18,  1864. 

Culver,  Charles  S.,  Warrenville,  Dec.  24,  1864. 

Campbell,  John,  Naperville,  January  1,  1864;  died 
at  Camp  Relief,  D.  C.,  July  6,  1864. 

Desenbrock,  Henry,  Naperville,  December  20, 
1863,  mustered  out;  Blacksmith. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


131 


Dixon,  Charles  G,  Downer's  Grove,  October  18, 
1864. 

Freets,  William,  Milton,  September  9,  1861;  dis- 
charged September  18,  1861. 

Graham,  James,  Naperville,  January  10,  1864. 

Gerberick,  Levi,  Naperville,  February  23,  1864. 

Gleason,  Watson  W.,  Downer's  Grove,  October 
18,  1864. 

Hudson,  William,  Warrenville,  December  22, 
1863;  died  in  rebel  prison  at  Richmond,  Va. 

Johnson,  Oscar,  Milton,  September  14,  1861,  dis- 
charged September  20.  1861. 

Kribill,  John,  Naperville,  December  20,  1863. 

Murray,  John,  Naperville,  January  10,  1864. 

Mertz,  Owen,  Lisle,  February  19,  1864. 

Neff,  Joseph,  Naperville,  January  4,  1864;  killed 
at  Monocacy,  Md.,  July  30,  1864. 

Robinson,  Ashael  F.,  Milton,  August  11,  1862; 
re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Robinson,  Daniel  F.,  Milton,  August  11,  1862;  re- 
enlisted  as  veteran. 

Strieker,  David,  Naperville,  December  21,  1863. 

Schaftmetzle,  Chas.,  Naperville,  January  1,  1864. 

Statt,  .Charles,  Downer's  Grove,  October  18;  1864. 

Wilson,  Thomas,  Wheaton,  February  5,  1864. 

Ward,  James  A.,  Warrenville,  January  2,  1864. 

Winderburg,  Louis,  Naperville,  Dec.  20,  1863. 

Ward,  Charles  H.,  Warrenville,  December  24, 
1863;  died  in  District  of  Columbia  July  23,  1864; 
wounds. 

COMPANY   P. 

PRIVATES. 

Brown,  James,  Du  Page  County,  Sept.  4,  1861' 
discharged  Sept.  19,  1862;  accidental  wounds. 

Hawley,  Oliver,  Du  Page  County,  August  30, 
1861;  re-eulisted  as  veteran  January  1,  1864;  Ser- 
geant; discharged  July  1,  1865. 

NINTH    CAVALRY    REGIMENT. 

The  Ninth  Cavalry  Regiment  was  organized 
at  Chicago  in  November,  1861,  and  mustered 
out  at  Solma,  Ala.,  October  1,  1865.  It  had 
three  men  from  Du  Page  County. 

COMPANY   D. 

Toune,  Dedrick,  Addison,  enlisted  September  10; 
mustered  in  the  21st,  1861. 

COMPANY   K. 

Bostwick,  Henry  C.,  Du  Page  County,  enlisted 
September  10,  1861;  discharged  September  30,  1862, 
as  Sergeant. 


Woodworth,  Frank,  Bloomingdale,  Corporal;  en- 
listed September  5,  and  mustered  in  October  26, 
1861 ;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

TWELFTH   CAVALRY. 

After  its  organization  in  December,  1861,  it 
was  promptly  sent  to  Virginia,  where,  at  Win- 
chester, its  earnest  work  began  in  September, 
1862.  It  was  at  Harper's  Perry  when  sur- 
rounded by  the  rebels,  and  saved  itself  from 
capture  by  cutting  its  way  through  their  lines, 
escaping  into  Pennsylvania.  It  was  then  joined 
with  the  Potomac  Army,  and  advanced  to  Dum- 
fries, Va.,  where  it  remained  till  March,  1863. 
holding  the  place  against  the  rebel  Gen.  Stuart. 
It  next  took  part  in  the  famous  Stonewall  raid, 
a  detachment  of  which,  under  Col.  Davis, 
passed  the  rear  of  Lee's  army  within  two  miles 
of  Richmond.  In  June,  1863,  it  was  attached 
to  the  First  Division  Army  Corps,  and  was  in 
active  service  through  the  sanguinary  campaign 
that  followed.  It  next  returned  to  Chicago  and 
recruited  to  its  maximum,  when  it  returned  to 
the  front,  arriving  at  New  Orleans  April  1, 1864, 
where  it  was  engaged  in  picket  duty  and  raid- 
ing till  the  war  was  over.  It  had  forty-eight 
men  from  Du  Page  County  in  its  ranks. 

COMPANY  A. 

Drury,  John,  Naperville,  enlisted  January  22, 
1862;  died  at  Camp  Butler  the  following  March. 

Muck,  Henry,  Naperville,  enlisted  January  9, 
1862,  re-enlisted  at  veteran. 

COMPANY  B. 

Miskosaki,  Egnes,  Naperville;  enlisted  January  6, 
1862;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

COMPANY  C. 
CAPTAIN. 

Bronson,  Stephen,  Wheaton,  enlisted  and  mus- 
tered in  February  28,  1862;  promoted  Major. 

BFCOND    LIEUTENANT. 

Ward,  George  F.,  Wheaton,  enlisted  November 
17,  1862;  promoted  to  First  Lieutenant. 

Mills,  Alexander,  First  Sergeant,  Milton,  enlisted 
December  10,  1861;  promoted  Second  Lieutenant 
March  15,  1863;  resigned,  January  2,  1864. 


132 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNT!'. 


Chadwick,  Edwin,  Corporal,  Milton,  enlisted  Oc- 
tober 31,  1861;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Paine,  Robert  E.,  Milton,  enlisted  November  30, 
1861. 

Finch,  Charles  L.,  Milton,  Bugler,  enlisted  Janu- 
ary 10,  1862;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Standish,  Stephen,  Lisle,  Sergeant,  enlisted  Octo- 
ber 1, 1861;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Stearns,  Benjamin,  Winfleld,  Blacksmith,  enlisted 
December  16,  1861. 

Atkinson,  Robert,  Wayne,  Saddler,  enlisted  Octo- 
ber 13,  1861. 

Cheeney,  E.  M.,  Milton,  Wagoner,  enlisted  No- 
vember 3,  1861 ;  discharged  October  1,  1862. 

Ackerman,  J.   D.,  Milton,  enlisted  December  27, 
1861. 

Ackerman,  S.  W.,  Babcock's  Grove,  enlisted  De- 
cember 24,  1861 ;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Bedford,  Franklin,  enlisted  December  14,    1861; 
promoted  to  Hospital  Steward. 

Bronson,  Charles,  Milton,  enlisted  December  31, 
1861 ;  discharged  for  disability. 

Burns,  Patrick,   Milton,   enlisted   December  10, 
1861;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Butterfield,  Theodore,  Milton,  enlisted  December 
10,  1861;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Cooper,   Benjamin,    Naperville,    unassigned    re- 
cruit, enlisted  December  29,  1863. 

Ensworth,    Edgar,    Milton,    enlisted  January  1, 
1862. 

Finch,  Elisha  W.,  Milton,  enlisted  December  17, 
1861;  re-enlistsd  as  veteran. 

Hickey,  Ball,  Milton,  enlisted  December  12,  1861; 
discharged  October  1,  1882. 

Higgins,  Owen,  Wayne,   enlisted  December  13, 
1861;  became  prisoner  of  war  and  was  discharged. 

Gorow,  John  L.,  Milton,  enlisted  December  10, 
1861;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Mason,  E.  H.,  Milton,  enlisted  December  14, 1861; 
re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Moon,  G.  W.,  Milton,  enlisted  January  1,  1862; 
re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Mott,   Willard,   Wheaton,  enlisted  December  1, 
1861;  discharged  May  14,  1862. 

Riley,  John,  Wayne,   enlisted  February  4,  1862; 
re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Ushner,  Ferdinand,  Milton,  enlisted  January  1, 
1862;  killed  at  Gettysburg  July  1,  1863. 

Vintom,  William,  Cottage  Hill,  enlisted   Febru- 
21, 1862;  discharged. 

Wakefleld,  James  B.,  Wayne,  enlisted  January 
16,  1862;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 


Welch,  John,  Winfield,  enlisted  November  15, 
1862;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Wentworth,  C.  E.  H.,  Wheaton,  enlisted  February 
1,  1862;  promoted  to  Hospital  Steward. 

Wright,  William,  Milton,  enlisted  December  1, 
1861;  discharged  March  1,  1863. 

Ferich,  Charles  L.,  Naperville,  enlisted  as  veteran 
March  1,  1864. 

Ferish,  Elisha  W.,  Milton,  enlisted  February  28, 
1864,  as  veteran. 

The  two  above  mustered  in  February  29,  1864,  as 
veterans. 

Woods,  William,  Wheaton,  enlisted  as  recruit. 

COMPANY   D. 

Brown,  Henry  D.,  Wayne,  enlisted  February  10, 
1862;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Keith,  Chas.,  Wayne,  enlisted  December  27,  1861. 

Langly,  F.  M.,  Wayne,  enlisted  February  15,  1862; 
re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Ogden,  Alonzo,  Wayne,  enlisted  February  24, 
1861;  discharged  June,  1863. 

Panter,  Allen,  Wayne,  enlisted  February  24,  1861. 

Panter,  J.  C.,  Wayne,  enlisted  February  26,  1861. 

Rabus,  Lewis,  Wayne,  enlisted  March  2,  1861; 
discharged  September  4,  1863. 

COMPANY   M. 

McGinty,  Joseph,  York,  enlisted  December  14, 
1863;  transferred  to  Company  H  as  consolidated. 

THIRTEENTH    CAVALRY. 

The  Thirteenth  Cavalry  was  organized  at 
Camp  Douglas  December,  1861,  and  mustered 
out  at  Springfleld  August  31,  1865.  It  had 
eight  men  from  Du  Page  County. 

COMPANY  A. 

Becker,  Friederick,  Addison,  enlisted  September 
19,  mustered  in  December  31,  1861. 

Jenson,  Franz  Z.  F.  W.,  Downer's  Grove,  enlisted 
September  28,  mustered  in  December  31,  1861. 

COMPANY  B. 

Kretzer,  Ferdinand,  Naperville,  discharged  Octo- 
ber 2,  1862,  for  disability. 

COMPANY  C. 

Sommer,  Wilheiin,  Addison,  enlisted  October  20, 
mustered  in  December  31,  1861. 

Schroeder,  Henry  Carl,  York,  enlisted  October  21, 
mustered  in  December  31.  1861. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


133 


COMPANY  E. 

Waskon,  William,  Addison,  enlisted  October  23; 
discharged  1862. 

COMPANY   H. 

Blackeman,  Reuben. 

Eyor,  Peter,  both  of  Naperville,  and  enlisted  De- 
cember 1;  mustered  in  the  31st,  1864. 

FIFTEENTH    CAVALRY. 

The  companies  of  which  this  regiment  was 
composed  were  enlisted  in  the  autumn  of  1861. 
Company  I  was  mustered  into  the  service  Sep- 
tember 23,  1861,  but  the  first  orders  organizing 
the  regiment  bears  date  of  Springfield,  Decem- 
ber 25,  1862.  The  term  of  enlistment  of  the 
men  expired  January  1,  1865,  when  this  regi- 
ment was  consolidated  with  the  Tenth,  and  the 
re-enlisted  men  of  both  regiments  made  twelve 
companies.  Thirteen  men  from  Du  Page 
County  were  in  its  ranks. 

COMPANY  H. 

Bushell.  Joseph,  Naperville,  Corporal. 
Warner,  William,  Naperville,  Corporal. 
Monk,  Joseph,  Naperville,  Corporal. 
Coffman,  Adam  G.,  Wayne. 
Canlon,  Arnold,  Wayne. 
Rinehart,  Charles  C.,  Winfield. 
All  the  above  enlisted  August  7,  1861. 

COMPANY   I. 

Hagadon,  George  W.,  Wheaton,  Corporal,  en- 
listed August  2,  1861;  discharged  May  24,  1863,  for 
disability. 

Mo  wry,  Allen,  Turner  Junction,  Corporal;  re-en- 
listed as  veteran. 

Rathborn,  Joshua,  Danby,  enlisted  August  2, 
1861,  mustered  out  August  24,  1864. 

Tucker,  Lawrence  S.,  Turner  Junction,  enlisted 
August  2,  1861;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

COMPANY  K. 

Larkin,  Nathan,  Wayne,  Corporal,  enlisted  Au- 
gust 12,  1861;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

Balch,  Edwin  E.,  Naperville,  enlisted  August  17, 
1861;  re-enlisted  as  veteran. 

COMPANY   L. 

Barr,  John  C.,  Du  Page  County,  Sergeant,  en- 
listed December  2,  1861;  mustered  in  January  1, 


1862.  Private  in  detached  service,  missing  since  the 
massacre  of  Fort  Pillow. 

SEVENTEENTH    CAVALRY. 

The  Seventeenth  Cavalry  Regiment  was  or- 
ganized by  John  F.  Farnsworth  under  order 
issued  from  the  War  Department  August  12, 

1863.  Eight  companies   were  mustered   into 
service  January  22,  1864.     Four  more   com- 
panies were  mustered  in  by  the  24th  of  Febru- 
ary, and  the  regiment  was  complete.     The  fol- 
lowing May,  on  the  3d,  it  moved  to  report  to 
Gen.  Rosecrans,  who  was  then  commander  of 
the  Department  of  the  Missouri.     In  June,  its 
First  and  Second  Battalions  were  ordered  to  the 
North   Missouri   District,  while   the  Third  re- 
mained at  Alton,  111.,  which  had  been   head- 
quarters up  to  this  time  for  the  whole  regi- 
ment.    Companies  C  and  D,  of  this  battalion 
took  part  in  the  defense  of  Jefferson  City,  Mo., 
against  Price's  army.     The  Second  Battalion 
were  engaged  in  patroling  the  country  and  de- 
fending the  railroads  against  rebel  guerrillas, 
etc.    The  Third  Battalion  left  Alton  in  Septem- 
ber, 1864,  passing   through  St.  Louis   in  the 
direction  of  Rolla  to  prevent  the  army  of  Price 
from  cutting  off  its  communication  with   St. 
Louis.     More  active  work  was  now  open   for 
this  regiment.     In  connection  with  other  regi- 
ments, it  was  placed  under  command  of  Gen. 
Sanborn,  and  the  Seventeenth  took  part  in  the 
attack  on  Gen.  Price  at  Booneville.     On  the  22d 
of  October,  1864,  at  Independence,  Mo.,  it  dis- 
mounted, and    with   the   Thirteenth   Missouri 
gained  the  rear  guard  of  the  enemy  and  capt- 
ured   their   artillery.      Two    days   after  this, 
1,000  rebel  prisoners  were  taken,  among  whom 
was  the  famous  Gen.  Marmaduke,  just  over  the 
Kansas  line. 

The  Seventeenth,  now  with  McNeil's  brigade, 
pursued  the  defeated  foe  in  the  direction  of 
Fort  Scott,  the  rebels,  still  numerous  and 
formidable,  oft  making  bold  stands  and  giving 
battle  to  their  pursuers.  They  finally  escaped 
into  Arkansas,  and  the  pursuing  column  re- 


134 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


turned  to  Springfield,  Mo.,  after  a  flying  cam- 
paign of  forty-three  days,  in  which  1,000  miles 
had  been  traveled,  and  many  spirited  skirmishes 
with  the  enemy  encountered.  It  was  mustered 
out  in  November  and  December  at  Fort  Leav- 
enworth,  Kan.  It  had  sixty-one  men  from  Du 
Page  County  in  its  ranks. 

MAJOR. 

Matlack,  Lucius  C.,  Wheaton,  date  of  rank  Jan- 
uary 23,  1864. 

ADJUTANT. 

Smith,  Samuel  W.,  Naperville;  date  of  rank,  No- 
vember 25,  1863. 

QUARTERMASTER. 

Homer,  Benjamin  F.,  Naperville;  date  of  rank 
July  13,  1865. 

COMPANY   H. 

CAPTAIH. 

Smith,  Samuel  W.,  Naperville;  date  of  rank  De- 
cember 9,  1864. 

FIRST  LIEUTENANT. 

Laird,  William  J.,  Naperville;  date  of  rank  July 
14,  1865;  promoted  from  Second  Lieutenant. 

t  SECOND  LIEUTENANT. 

McMillan,  Alexander,  Wheaton;  date  of  rank 
July  14,  1865. 

QUARTERMASTER  REBGEANT. 

Filler,  Thomas,  York;  enlisted  December  23,  1863. 

SERGF.ANT8. 

Oberholsen,  Samuel,  Naperville;  enlisted  January 
1,  1864;  promoted  to  First  Sergeant. 

Horner,  Benjamin  P.,  Naperville;  enlisted  Janu- 
ary 1,  1864;  promoted  to  Regimental  Quartermaster. 

GORPOR1U. 

Money,  Abram  W.,  Bloomingdale,  enlisted  Janu- 
ary 1,  1864;  mustered  out  as  Sergeant. 

Porter,  Frank  H.,  Wheaton,  enlisted  December  3, 
1863;  mustered  out  as  Sergeant. 

Wells,  Milton  J.,  Wheaton,  enlisted  January  1, 
1864;  promoted  to  Regimental  Commissary  Ser- 
geant. 

Good,  Walter  W.,  Naperville,  enlisted  January  1, 
1864;  mustered  out  as  Sergeant. 

Parsons,  Peter,  Naperville,  enlisted  December  25, 
1863;  mustered  out  as  Sergeant. 

WAGONER. 

Andrews,  Dewey,  Wheaton,  enlisted  December 
3,  1863;  mustered  out  as  Corporal. 


PRIVATES. 

Andrews,  August,  Winfleld,  enlisted  December 
25,  1863;  mustered  out  as  Corporal. 

Blessman,  Frederick,  York,  enlisted  November  9, 
1863. 

Boltman,  Frederick,  Cottage  Hill,  enlisted  No- 
vember 1,  1863. 

Barribal,  Henry,  Bloomingdale,  enlisted  January 
1,  1864. 

Bounear,  Henry,  Addison,  enlisted  December  15, 
1863. 

Benkert,  Lawrence,  Naperville,  enlisted  Decem- 
ber 25,  1863. 

Bond,  Elijah,  Bloomingdale,  enlisted  January  1, 
1864. 

Bond,  Rosaloo,  Naperville,  enlisted  January  1, 
1864;  mustered  out  as  Sergeant. 

Caulkins,  Joshua,  Naperville,  enlisted  December 
4,  1863. 

Dunn,  Joseph,  Downer's  Grove,  enlisted  January 
4,  1864. 

Dissinger,  David,  Naperville,  enlisted  December 
25.  1864. 

Fry,  William,  Naperville,  enlisted  January  1, 
1864. 

Grambine,  Solomon,  Naperville,  enlisted  January 
1,  1864. 

Gebhart,  Frederick,  Wheaton,  enlisted  January  4, 
1864. 

Grant,  Adelbert,  York,  enlisted  November  10, 
1863. 

Guchart,  Samuel,  Naperville,  enlisted  December 
25,  1863. 

Heinburg,  Charles,  Addison,  enlisted  January  11, 
1864;  died  at  Fort  Scott,  Kas.,  November  16,  1864. 

Hatch,  Franklin,  Bloomingdale,  enlisted  January 
1,  1865. 

Kiesling,  Augustus,  Addison,  enlisted  December 
23,  1863;  mustered  ont  as  Corporal. 

Ketchum,  Elias  D.,  Naperville,  enlisted  January 
4,  1864. 

Lyon,  Charles,  Wheaton,  enlisted  December  29, 
1863;  mustered  out  as  Corporal. 

Lyman,  John  F.,  Wheaton,  enlisted  December  1, 
1863;  drowned  at  Pleasant  Hill,  Mo.,  June  29,  1865. 

McMillan,  Alexander,  Wheaton,  enlisted  Novem- 
ber 1,  1863;  promoted  to  Hospital  Steward. 

McMasters,  Frank,  York  Centre,  enlisted  Novem- 
ber 10,  1863. 

Morgan,  Royal  T.,  Wheaton,  enlisted  December 
1,  1863;  mustered  out  as  Corporal. 

Meacham,  Henry,  Naperville,  enlisted  January  1, 
1864;  died  at  Sedalia,  Mo.,  October  28,  1864. 


LIBRARY 

OF  IKE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  IlllNOIS 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


137 


Metzler,  Samuel,  "Winfield,  enlisted  January  4, 
1864. 

Meininghous,  Louis,  Bloomingdale,  enlisted  Jan- 
uary 4,  1864;  mustered  out  as  Corporal. 

Miner,  Martin,  York,  enlisted  January  1,  1864. 

Plummer,  Benjamin,  York,  enlisted  December 
23,  1863;  promoted  to  Regimental  Commissary 
Sergeant. 

Priess,  Frederick,  Wheaton,  enlisted  December 
15, 1863. 

Rohker,  Henry,  Naperville,  enlisted  January  4, 
1864. 

Stoner,  William,  Cottage  Hill,  enlisted  January  1, 
1864. 

Sperlon,  John,  Wheaton,  enlisted  December  1, 
1863. 

Schofield,  Joseph  E.,  Bloomingdale,  enlisted  Jan- 
uary 1,  1864. 

Scott,  Samuel,  Naperville,  enlisted  December  26. 
1863. 

Sininger,  John,  Babcock's  Grove,  enlisted  De- 
cember 25,  1863. 

Turner,  George  J.,  Addison,  enlisted  January  4, 
1864. 

Votner,  William,  Wheaton,  enlisted  January  11, 
1864. 

Warneke,  Frederick,  Wheaton,  enlisted  November 
37,  1863. 

Warkle,  Christopher,  Naperville,  enlisted  Decem- 
ber 25, 1863. 

Warren,  Martin  J.,  Downer's  Grove,  enlisted  Jan- 
uary 4, 1864. 

Detzler,  William,  Naperville,  enlisted  February 
27,  1864;  drowned  at  Glasgow,  Mo.,  August  15, 
1864. 

Daniels,  John,  Naperville,  enlisted  March  29, 
1864;  died  of  wounds  received  in  battle  at  Hunts- 
ville,  Mo.,  July  24.  1864. 

Noddlehoffer,  William,  Naperville,  enlisted  March 
7,  1864. 

Reinhart,  Frederick,  Naperville,  enlisted  March 
7,  1864.  , 

Snibley,  Henry  C.,  Naperville,  enlisted  January 
30,  1864. 

RECRUITS    FOB   THE   FIRST   AHMT    COBPS. 

Linsley,  John  C.,  York,  enlisted  February  7,  mus- 
tered in  the  20th,  1865;  mustered  out  February  21 
1866. 

Carroll,  James  L.,  York,  enlisted  February  13, 
mustered  in  the  25th,  1865;  mustered  out  February 
13,  1866. 

Rathburn,  Joshua,  Milton,  enlisted  and  mustered 
in  March  3,  1865;  mustered  out  March  2,  1866. 


The  above  assigned  to  Second  Regiment  U.  S. 
Veteran  Volunteers. 

Bexler,  John,  York. 

Needham,  James,  York. 

Both  enlisted  and  mustered  in  February  17,  1865. 

Goble,  Abraham  E.,  York,  enlisted  and  mustered 
in  February  24,  1865;  promoted  Sergeant. 

The  three  above  assigned  to  the  Fourth  Regiment 
U.  8.  Veteran  Volunteers. 

Carroll,  Edward. 

Felthousen,  Jacob  D. 

Gaskell,  Sylvester  H. 

Olson,  Martin. 

Pomeroy,  Winfleld  K. 

Thompson,  John. 

The  above  six  all  from  Milton;  enlisted  and  mus- 
tered in  March  10,  1865. 

Carpenter,  James  E.,  York. 

Kaenig,  Adolph,  Downer's  Grove. 

Hengel,  Mathias,  Milton. 

Loveland,  Henry,  Milton. 

McGuire,  Francis,  Milton. 

The  above  two  enlisted  and  mustered  in  March  23, 
1865. 

Cheney,  William,  Downer's  Grove. 

Lutze,  George  D.,  Downer's  Grove. 

The  above  two  enlisted  March  81,  1865,  and  as- 
signed to  the  Sixth  Regiment  U.  S.  Veteran  Vol- 
unteers. 

Tebo,  Caleb,  York,  enlisted  and  mustered  in  April 
10,  1865;  promoted  April  13,  1866,  Sergeant. 

The  names  of  Du  Page  County  soldiers  are 
recorded  in  thirty-four  regiments  of  infantry, 
ten  regiments  of  cavalry  and  five  regiments  of 
artillery,  as  follows  : 

INFANTRY  REGIMENTS— NDMBSH  of  HUH. 

Seventh  Illinois  Infantry 24 

Tenth  Illinois  Infantry 1 

Twelfth  Illinois  Infantry 2 

Thirteenth  Illinois  Infantry 90 

Fifteenth  Illinois  Infantry 4 

Nineteenth  Illinois  Infantry 1 

Twentieth  Illinois  Infantry 5 

Twenty-third  Illinois  Infantry 15 

Thirty-third  Illinois  Infantry 47 

Thirty-sixth  Illinois  Infantry 47 

Thirty-seventh  Illinois  Infantry 4 

Thirty-ninth  Illinois  Infantry 2 

Forty-second  Illinois  Infantry 7 

Forty-fourth  Illinois  Infantry 1 

Fifty-first  Illinois  Infantry 18 


138 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Fifty-second  Illinois  Infantry 24 

Fifty-third  Illinois  Infantry 1 

Fifty-fourth  Illinois  Infantry 13 

Fifty-fifth  Illinois  Infantry 35 

Fifty-eighth  Illinois  Infantry 12 

Sixty-seventh  Illinois  Infantry 3 

Sixty-ninth  Illinois  Infantry 5 

Seventy-second  Illinois  Infantry 15 

Eighty-second  Illinois  Infantry 1 

Eighty-eighth  Illinois  Infantry 8 

Eighty-ninth  Illinois  Infantry 7 

Ninety-fifth  Illinois  Infantry 2 

One  Hundreth  Illinois  Infantry 1 

One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Illinois  Infantry. . .  398 

One  Hundred  and  Twenty-seventh 4 

One  Hundred  and  Thirty-second 15 

One  Hundred  and  Forty-first 80 

One  Hundred  and  Fifty-third 76 

One  Hundred  and  Fifty-sixth 99 

Total 1066 

ARTILLERY— NUHBF.B  or  MEN 

Cogswell's  Battery 1 

Petit's  Battery 1 

Barker's  Dragoons 3 

First  Artillery 3 

Second  Artillery 18 

Total. . .  ,27 


CAVALRY— NCHBI 


Second  Cavalry 1 

Third  Cavalry 4 

Fourth  Cavalry 3* 

Sixth  Cavalry 3 

Eighth  Cavalry 197 

Ninth  Cavalry 3 

Twelfth  Cavalry 48 

Thirteenth  Cavalry 8 


Fifteenth  Cavalry 13 

Seventeenth  Cavalry 61 

Total 339 

Recruits  for  First  Army  Corps  had  from  Du 

Page  County 20 

Grand  total 1452 

It  is  to  the  credit  of  Du  Page  County  that 
she  not  only  contributed  her  quota  to  the  war 
for  the  Union,  but  that  she  took  official  action 
to  reward  her  soldiers,  an  historic  voucher  to 
which  is  here  recorded  in  the  following  resolu- 
tions which  were  passed : 

WHEREAS,  The  President  of  the  United  States  by 
his  proclamation  dated  December  19,  1864,  has  called 
for  300,000  men  for  military  service,  and  has  ordered 
that  the  number  not  obtained  by  voluntary  enlist- 
ments previous  to  the  15th  day  of  next  February, 
shall  be  filled  by  draft ;  and 

WHEREAS,  The  County  of  Du  Page  has  promptly 
filled  all  former  calls  for  troops  with  volunteers,  and 
now  desires  to  retain  its  good  name  in  the  premises, 
and  to  do  its  full  share  in  the  great  work  of  saving 
the  Union,  and  the  necessary  power  to  act  having 
been  granted  to  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  said 
county  by  a  recent  act  of  the  General  Assembly, 
therefore, 

Resolved.  That  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  Du 
Page  County  hereby  authorize  the  payment  of 
$400  to  each  volunteer  except  commissioned  officers, 
who  may  enlist  and  be  mustered  into  the  service  of 
the  United  States  for  one  year  or  more,  and  credited 
to  said  county  under  said  call  of  December  19,  1864, 
said  sum  to  be  paid  in  county  orders,  bearing  inter- 
est at 7  percent  as  follows:  One  order  for  $200  pay- 
able out  of  the  bounty  war  fund  of  1865,  and  one 
order  for  like  amouut  to  wit:  $200  payable  out  of 
the  bounty  war  fund  of  1866. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


139 


CHAPTER   VII. 


THE   FIRST   ELECTION  — COUNTY  COMMISSIONERS'  COURT  — THE  COUNTY  LINE  SURVEYED  —  THE 

COUNTY    DIVIDED    INTO    PRECINCTS —  TOWNSHIPS   ORGANIZED  — LIST    OF   COUNTY    AND 

TOWN  OFFICERS— VALUATION  OF  TAXABLE  PROPERTY— THE  FIRST  GRAND  JURY 

—PUBLIC  SCHOOLS— THE  OLD  STAGE  COACH— RAILROADS— REMOVAL  OF 

THE  COUNTY  SEAT— THE  COUNTY  FAIR— GEOLOGY  OF  THE  COUNTY. 

up  the  usual  machinery  of  county  organization, 
became  apparent. 

The  following  document  shows  the  official 
action  as  to  the  matter  : 


TN  a  previous  chapter  the  organization  of  Du 
-*•  Page  Count}-  has  been  recorded,  which  was 
in  February,  1839.  The  following  May  the 
first  election  took  place  for  county  officers,  at 
the  Pre-emption  House  in  Naperville.  There 
were  then  no  voting  precincts,  and  whoever 
wished  a  voice  in  the  matter  in  question  must 
go  to  Naperville  to  the  vote.  Stephen  J.  Scott, 
S.  M.  Skinner  and  L.  G-.  Butler  had  been  au- 
thorized by  the  law  to  act  as  Judges  of  the 
first  election.  The  officers  elected  at  this  time 
were  only  to  serve  till  the  5th  of  the  following 
August,  when  a  general  election  was  to  have 
place.  Previous  to  this  election  orders  were 
issued  to  make  a  map  of  the  county,  as  per 
following  official  act : 

COUNTY  COMMISSIONERS'  COURT,  June  4,  1839. 
It  is  ordered  by  said  court  that  Lyman  Meacham, 
Surveyor-elect  for  the  county  of  Du  Page,  be  and  is 
hereby  authorized  to  furnish  to  the  Clerk  of  this 
court,  as  soon  as  possible,  an  estimate  of  the  expense 
of  surveying  or  taking  from  the  Surveyors  already 
made  the  said  county,  and  making  a  map  thereof 
showing  thereby  the  boundaries  of  said  county  of 
Du  Page  as  designated  in  an  act  entitled  an  act  "To 
create  the  county  of  Du  Page,  and  also  showing 
thereby  the  location  of  the  principal  roads  therein 
as  at  present  located,  and  also  showing  on  said  map 
the  principal  groves,  villages  and  settlements  in 
said  county,  together  with  such  other  information 
as  to  the  said  Surveyors  may  seem  proper." 

COUNTY  COMMISSIONERS'  COURT,  June  29,  1839. 

Ordered  by  the  court,  that  the  Treasurer  pay  Ly- 
man Meacham,  the  sum  of  $13.18  in  full  for  his  ac- 
count for  surveying  the  county  line. 

Meantime  the  county  was  filling  up  with  set- 
tlers, and  the  necessity  for  subdivisions,  making 


COUNTY  COMMISSIONERS'  COURT,  June  28,  1839. 

Ordered  by  the  court,  that  all  of  that  part  of  Du 
Page  County,  included  within  the  following  bound- 
aries, be  and  is  hereafter  known  as  Orange  Precinct, 
to  wit:  Commencing  on  the  northwest  corner  of 
said  county,  thence  south  on  the  west  line  of  said 
county,  far  enough  to  include  Job  A.  Smith,  Murray 
and  Kline,  and  to  continue  east  far  enough  to  turn 
due  north  and  strike  the  west  line  of  Mr.  Clark's 
claim,  and  continue  north  to  the  county  line,  thence 
west  to  the  place  of  beginning.  Their  elections 
shall  be  held  at  the  schoolhouse  near  Luther 
F.  Sanderson,  and  Job  A.  Smith,  William  Kim- 
ball  and  Daniel  Roundy  are  appointed  Judges  of 
Election. 

Ordered  by  the  court,  that  all  of  that  part  of  Du 
Page  County  included  within  the  following  bound- 
aries be  hereafter  known  as  Washington  Precinct, 
to  wit:  Commencing  at  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
county,  thence  west  ten  miles  to  Orange  Precinct, 
thence  south  five  miles,  thence  east  to  the  county 
line,  thence  north  to  the  place  of  beginning.  Their 
elections  to  be  held  at  the  house  of  Alanson  Wat- 
son, and  Charles  Hoyt,  Lloyd  Stearns  and  Harvey 
Meacham  are  appointed  Judges  of  Election. 

Ordered  by  the  court,  that  all  that  part  of  Du 
Page  County  included  within  the  following  bound- 
aries be  and  is  hereby  known  as  Deerfield  Precinct, 
to  wit :  Commencing  at  the  southeast  corner  of 
Washington  Precinct,  thence  running  west  nine 
miles ;  thence  south  five  miles ;  thence  east  four 
miles ;  thence  north  two  miles ;  thence  east  to 
the  county  line;  thence  north  to  the  place  of  begin- 
ning. Elections  to  be  held  at  Luther  Morton's 
house,  and  Daniel  Fish,  N.  B.  Morton  and  L.  Q. 
Newton  are  appointed  Judges  of  Election. 


140 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Ordered  by  the  court,  that  all  that  part  of  Du 
Page  County  included  within  the  following  bound- 
aries be  hereafter  known  as  Webster  Precinct,  to 
wit:  Commencing  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Deer- 
fleld  Precinct,  running  west  five  miles;  thence  south 
two  miles;  thence  west  four  miles;  thence  south  five 
miles;  thence  east  three  miles  ;  thence  south  one 
mile;  thence  east  to  the  county  line;  thence  north 
to  the  place  of  beginning.  Their  elections  to  be 
held  at  the  house  of  Horace  Aldrich,  and  Luther 
Hatch,  Pierce  Downer  and  John  Talmadge  are  ap- 
pointed Judges  of  Election. 

Ordered  by  the  court,  that  all  of  that  part  of  Du 
Page  County  included  within  the  following  bound- 
aries be  hereafter  known  as  Big  Woods  Precinct, 
to  wit:  Commencing  at  the  southwest  corner  of  the 
county,  running  north  six  miles;  thence  east  to 
Reuben  Austin's  west  line  ;  thence  south  to  said 
Austin's  southwest  corner;  thence  east  three  miles 
from  the  west  line  of  the  county;  thence  south  par- 
allel with  the  west  line  of  the  county  to  the  south 
line  of  the  county;  thence  west  to  the  place  of  be- 
ginning. Their  elections  to  be  held  at  the  house  of 
Fred.  Stolp,  and  Ashbel  Culver,  John  Warne  and 
Robt.  H.  Jefferson  are  appointed  Judges  of  Election. 

Ordered  by  the  court,  that  all  of  -that  part  of  Du 
Page  County  included  within  the  following  bound- 
aries be  hereafter  known  as  Du  Page  Precinct,  to 
wit:  Commencing  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Orange 
Precinct ;  thence  running  east  eight  miles ;  thence 
north  one  mile;  thence  east  one  mile;  thence  south 
through  the  center  of  the  county  to  the  northeast 
corner  line  of  Naperville  Precinct;  thence  west  to 
the  line  of  the  Big  Woods  Precinct;  thence  north  on 
the  Big  Woods  Precinct  line;  thence  on  the  county 
line;  thence  to  the  place  of  beginning.  Their  elec- 
tions to  be  held  at  the  house  of  Alfred  Tufts,  in 
Warrenville,  and  Warren  Smith,  George  House  and 
Angus  Ross  are  appointed  Judges  of  Election. 

Ordered  by  the  court,  that  all  of  that  part  of  Du 
Page  County  included  within  the  following  de- 
scribed boundaries  be  hereafter  known  as  Naper- 
ville Precinct,  to  wit:  Commencing  at  the  southeast 
corner  of  Du  Page  Precinct;  thence  south  on  the 
west  line  of  Webster  Precinct  till  it  strikes  the 
Galena  State  road  ;  thence  east  three  miles;  thence 
south  to  the  county  line;  thence  west  nine  miles  to 
the  Big  Woods  Precinct;  thence  north  on  the  east 
line  of  the  Big  Woods  Precinct;  thence  east  to  the 
place  of  beginning.  Their  elections  to  be  held  at  the 
Pre-emption  House  in  Naperville,  and  S.  M.  Skinner, 
Stephen  J.  Scott  and  H.  L.  Peaslee  are  appointed 
Judges  of  Election. 


Ordered  by  the  court,  that  all  of  that  part  of  Du 
Page  County,  included  within  the  following  bounda- 
ries, be  hereafter  known  as  Cass  Precinct,  to  wit : 
Commencing  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Section  30, 
Township  38,  Range  11 ;  thence  east  to  the  county 
line  ;  thence  south  to  the  Desplaines  River  ;  thence 
west,  following  the  river  and  county  line  to  the  south- 
west corner  of  Section  18  ;  thence  north  to  the  place 
of  beginning:  their  elections  to  be  held  at  the 
house  of  Alvin  Lull,  and  George  Jackson,  Thomas 
Andrus  and  Alvin  Lull  are  appointed  Judges  of 
Election. 

Ordered  by  the  court,  that  all  that  part  of  Du 
Page  County,  included  within  the  following  described 
boundaries,  be,  and  is  hereafter  to  be  known  as  York 
Precinct,  commencing  on  the  east  line  of  Du  Page 
County,  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Deerfield  Pre- 
cinct ;  thence  west  three  miles  ;  thence  south  to  the 
north  line  of  Cass  Precinct ;  thence  east  to  the  east 
line  of  Du  Page  County  ;  thence  north  along  the 
east  line  of  said  county  to  the  place  of  beginning. 
The  elections  shall  be  held  at  the  house  now  occu- 
pied by  Sherman  King,  and  that  Benjamin  Fuller, 
David  Thurston  and  John  Talmadge,  be  and  they 
are  hereby  appointed  Judges  of  Election  in  said  pre- 
cinct. 

COUNTY  COMMISSIONERS'  COURT,  March  6,  1841. 

Ordered  by  the  court,  that  the  following  described 
boundaries  constitute,  and  be  hereafter  known  as 
Washington  Precinct,  in  Du  Page  County,  to  wit  : 
The  whole  of  Township  40  north,  Range  11  east,  of 
the  Third  Principal  Meridian  ;  and,  it  is  further  or- 
dered by  the  court,  that  all  elections  to  be  in  future 
held  in  said  precinct,  shall  be  held  at  the  house  of 
Ariel  Bowman,  and  that  John  Lester,  Mason  Smith 
and  Charles  H.  Hoit,  be  and  they  are  hereby  ap- 
pointed Judges  of  Election  in  said  precinct. 

Ordered  by  the  court,  that  the  following  described 
boundaries  constitute  and  be  hereafter  known  as 
Bloomingdale  Precinct,  in  Du  Page  County,  to  wit  : 
Commencing  on  the  north  line  of  said  county,  on 
the  line  between  Ranges  10  and  11 ;  thence  west  on 
the  north  line  of  the  county  four  miles ;  thence 
south  live  miles  ;  thence  east  to  the  line  between 
Ranges  10  and  11  ;  thence  north  to  the  place  of 
beginning.  And  it  is  further  ordered  by  the  court, 
that  all  elections  that  may  be  held  in  said  precinct, 
shall  be  held  in  the  schoolhouse  in  said  precinct, 
near  Orange  Kent's,  and  that  Harvey  Meacham, 
Harry  Woodworth  and  Loyd  Stearns,  be  and  they 
are  hereby  appointed  Judges  of  Elections  in  said 
precinct. 


HISTORY   OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


141 


COUNTY  COMMISSIONERS'  COUBT,  June  3,  1846. 

Ordered  hy  the  court,  that  Congressional  Town- 
ship 40  north.  Range  11  east,  of  the  Third  Principal 
Meridian  in  the  county  of  Du  Page,  State  of  Illi- 
nois, constitute  and  be  hereafter  known  as  Washing- 
ton Precinct,  and  that  all  elections  in  said  precinct 
shall  be  held  at  the  house  known  as  the  Salt  Creek 
House  in  said  township. 

Ordered  by  the  court,  that  Congressional  Town- 
ship 40  north,  Range  10  east,  of  the  Third  Principal 
Meridian,  in  the  county  of  Du  Page,  State  of 
Illinois,  constitute  and  be  hereafter  known  as 
Bloomingdale  Precinct,  and  that  all  elections  to  be 
held  in  said  precinct  shall  be  held  at  the  school- 
house  in  the  town  of  Bloomingdale  in  said  precinct. 

Ordered  by  the  court  that  Congressional  Town- 
ship 39  north.  Range  11  east,  of  the  Third  Principal 
Meridian,  in  the  county  of  Du  Page,  in  the  State  of 
Illinois,  constitute  and  be  hereafter  known  as  York 
Precinct,  and  that  all  elections  to  be  held  in  said 
precinct  shall  be  held  at  the  house  of  Hiram  Brown 
in  said  township. 

Ordered  by  the  court,  that  Congressional  Town- 
ship 39  north,  Range  10  east,  of  Third  Principal 
Meridian,  in  the  County  of  Du  Page,  State  of  Illi- 
nois, constitute  and  be  hereafter  known  as  Deerfield 
Precinct;  and  that  all  elections  to  be  held  in  said 
precinct  shall  be  held  at  the  house  of  Jesse  C. 
Wheaton  in  said  township. 

Ordered  by  the  court,  that  Congressional  Town- 
ship 40  north,  Range  9  east,  of  the  Third  Principal 
Meridian,  and  Sections  1,  2,  3,  4,  5  and  6  in  Town- 
ship 39  north,  Range  9  east,  of  the  Third  Principal 
Meridian,  in  the  county  of  Du  Page,  State  of  Illi- 
nois, constitute  and  be  hereafter  known  as  Orange 
Precinct,  and  that  all  elections  to  be  held  in  said 
precinct  shall  be  held  at  the  house  of  Joseph  Mc- 
Millen  in  said  precinct. 

Ordered  by  the  court,  that  all  that  portion  of 
Congressional  Township  39  north,  Range  9  east,  of 
the  Third  Principal  Meridian,  that  lies  south  of  the 
south  line  of  Sections  1,  2,  3,  4,  5  and  6,  in  said 
township,  and  Sections  1,  2  and  3  in  Township  38 
north,  Range  9  east,  of  Third  Principal  Meridian, 
together  with  Sections  5  and  6  in  Township  38 
north,  Range  10  east,  of  the  Third  Principal  Me- 
ridian, in  the  county  of  Du  Page,  State  of  Illinois, 
constitute  and  be  hereafter  known  as  Du  Page  Pre- 
cinct, and  that  all  elections  to  be  held  in  said  pre- 
cinct shall  be  held  at  the  house  known  as  the  War- 
renville  Hotel  in  said  precinct. 

Ordered  by  the  court,  that  the  following  bound- 
aries be  hereafter  known  as  Big  Woods  Precinct,  in 


the  county  of  Du  Page  and  State  of  Illinois,  to  wit: 
Commencing  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Section  4, 
in  Township  38  north,  Range  9  east,  of  the  Third 
Principal  Meridian;  from  thence  west  along  town- 
ship line  to  county  line  between  Kane  and  Du  Page 
Counties;  thence  south  along  county  line  to  county 
line  between  Will  and  Du  Page  Counties;  thence 
east  along  county  line  to  the  southeast  corner  of 
Section  33,  in  Township  38  aforesaid;  thence  north 
to  the  place  of  beginning,  and  that  all  elections  to 
be  held  in  said  precinct  shall  be  held  at  the  house  of 
Frederick  Stolp  in  said  precinct. 

Ordered  by  the  court,  that  the  following  bound- 
aries constitute  and  be  hereafter  known  as  Naper- 
ville  Precinct,  in  the  county  of  Du  Page,  in  the 
State  of  Illinois,  to  wit:  Commencing  at  the  south- 
west corner  of  Section  34,  in  Township  38  north, 
Range  9  east,  of  the  Third  Principal  Meridian;  from 
thence  north  to  the  northwest  corner  of  Section  10, 
in  said  township;  from  thence  east  to  the  northeast 
corner  of  Section  8,  in  Township  38  north,  Range 
10  east,  of  Third  Principal  Meridian;  thence  north 
to  township  line  between  Townships  38  and  39, 
Range  10  east;  thence  east  along  township  line  to 
the  center  of  the  Du  Page  River;  thence  southerly 
along  the  center  of  said  river  to  the  county  line  be- 
tween Will  and  Du  Page  Counties;  thence  west  to 
the  place  of  beginning;  and  that  all  elections  to  be 
held  in  said  precinct,  shall  be  held  at  the  court 
house  in  Naperviile  in  said  precinct. 

Ordered  by  the  court,  that  the  following  bound- 
aries constitute  and  be  hereafter  known  as  Webster 
Precinct,  in  the  County  of  Du  Page  and  State  of 
Illinois,  to  wit:  Commencing  at  the  northeast  cor- 
ner of  Section  1,  in  Township  38  north,  Range  11 
east,  of  Third  Principal  Meridian ;  from  thence 
west  along  the  township  line  to  the  center  of  East 
Branch  of  the  Du  Page  River;  thence  southerly 
along  the  center  of  said  river  to  the  section  line 
between  Sections  22,  23,  26  and  27;  thence  east  to 
the  southeast  corner  of  Section  21,  in  Township  38 
north,  Range  11  east;  thence  north  to  the  north- 
east corner  of  said  Section  21;  thence  east  to  the 
county  line  between  Cook  and  Du  Page  Counties; 
thence  north  to  the  place  of  beginning;  and  that  all 
elections  to  be  held  in  said  precinct,  shall  be  held  at 
the  house  of  Levi  C.  Aldrich  in  said  precinct,  and 
that  Jeduthau  Hatch,  John  Stanley  and  Leonard  K. 
Hatch  be  Judges  of  Election  in  said  precinct. 

Ordered  by  the  court,  that  all  that  portion  of 
Township  37  north,  Range  11  east,  of  the  Third 
Principal  Meridian,  that  lies  in  the  county  of  Du 
Page  and  State  of  Illinois,  and  Sections  22,  23, 


142 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


24,  25,  26,  27,  28,  29,  30,  31,  32,  33,  34,  35  and  36,  in 
Township  38  north,  Range  11  east,  together  with 
those  parts  of  Sections  25,  26,  35  and  36,  in  Town- 
ship 38  north,  Range  10  east,  that  lies  east  of  the 
center  of  the  East  Branch  of  the  Du  Page  River, 
constitute  and  be  hereafter  known  as  Cass  Precinct; 
and  that  all  elections  to  be  held  in  said  precinct 
shall  be  held  at  the  house  known  as  the  Washing- 
ton Hotel  in  said  precinct. 
IN  COUNTY  COURT  OP  Du  PAGE  COUNTY,  December 

5,  A.  D.  1849. 

Commissioners  to  divide  county  into  townships: 
Whereas,  the  Legislature  of  Illinois,  did,  at  its 
last  regular  session,  provide  by  law  for  the  organi- 
zation of  counties  into  towns  ;  and,  that  the  law 
containing  such  provision,  should,  at  the  next  gen- 
eral election,  be  caused  to  be  submitted  to  the  people 
of  the  several  counties  in  said  State,  for  their  adop- 
tion or  rejection  ;  and,  whereas,  at  the  last  general 
election,  said  law  was  adopted  by  the  county  of  Du 
Page,  in  the  State  of  Illinois,  as  appears  from  the 
following  abstract  of  the  votes,  for,  or  against,  town- 
ship organization,  to  wit : 

STATE  OP  ILLINOIS,  | 
Du  PAGE  COUNTY,   ) 

We,  James  P.  Wight  and  Levi  C.  Aldrich,  two  of 
the  Justices  of  the  Peace,  and  Hiram  H.  Cody,  Clerk 
of  the  County  Commissioners'  Court  of  said  county, 
hereby  certify  that  the  following  is  a  true  and  cor- 
rect abstract  of  the  votes  given  at  an  election  held 
in  the  several  precincts  in  said  county,  on  Tuesday, 
the  sixth  day  of  November,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord 
one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  forty-nine,  for 
and  against  township  organization,  to  wit :  For 
township  organization,  there  were  seven  hundred 
and  seventy-three  votes ;  against  township  organi- 
zation there  was  one  vote. 

Witness  our  hands  and  seals  at  Naperville,  in  said 
county,  this  twelfth  day  of  November,  A.  D.  1849. 
JAMES  F.  WIGHT,  J.  P.     [SEAL.] 
LEVI  C.  ALDRICH,  J.  P.     [SEAL.] 
HIRAM  H.  CODY,  Clerk.     [SEAL.] 

And,  whereas,  said  law  requires  the  County  Com- 
missioners' Court,  or  the  County  Court,  whichever 
shall  be  in  commission  at  the  next  session  after  said 
election  in  those  counties,  which  shall  adopt  said 
law,  to  appoint  three  Commissioners  to  divide  such 
counties  respectively  into  towns. 

It  is  ordered  by  the  court,  that,  in  pursuance  of 
the  first  article  of  the  act  to  provide  for  township 
organization,  Capt.  Joseph  Naper,  Daniel  Fish  and 
Erasmus  O.  Hills,  be,  and  they  are  hereby  appointed 


Commissioners  to  divide  the  county  of  Du  Page 
aforesaid  into  towns,  as  anticipated  and  required  by 
said  act. 

Agreeable  to  their  authority,  the  Commission- 
ers met  and  organized  the  county  into  townships 
as  they  now  appear  on  maps  of  the  county. 

The  next  business  was  to  elect  a  Board  of 
Supervisors,  which  was  done  the  same  year, 
and  the  following  is  their  official  action  at  their 
first  meeting  : 

STATE  OP  ILLINOIS,    ) 

Du  PAGE  COUNTY,  f  8fi         NOVEMBER  11,  1850. 

The  Board  of  Supervisors  of  the  county  of  Du 
Page  and  State  of  Illinois,  met  on  Monday  the  llth 
day  of  November  A.  D.  1850,  for  their  first  annual 
meeting,  at  the  office  of  the  Clerk  of  the  County 
Court  in  Naperville  in  said  county,  and  were  organ- 
ized by  the  selection  of  Russell  Whipple  as  their 
Chairman. 

The  following  members,  upon  a  call  of  the  roll 
of  the  towns  were  present,  to  wit: 

Addison,  Smith  D.  Pierce;  Bloomingdale,  Eras- 
mus 0.  Hills;  Wayne,  Luther  Pierce  ;  Winfield, 
William  C.  Todd ;  Milton,  Warren  L.  Wheaton; 
Downer's  Grove,  Leonard  K.  Hatch ;  Du  Page, 
Amasa  Morse;  Naperville,  Russell  Whipple  ;  York, 
not  represented. 

On  motion,  the  following  standing  committees 
were  appointed  by  the  Chair: 

On  Claims— E.  O.  Hills,  Warren  L.  Wheaton, 
Luther  Pierce. 

On  Paupers— W.  C.  Todd,  L.  K.  Hatch,  8.  D. 
Pierce. 

On  Equalization— W.  L.  Wheaton,  E.  O.  Hills, 
Amasa  Morse. 

On  Court  House  and  Jail— S.  D.  Pierce,  L.  K. 
Hatch,  A.  Morse. 

On  Finance— E.  O.  Hills,  W.  L.  Wheaton,  Luther 
Pierce. 

On  motion  of  W.  L.  Wheaton,  a  select  committee 
was  appointed  by  the  Chair  on  Printing. 

The  Chair  appointed  W.  L.  Wheaton,  W.  C.  Todd 
and  Amasa  Morse. 

Various  claims  being  presented,  were  referred  to 
appropriate  committees. 

On  motion,  the  Chair  appointed  the  following 
Supervisors  a  select  Committee  on  Licenses: 

William  C.  Todd,  W.  L.  Wheaton,  A.  Morse. 

A  memorial  on  the  subject  of  License  addressed 
to  the  Board  was  presented  by  Supervisor  Todd, 
and,  on  motion,  referred  to  the  Committee  on  Li- 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


143 


censes;  said  memorial  was  signed  by  about  three 
hundred  and  fifty  ladies. 

The  certificates  of  the  Town  Auditor  of  the  towns 
of  Winfield,  Addison,  Downer's  Grove,  Naperville, 
and  Wayne  were  presented  by  the  several  Super- 
visors of  said  towns,  and,  on  motion,  referred  to  the 
Committee  on  Claims. 

On  motion,  it  is  ordered  that  the  board  adjourn 
until  to-morrow  morning  at  9  o'clock. 

For  ten  years  previous,  no  change  had  been 
made  in  the  general  formula  of  official  author- 
ity, but  in  1849  the  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court 
was  constituted  Recorder,  ex  officio. 

The  County  Court  was  composed  of  a  County 
Judge  and  two  Justices  of  the  Peace.  The 
County  Clerk  became  the  Clerk  of  the  County 
Commissioners.  The  County  Judge  and  two 
•County  Justices  were  a  board  for  the  transaction 
of  county  business,  and  the  County  Judge  with 
the  Clerk  were  clothed  with  authority  to  tran- 
sact probate  business.  The  organization  of  not 
only  the  county  but  the  townships,  with  their 
officers,  having  been  completed,  the  following 
list  of  them  is  here  inserted,  which  will  serve 
the  reader  as  a  chronological  record  of  the 
progress  of  the  county: 

The  following  is  a  list  of  those  who  served 
the  county  in  the  Legislature  of  the  State  : 

1836 — Capt.  Joseph  Naper,  of  Naperville. 
1838— Capt.  Joseph  Naper  of  Naperville. 
1843— Jeduthan  Hatch,  of  Lisle. 
1844— Julius  M.  Warren,  of  Winfield. 
1846— Capt.  E'.  Kinne,  of  Bloomingdale. 
1848— Warren  L.  Wheaton,  of  Milton. 
1850— Willard  T.  Jones,  of  Naperville. 
1852 — Capt.  Joseph  Naper,  of  Naperville. 
1854— E.  O.  Hills,  of  Bloomingdale. 
1856— Truman  W.  Smith,  of  Winfield. 
1860— F.  H.  Mather,  of  Milton. 
1863— A.  S.  Barnard,  of  Lisle. 
1864— S.  P.  Sedgwick,  of  Bloomingdale,  resigned  ; 
H.  C.  Childs,  of  Milton,  elected  to  fill  vacancy. 
1866— H.  C.  Childs,  of  Milton. 
1868 -H.  C.  Childs,  of  Milton. 
1870— William  M.  Whitney,  of  Downer's  Grove. 
1874— James  Clatlin,  of   Lombard  ;   V.  Fredenha- 

gen,  of  Downer's  Grove. 
1876— James  G.  Wright,  of  Naperville. 


COUNTY  CLERKS. 

1839— Clark   A.     Lewis,    of    Warrenville  ; 
elected  July  14,  died  the  same  month. 
1839  to  1846— Allen  C.  Mclntosh,  of  Naperville. 
1847  to  1852— Hiram  H.  Cody,  of  Bloomingdale. 
1853  to  1860— Myron  C.  Dudley,  of  Bloomingdale. 
1861  to  1864— C.  M.  Castle,  of  Naperville. 
1865  to  1868— F.  J.  Fischer,  of  Addison. 

1868— H.  B.  Hills  (vacancy),  of  Blooming- 
dale. 

1869  to  1876— J.  J.  Cole,  of  Downer's  Grove. 
1876  to  1882— M.  S.  Ellsworth,  Lisle. 

CIRCUIT  CLERKS. 

1839  to  1842— Patrick  Ballingall,  of  Naperville. 

1843  to  1846— E.  B.  Bill,  of  Naperville. 

1847  to  1849— John  J.  Riddler,  of  Naperville. 

RECORDERS. 

1839  to  1842— S.  M.  Skinner,  of  Naperville. 
1843  to  1846— A.  S.  Jones,  of  Naperville. 
1847  to  1849— John  J.  Riddler,  of  Naperville. 

CLERKS   AND   RECORDERS. 

1850  to  1851— John  J.  Riddler,  of  Naperville. 
1852  to  1855— Peter  Northrup,  of  Addison. 

1856  to  1859— John  Gloss,  of  Wayne. 

1860  to  1867— W.  M.  Whitney,  of  Winfield. 

1868  to  1876— John  Gloss,  of  Wayne. 
1876  to  1880— Frank  Hull,  of  Milton. 
1880  to  1884— Thomas  M.  Hull,  of  Milton. 

TREASURERS. 

1839— Morris  Sleight,  of  Naperville. 
1839  to  1842— Stephen  J.  Scott,  of  Naperville. 

1843  to  1844— Robert  K.  Potter,  of  Naperville. 
1845  to  1846— John  J.  Kimball,  of  Naperville. 

1847  to  1848 — Nelson  A.  Thomas  (vacancy)  of  Na- 
perville. 

1849  to  1854— Henry  F.  Vallette,  of  Milton. 
1855  to  1856— William  J.  Johnson,  of  Milton. 

1857  to  1858— Hiram  Standish,  of  Naperville. 
1859  to  1860— Henry  F.  Vallette,  of  Milton. 

1861  to  1862— S.  M.  Skinner,  of  Naperville. 
1863  to  1868— Daniel  N.  Gross,  of  Naperville. 

1869  to  1872— Joel  Wiant,   of  Winfield;    Henry  M. 

Bender,  of  Bloomingdale. 

1873  to  1876— Lewis  C.  Stover,  of  Milton,  from  1876 
to  1880. 

SHERIFFS. 

1839  to  1841— Daniel  M.  Greene,  of  Lisle. 
1842  to  1843— Hiram  Fowler,  of  Naperville. 

1844  to  1845— R.  N.  Murray,  of  Naperville. 


144 


HISTORY   OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1846  to  1849— George  Roush,  of  Naperville. 
1850  to  1851—0.  R.  Parmlee,  of  Lisle. 

•1852  to  1853-Truman  W.  Smith,  of  Winfleld. 
1854  to  1855— A.  0.  Graves,  of  Winfield. 
1856  to  1857 — James  J.  Hunt,  of  Naperville. 

1858  to  1859— A.  C.  Graves,  of  Winfleld. 

1860  to  1861— T.  8.  Rogers,  of  Downer's  Grove. 

1862  to  1863— James  J.  Hunt,  of  Naperville. 

1864  to  1865— Samuel  E.  Shimp,  of  Naperville. 

1866  to  1867— Philip  Strubler,  of  Naperville. 

1868  to  1869—  Charles  Rinehart,.  of  Wayne. 

1870  to  1876— John  Kline,  of  Wayne. 

l»76  to  1882— Samuel  E.  Shimp,  Naperville. 

COUNTY  JUDGES. 

1839— J.  W.  Walker,  of  Downer's  Grove. 
1839  to  1842— Lewis  Ellsworth,  of  Naperville. 

1843  to  1846— Nathan  Allen,  of  Naperville. 

1847  to  1848— John  J.  Kimball,  of  Naperville. 
1849  to  1851— Nathan  Allen,  of  Napevville. 

1852— Jeduthan  Hatch,  of  Lisle. 

1853  to  1859—  Walter     Blanchard,      of     Downer's 

Grove. 
1860— Seth  F.  Daniels  (vacancy),  of  Milton. 

1861  to  1864— Hiram  H.  Cody,  of  Naperville. 

1865  to  1868— Seth  F.  Daniels,  of  Milton. 

1869  to  1872— M.  C.  Dudley  of  Naperville. 
1873  to  1876— A.  S.  Janes,  of  Milton. 

1876  to  1877— S.  P.  Sedgwick,  Milton,  to  fill  vacancy. 

1877  to  1882— Robert  N.  Murray,  Naperville. 

COUNTY  SURVEYORS. 

1839 — L.  Meacham,  of  Bloomingdale. 

1839  to  1846— Joel  B.  Kimball,  of  Naperville. 
1847  to  1858— Horace  Brooks,  of  Milton. 

1859  to  1861— J.  G.  Vallette,  of  Milton. 

1862— James  M.  Vallette  (vacancy),  of  Na- 
perville. 

1863  to  1866— A.  8.  Janes,  of  Milton. 

1867  to  1870— James  M.  Vallette,  of  Naperville. 

1871  to  1876— A.  S.  Janes,  of  Milton. 
1876  to  1882— James  M.  Vallette,  of  Lisle. 

CORONERS. 

1839— H.  L.  Peaslee,  of  Naperville. 

1840  to  1841— E.  G.  Wight,  of  Naperville. 
1842  to  1843— Nathan  Loring,  of  Naperville. 

1844  to  1845— Jacob  Keefer,  of  Naperville. 
1846  to  1847— D.  C.  Gould,  of  Naperville. 

1848— LaFayette  Avery,  of  Milton. 
1849  to  1851— C.  C.  Barnes,  of  Naperville. 
1852  to  1853— F.  C.  Hagerman,  of  Winfleld. 

1854  to  1855— W.  B.  Stewart,  of  Naperville. 


1856  to  1857— Alfred  Waterman,  of  Milton. 

1858  to  1861— H.  C   Daniels,  of  Naperville. 
1862  to  1863— Dr.  Brown,  of  Milton. 

1864  to  1865— H.  C.  Daniels,  of  Naperville. 

1866— Clinton  Gushing. 

1867— George  W.  Beggs,  of  Napervillo. 
1868  to  1869— F.  C.  Hagerman,  of  Winfield. 
1870  to  1876— H.  C.  Daniels,  of  Naperville. 
1876  to  1878— George  F.  Heiderman,  York. 

1878  to  1879— George  L.  Madison,  of  Winfield. 

1879  to  1880— A.  C.  Cotton,  Winfield,  to  fill  vacancy. 

1880  to  1882— A.  C.  Cotton,  Winfleld. 

SCHOOL  COMMISSIONERS. 

1839  to  1842— Lewis  Ellsworth,  of  Naperville. 

1843— R.  N.  Murray,  of  Naperville. 
1844  to  1846— Horace  Brooks,  of  Milton. 
1847  to  1848— W.  L.  Wheaton,  of  Milton. 
1849  to  1855— Hope  Brown,  of  Naperville. 

1856 — Lorin  Barnes,  of  Bloomingdale. 

1857  to  1858— Charles  W.  Richmond,  of  Naperville. 

1859  to  1860 — Lorin  Barnes,  of  Bloomingdale. 
1861  to  1863— George  P.  Kimball,  of  Milton. 

COUNTY  SUPERINTENDENTS  OF  SCHOOLS. 

1864— George  P.  Kimball,  of  Milton. 

1865  to  1876— Charles  W.  Richmond,  of  Naperville. 
1876  to  1881— J.  R,  Haggard,  Downer's  Grove. 

1881  to  1882— H.  A.  Fischer,  Milton. 

COUNTY  COMMISSIONERS. 

1839 — Josiah  Strong,  Lisle;  J.  W.  Walker,  Downer's 
Grove;  H.  L.  Cobb,  Cass;  R.  P.Whipple,  Na- 
perville; Hiram  Fowler,  Winfield. 

1840— J.  W.  Walker,  Downer's  Grove;  H.  L.  Cobb, 
Cass;  Noah  Stevens,  Bloomingdale. 

1841— J.  W.  Walker,  Downer's  Grove;  J.  A.  Smith, 
Wayne;  Noah  Stevens,  Bloomingdale. 

1842— Warren  Smith,  Winfield;  J.  A.  Smith,  Wayne; 
Noah  Stevens,  Bloomingdale. 

1843— J.  A.  Smith,  Wayne;  T.  Hubbard,  York. 

1844— John  Thompson,  Lisle;  J.  A.  Smith,  Wayne. 

1845 — John  Thompson,  Lisle ;  Thomas  Andrus, 
Cass;  T.  Hubbard,  York. 

1846 — John  Thompson,  Lisle;  Thomas  Andrus,  Cass; 
Asa  Knapp,  York. 

1847— John  Thompson,  Lisle ;  Smith  D.  Pierce,  Ad- 
dison;  Asa  Knapp,  York. 

1848— David  Crane,  Naperville;  Smith  D.  Pierce, 
Addison ;  Asa  Knapp,  York. 

SUPERVISORS — TOWN   OP   ADDISON. 

1850— Smith  D.  Pierce. 
1851— John  Pierce. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


145 


1852— Peter  Northrup. 

1853— Edward  Lester. 

1854 — James  Wakeman. 
1855  to  1858— Henry  D.  Fi.=cher. 
1859  to  1860— John  H.  Franzen. 

1861 — James  Wakeman. 

1862— Smith  D.  Pierce. 

1863  to  1865— James  Wakeman. 

1866— Henry  D.  Fischer. 

1867  to  1870— August  Meyer. 

1871 — James  Wakeman. 
1872  to  1875— Henry  D.  Fischer. 

1876— Henry  Korthauer. 
1876  to  1882— Henry  Korthauer. 

TOWN  OP  BLOOMINGDALE. 

1850  to  1851— E.  O.  Hills. 

1852— H.  B.  Hills. 

1853— Cyrus  H.  Meacham. 

1854— J.  G.  Yearick. 

1855— Daniel  H.  Deibert. 

1856— Horace  Barnes. 
1857  to  1863-  Cyrus  H.  Meacham. 

1864  to  1873— W.  K.  Patrick. 
1874  to  1876— William  Rathge. 

1876  to  1877— A.  D.  Loomis. 

1877  to  1882— William  Rathge. 

.  TOWN   OF  WAYNK. 

1850  to  1852— Luther  Pierce. 
1853  to  1854— Luther  Bartlett. 

1855 — Luther  Pierce. 

1856— Ira  Albro. 

1857  to  1858— Charles  Adams. 
1859  to  1860— S.  W.  Moffatt. 
1861  to  1862— Samuel  Adams. 
1863  to  1867— Warren  H.  Moffatt. 

1868  to  1873— Daniel  Dunham. 
1874  to  1875— A.  M.  Glos. 

1876— R.  H.  Reed. 

1876  to  1877— R.  H.  Reed. 

1877  to  1878— A.  M.  Glos. 

1878  to  1879— Luther  Bartlett. 

1879  to  1881— A.  M.  Glos. 
1881  to  1882— James  Shields. 

TOWN   OP  WINPIELD. 

1850  to  1852— William  C.  Todd. 
1853  to  1854— Charles  Gary. 

1855— Gurdon  N.  Roundy. 

1856— Truman  W.  Smith. 

1857— Charles  Gary. 

1858  to  1860— John  Fairbanks. 

1861— Alfred  Waterman. 


1862  to  1864-E.  Manville. 

1865— John  Fairbanks. 
1866— Amos  C.  Graves. 

1867  to  1869— J.  H.  Lakey. 

1870— E.  Manville. 

1871  to  1873— J.  H.  Lakey. 

1874  to  1875— E.  Manville. 

1875  to  1876— J.  H.  Lakey. 

1876  to  1877— A.  T.  Jones. 

1877  to  1880— G.  J.  Atchinson. 
1880  to  1882— C.  W.  Gary. 

TOWN   OP  MILTON. 

1850— Warren  L.  Wheaton. 
1851  to  1855— William  J.  Johnson. 

1856  to  1857— Frederick  H.  Mather. 
1858  to  1862— H.  C.  Childs. 

1863— Erastus  Gary. 

1864  to  1865— Hiram  Smith. 

1866— Hiram  Smith  and  S.  W.  Moffatt. 
1867— A.  S.  Janes  and  H.  Edwards. 

1868  to  1869— A.  S.  Janes  and  H.  F.  Vallette. 
1870  to  1871— A.  S.  Janes  and  S.  P.  Sedgwick. 

1872  to  1873— A.  S.  Janes  and  E.  H.  Gary. 
1874  to  1875— H.  G.  Kimball  and  E.  H.  Gary. 

1875— W.  H.  Wagner  and  Erastus  Gary. 
1876— W.  H.  Wagner  and  S.  W.  Moffatt. 
1878— W.  H.  Wagner  and  S.  W.  Moffatt. 
1879— Amos  Churchill  and  N.  E.  Gary. 
1880— Amos  Churchill  and  N.  E.  Gary. 
1881— Amos  Churchill  and  S.  P.  Sedgwick. 
1882— Amos  Churchill  and  S.  W.  Moffatt. 

TOWN  OF  YORK. 

1850— E.  Eldridge. 
1850  to  1852— Gerry  Bates. 

1853— W.  Burbank. 

1853— H.  Whittmore. 

1854 — Asa  Knapp. 
1855  to  1856— Robert  Reed. 

1857  to  1860— Frederick  Gray. 
1861  to  1863— George  Barber. 

1864— Adam  Hatfleld. 

1865  to  1867— Frederick  Gray. 

1868— August  Meyer. 

1869— George  Barber. 
1870  to  1875— Adam  Glos. 

1876— Henry  Goldermann. 
1876  to  1879— Henry  Goldermann. 
1879  to  1882— Adam  Glos. 

TOWN   OF  NAFERVILLE. 

1850  to  1851— Russell  Whipple. 
1852 — Joseph  Naper. 


146 


HISTORY  OF    DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


1853— Hiram  Bristol. 

1854— David  Hess. 

1855— R.  N.  Murray. 

1856— Charles  Hunt. 

1857 — N.  Crampton  and  Joseph  Naper.* 

1858 — Charles  Jenkins  and  John  Jassoy.* 

1859 — Jacob  Saylor  and  Michael  Hines.* 

1860— James  G.  Wright  and  M.  8.  Hobson.* 

1861  to  1862— B.  W.  Hughes  and  Morris  Sleight.* 
1863— Charles  Jenkins  and  Robert  Naper.* 
1864-Charles  Jenkins  and  D.  C.  Butler.* 

1865  to  1866— Charles  Hunt  and  John  Collins.* 
1867— B.  W.  Hughes  and  H.  H.  Cody.* 
1868— Charles  Jenkins  and  R.  N.  Murray.* 

1869  to  1872— Charles  Jenkins  and  M.  C.  Dudley.* 
1873 — Charles  Jenkins  and  James  Dunlap.* 
1875— James  G.  Wright  and  B.  B.  Boecker.* 
1876— Christian  Wise  and  Lewis  Ellsworth.* 

1876  to  1879— C.  Wise  and  J.  J.  Hunt. 

1879  to  1880— C.  Wise  and  A.  Me.  8.  8.  Riddler. 

1880  to  1881— C.  Wise  and  H.  C.  Daniels. 

1881  to  1882— Adam  Keler  and  Peter  Thompson. 

TOWN   OP   LISLE. 

1850 — Amasa  Morse. 

1851— Jeduthan  Hatch. 

1852— John  Stanley. 

1853— Lewis  Ellsworth. 

1854— Hiram  H.  Cody. 

1855— James  C.  Hatch. 

1856 — Amasa  Morse. 

1857— John  Collins. 

1858— William  B.  Greene. 

1859— A.  S.  Barnard. 

1860— Graham  Thome. 

1861— John  H.  Hobson. 

1862— C.  H.  Goodrich. 

1863— R.  8.  Palmer. 
1864  to  1865— Gilbert  Barber. 

1866-E.  E.  Page. 

1867— Lewis  Ellsworth. 
1868  to  1875— E.  E.  Page. 

1875  to  1876— William  King. 

1876  to  1881— William  King. 
1881  to  1882— B.  B.  Boecker. 

•  Presidents  of  Tillage  of  Naperville,  and  ex  officio  Supervisor!. 


TOWN  OP  DOWNER'S  OBOVE. 

1850— Leonard  K.  Hatch. 
1851  to  1853— Walter  Blanchard. 

1854— G.  W.  Alderman. 

1855— Walter  Blanchard. 

1856— Seth  F.  Daniels. 

1857— Samuel  DeGolyer. 
1858  to  1861— Leonard  K.  Hatch. 

1862— L.  D.  Fuller. 

1863— Leonard  K.  Hatch. 

1864— John  A.  Thatcher. 

1865— T.  S.  Rogers. 

1866  to  1868— J.  J.  Cole. 

1869— J.  J.  Cole. 
1869— J.  W.  Rogers  (vacancy). 
1870— Alanson  Ford. 
1871  to  1872— V.  Fredenhagen. 
1873— H.  F.  Walker. 

1874  to  1875— V.  Fredenhagen. 

1875  to  1876— Alanson  Ford. 

1876  to  1877— Alanson  Ford. 

1877  to  1882— Charles  Curtiss. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  the  Judges 
who  have  presided  in  this  Judicial  Circuit : 

1840 — John  Pearsons. 
1841  to  1842— Theophilus  W.  Smith. 
1843  to  1847— Richard  M.  Young. 
1847  to  1849— Jesse  B.  Thomas. 
1849  to  1855— Hugh  Henderson. 
1855  to  1857—8.  W.  Randall. 
1857  to  1861— Jesse  O.  Norton. 
1861  to  1867— Isaac  G.  Wilson. 

1867  to  1874— Sylvanus  Wilcox. 

1874  to  1876— Hiram  H.  Cody,  C.  W.   Upton.  Isaac 

G.  Wilson,  Charles  Kullem. 
The  total  valuation  of  all  taxable  property  in  Du 
Page  County  in  1840  was  $196,292,  on  which 
$981.46  was  paid  for  county  taxes,  and  $392.58  for 
State  taxes,  making  $1,374.04,  the  total  tax  in  1840. 
There  were  then  only  State  and  county  taxes,  the 
State  tax  being  two  mills  on  the  dollar,  and  the 
county  tax  five  mills  on  the  dollar,  making  but  seven 
mills  on  the  dollar,  the  full  tax.  There  are  now 
(1882),  State,  county,  town,  road  and  bridge,  school 
and  corporation  taxes,  added  to  which  are  special 
assessments  when  necessary  for  specific  objects. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


147 


SHOWING   THE    ASSESSED    VALUE   OP   REAL    ESTATE    AND   PERSONAL    PROPERTY   IN   DU    PAGE 
COUNTY    FOR    THE    YEARS    1850    AND    1881. 


TOWNSHIPS. 

FOR  1860. 

Real  Estate 
Assessment. 

FOE  1881. 

Real  Estate 
Assessment. 

roE  1881. 
Lots. 

TOR  1850. 

Personal 
Property. 

TOE  1881. 

Personal 
Property. 

FOE  1850. 

Aggregate 
Valuation. 

roE  1881. 

Aggregate 
Valuation. 

Addison  

$64  269 

$461  985 

$18  565 

$42  425 

$129  999 

$106  694 

$610  549 

Bloomingdale  

52  007 

435  853 

18  902 

29  978 

89  052 

81  985 

543  807 

Wayne  

90  196 

449  524 

4  985 

31  333 

66  179 

121  329 

520  688 

Winfield  

100  358 

456  021 

77  675 

48  274 

82  972 

148  632 

616  668 

Milton  

108  271 

452  737 

128  683 

34  305 

84  334 

142  576 

665  754 

York  

108  784 

455  124 

84  191 

25  847 

98  253 

134  631 

637  568 

Downer's  Grove  

96  785 

604  853 

265  359 

32  280 

144  273 

129  065 

1014  485 

Lisle  

97  767 

456  602 

70  272 

36  663 

98  163 

134  430 

625  037 

Naperville  

165  766 

485  790 

146  828 

67  409 

123  206 

233  175 

755  824 

Totals  

$884  203 

$4258  489 

$815  460 

$348  314 

$916  431 

$1232  517 

$5990  380 

Amt.  R.  R.  property  added.  . 

$  620  032 

Grand  total  

$6610  412 

NOTE. — The  first  aaaeesment  of  real  estate  in  the  county  was  in  1850. 

I,  L.  C.  Stover,  Treasurer  Du  Page  County,  do  hereby  certify  that  the  foregoing  statement  is  correct. 

L.  C.  STOVEK,   County  Treasurer  for  Du  Page  County,  111. 


148 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Following  are  the  names  of  the  first  Grand 
Jury  ever  impaneled  in  Du  Page  County 
summoned  to  appear  at  term  of  Circuit  Court 
begun  and  held  at  Naperville,  in  said  county, 
by  virtue  of  an  act  entitled  "An  act  to  create 
the  county  of  Du  Page,  "approved  February 
9,  A.  D.  1837,  on  the  23d  day  of  September, 
A.  D.  1837,"  to  wit: 

William  J.  Strong,  Morris  Sleight,  George 
S.  Blackmail.  Luther  Hatch,  John  Thompson, 
Thomas  Andrus,  Hiland  Martin,  Moor  R. 
Webster,  Isaac  Clark,  Moses  Stacy,  Jonathan 
Barnes,  Luther  Morton,  Lloyd  Stearns,  Israel 
P.'  Blodgett,  David  Page,  Samuel  Curtiss, 
Elisha  Fish,  William  C.  Todd,  Warren  Smith, 
Abel  E.  Carpenter,  James  Lamb,  Frederick 
Stolp  and  John  Maxwell;  and  the  said  Lu- 
ther Hatch  was  appointed  to  act  as  foreman; 
and  the  first  Petit  Jury  was  John  Naper, 
Amander  P.  Thomas,  Russell  Whipple, 
John  Stevens,  Jr.,  Shadrach  Harris,  Nathan 
Stewart,  Harry  Goodrich,  David  G.  Parson, 
Harry  Meacham,  Theodore  Hubbard,  Nathan- 
iel B.  Morton,  Levi  Ballou,  Moses  K.  Hoyt, 
Pierce  Downer,  Walter  Blanchard,'  Horace 
Aldrich,  John  Tallmadge,  Henry  T.  Wilson, 
Seth  Sprague,  Ethan  Griswold,  David  Wad- 
ham,  Daniel  H.  Orcutt,  John  Warne  and  Jo- 
seph Means. 

PUBLIC    SCHOOLS. 

Previous  to  1855,  a  vigorous  system  of  ed- 
ucation prevailed  in  Du  Page  County,  but  it 
was  not  as  general  and  uniform  as  at  pres- 
ent. 

The  Naperville  Academy,  the  Illinois  In- 
stitute at  Wheaton,  and  the  Warrenville 
Seminary,  were  in  their  full  tide  of  success 
during  that  time,  as  well  as  a  goodly  number 
of  district  and  private  schools. 

At  that  date  (1855),  Eev.  Hope  Brown, 
School  Commissioner,  made  a  report  which 
showed  the  number  of  school  districts  in  the 
county  to  be  sixty-eight,  four  of  which  had 


no  schoolhouses.  The  number  of  pupils  was 
two  thousand  or  more.  Twelve  hundred 
studied  arithmetic,  500  studied  geography, 
250  English  grammar,  and  100  such  higher 
branches  as  algebra,  physiology  and  natural 
philosophy. 

Schools  were  taught  from  six  to  eight 
months  each  year,  but  in  some  of  the  districts 
there  were  no  winter  schools. 

The  wages  of  female  teachers  were  from 
$8  to  $16  per  month,  besides  board;  and  for 
male  teachers,  from  $16  to  $30  per  month. 

Five  years  later,  in  1860,  the  report  of  Ho- 
race Barnes,  School  Commissioner,  shows  that 
there  were  eighty-one  schools  in  the  county, 
and  4,054  children  who  attended  schools,  out 
of  a  school  census  showing  those  between  the 
ages  of  five  and  twenty-one  of  4,909.  Four- 
teen district  libraries  were  purchased  in  1860 
— one  in  Addison  Township,  six  in  Bloom  - 
ingdale  Township,  one  in  Winfield  Town- 
ship, and  three  each  in  Milton  and  York 
Townships.  The  amount  raised  by  direct  tax 
in  the  county  for  school  purposes  that  year 
was  $8, 885. 74,  and  the  amount  raised  by  the 
State  fund  paid  to  the  County  Treasurer  was 
$6,480.75,  making  a  total  of  receipts  from 
county  tax  and  State  appropriation,  for  the 
year  1860,  to  be  expended  for  schools,  of  $15,  - 
366.29. 

The  average  monthly  wages  paid  to  female 
teachers  the  same  year  was  $12  per  month, 
and  to  male  teachers,  $24.50. 

The  report  of  C.  W.  Richmond,  the  County 
Superintendent  of  Schools,  fur  the  year  1870 
shows  the  number  of  school  districts  in  the 
county  to  be  eighty-seven;  number  of  persons 
between  the  ages  of  six  and  twenty-one  to  be 
5, 298.  The  gross  receipts  for  the  support  of 
schools  for  the  year  were  $6,109.50,  $5,727.- 
15  of  which  came  from  school  tax  direct, 
$359.55  from  interest  on  school,  college  and 
'  seminary  fund,  and  $23  from  fines  and  for- 


IIISTOHY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


149 


feitures.  Added  to  this  was  $6,042.63,  which 
should  have  been  paid  in  from  the  State  tax 
of  2  mills  on  the  dollar  the  year  before,  but, 
through  some  informality,  did  not  come. 
Although  it  was  paid  in  by  the  State  in  1870, 
it  properly  belonged  to  the  fund  of  1869. 

The  same  year  (1870),  female  teachers  re- 
ceived from  $12  to  $70  per  month,  and  male 
teachers  from  $30  to  $80  per  month. 

The  number  of  graded  schools  in  the 
county  was  seven,  three  of  which  were  in 
Winneld  Township,  two  in  Milton,  one  in 
Downer's  Grove  and  one  in  Naperville  Town- 
ship. 

Said  Judge  Cody,  in  a  Fourth  of  July  ad- 
dress at  Naperville  in  1876:  "  We  have  ex- 
changed the  log  schoolhotise  of  1831  for  two 
magnificent  colleges,  two  theological  semi- 
naries and  for  high  schools  and  free  schools 
of  easy  access  to  every  child  within  our  lim- 
its." 

This  expresses  the  general  situation  at  that 
date,  showing  the  complete  introduction  of 
our  school  system,  which  is  now  in  full  tide 
of  progress. 

The  report  of  H.  A.  Fischer,  County  Super- 
intendent of  Schools  for  1882,  shows  the 
number  of  graded  schools  in  the  county  to  be 
six,  two  of  which  are  in  Downer's  Grove,  two 
in  Milton,  one  in  Wiufield  and  one  in  Naper- 
ville. 

The  number  of  ungraded  schools  are 
seventy-seven,  making  a  total  number  of 
schools  in  the  county,  exclusive  of  private 
schools,  to  be  eighty-three.  The  total  num- 
ber of  persons  in  the  county  between  the  ages 
of  six  and  twenty-one  was  9,116. 

Sixteen  districts  have  scjiool  libraries,  the 
total  value  of  which  is  $1,080. 

The  average  monthly  wages  paid  male 
teachers  was  $49.15,  and  female  teachers, 
$32.84. 

The   entire   receipts    for   the   support   of 


schools  for  the  year  were  $46, 122.91,  $1,032.- 

I  11  of  which  was  from  income  of  township 
fund,  $6,473.20  from  State  fund  and  fines 

;  appropriated  for  the  benefit  of  schools,  $37,  - 
888.51  from  special  district  taxes,  $285  from 
sale  of  school  property,  and  $127.64  from 
various  other  sources. 

Of  the  six  graded  schools  reported  in  the 
county,  four  are  high  schools.  The  distinc- 
tion between  the  two  grows  out  of  the  fact 
that  in  high  schools  a  regular  course  of  study 
is  pursued,  and  pupils  who  take  the  full 
course  are  entitled  to  a  diploma  at  gradua- 
tion. 

These  schools  are  located  at  Naperville, 
Wheaton,  Turner  Junction  and  Hinsdale. 

Of  the  school  libraries  in  the  county,  Prof. 
Fisher,  in  his  report,  speaks  in  terms  of  com- 
mendation, stating  that  they  are  made  up  of 
valuable  works  on  history,  biography,  poetry, 

j  science  and  romance  of  a  high  character,  and 
almost  exempt  from  the  gushing  style  of  dime 
novels. 

As  to  the  discipline  of  the  schools,  it  may 

I  be  stated  that  the  moral  force  of  the  teachers 
over  the  pupils  is  gathering  force,  and  there 
is  little,  if  any,  danger  that  it  will  ever  lose 
its  grip — certainly  not  as  long  as  the  stand- 
ard of  teachers  is  kept  up  to  its  present  grade. 

j  And  here  the  writer  cannot  forbear  to  draw  a 
comparison  between  the  teachers  of  Du  Page 

j  County  schools  and  the  teachers  of  New  York 
City  schools,  which  schools  he  has  recently 
visited,  and,  in  justice  to  home  talent,  must 

j  give  it  the  preference.  Here  our  most  es- 
teemed families  are  not  above  letting  their 
sons  or  daughters  teach,  but  in  New  York  or 
Brooklyn  such  is  not  the  case,  and  the  class 
teachers  there  have  to  be  taken  from  ranks  in 
society  not  always  clothed  with  the  dignity 
of  aristocracy  in  intelligence. 

By  State  authority,  a  2-mill  tax  is  collected 
on  all  property  and  appropriated  according 


150 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


to  the  school  census  of  each  township,  which 
census  enumerates  those  under  twenty-one 
years  of  age.  Direct  taxes  for  schools  in 
this  county  are  assessed  for  each  school  dis- 
trict, according  to  their  iastractions. 

THE    OLD    STAGE    COACH. 

The  old  stage  coach,  mail  routes  and  roads 
were  an  institution  once  in  the  heyday  of  their 
glory  in  Du  Page  County,  and  the  old  settlers 
love  to  think  of  the  good  old  sociables  held 
in  these  vehicles,  which  jostled  the  passen- 
gers into  good  nature  with  each  other,  as  the 
Jehu  in  the  box  bulldozed  his  horses  through 
the  sloughs. 

In  1825,  a  Mr.  Kellogg  pioneered  his  way 
across  the  prairie  from  Peoria  to  Galena. 
This  was  the  first  road  that  ever  went  to  the 
place,  although  it  had  been  settled  a  century, 
but  reached  by  way  of  the  River.  Dixon  was 
settled  in  1830,  and  in  1834,  a  stage  line  was 
established  to  it  and  Galena  from  Chicago, 
through  the  following  points:  Lawton's,  on 
the  Desplaines;  Brush  Hill,  where  Oriente 
Grant  opened  a  tavern  next  year;  Naper' s 
settlement,  where  a  post  office  was  then  es- 
tablished named  Paw  Paw;  Gray's  Crossing, 
where  Mr.  Gray  lived,  at  a  favorable  fording 
place  on  the  Fox  River,  two  miles  below  the 
present  site  of  Aurora ;  Dixon,  on  the  Rock 
River,  where  Mr.  Dixon  kept  a  ferry;  Apple 
River,  where  a  fort  was  built,  twenty  miles 
southeast  of  Galena;  thence  to  Galena,  the 
termination  of  the  line.  This  was  the  first 
legally  established  road  through  the  county. 
Joseph  Naper  was  one  of  the  Commissioners 
to  lay  it  out  under  State  authority,  and  Col. 
Warren  carried  the  mail  in  a  lumber  wagon 
from  Chicago  to  Naperville  till  the  stage 
line  was  established. 

Trade  between  Galena  and  Chicago  was 
then  a  coveted  prize,  and  road  places  north 
of  the  Naper  settlement  soon  began  to  take 


measures  to  straighten  the  line  between  the 
two -places,  in  order  to  bring  the  travel  by 
their  own  doors. 

St.  Charles  was  the  first  to  lead  in  this, 
and  subscribed  $2,000  to  lay  out  and  improve 
a  road  direct  from  their  place  to  Chicago, 
with  this  end  in  view,  and,  in  the  summer  of 
1836,  a  force  of  men  and  oxen  were  at  work 
along  the  line  all  the  way  between  Desplaines 
River  and  their  place,  plowing  and  scraping 
along  the  flat  lands.  This  was  the  origin  of 
what  is  now  well  known  as  the  St.  Charles 

!  road. 

Elgin  did  a  similar  thing,  but  little,  if 
any,  later,  and  established  what  has  ever 
since  been  known  as  the  Elgin  road,  passing 

•  through  Bloomingdale,  where  Col.  Hoit 
opened  a  tavern ;  thence  east  to  the  Desplaines, 

1  three  miles  north  of  the  present  site  of  May- 
wood,  where  Mr.  Sherman  kept  tavern; 

I  thence  to  the  old  Whisky  Point  road  run- 
ning northwest  from  Chicago,  connecting  with 
it  at  the  present  site  of  Jefferson,  in  Cook 

j  County.  The  old  Indian  trail  that  went  from 
the  western  extremity  of  Lake  Erie  to  what 
is  now  Rock  Island  was  a  well-known  path 

I  in  the  early  days,  and  from  where  it  in- 
tersected the  Illinois  and  Indiana  State  line, 
a  road  was  laid  out  by  State  authority,  pass- 
ing thence  through  Lockport,  Naperville, 
Warren ville,  Dundee  on  Fox  River,  McHenry, 
and  thence  to  the  Wisconsin  line,  near  Nip- 
issing  Creek  Col.  Warren  was  one  of  the 
Commissioners  to  lay  it  out. 

The  first  stage  line  that  ever  ran  through 
Du  Page  County  was   Templeton's  line  of 

i  stages  from  Chicago  to  Galena.  This  line 
first  went  through  Naperville  and  Dixon,  but 

:  subsequently  changed  its  route,  when  Frink 

i  &  Walker  bought  out  Templeton,  in  1838, 

;  and  lines  were  established  from  Chicago  to 
Galena  via  Bloomingdale;  Chicago  to  St. 
Charles  by  the  St.  Charles  road;  and  Chica- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


151 


go  to  Naperville,  Aurora  and  Ottawa.  These 
three  lines  continued  to  pass  through  Du 
Page  County,  all  of  which  carried  the  mail, 
till  railroads  were  built,  supplanting  them. 
During  the  winter  months,  the  Government 
at  first  suspended  the  mail  to  Galena,  as  it 
involved  too  much  risk. 

GALENA  &  CHICAGO  UNION  RAILROAD. 

The  following  is  a  history  of  the  Galena 
&  Chicago  Union  Kailroad,  now  the  Chicago 
&  North- Western  Railroad: 

This  road  was  first  chartered  January  16, 
1836,  which  was  two  years  before  Chicago 
had  been  chartered  as  a  city,  and  it  enjoys 
the  distinction  of  being  her  first  railroad. 
Its  primary  interest  was  to  advance  the  price 
of  real  estate,  and  thereby  promote  the  pros- 
perity of  Chicago,  which  was.  then  a  village 
of  3,820  inhabitants,  with  room  enough  to 
grow  larger.  The  capital  stock  of  the  rail- 
road company  was  $100,000,  with  power  to 
increase  it  to  $1,000,000.  It  was  optional 
with  the  company  to  run  the  road  either  with 
horse  or  steam  power.  William  Bennett, 
Thomas  Pmmmond,  J.  C.  Goodhue,  Peter 
Semple,  John  B.  Turner  and  J.  B.  Thomp- 
son, Jr.,  were  authorized  to  receive  subscrip- 
tions to  the  stock.  By  the  conditions  of  their 
charter,  the  company  were  obligated  to  com- 
mence work  on  the  road  within  three  years, 
and  within  this  time  the  questionable  enter- 
prise was  undertaken. 

The  first  problem  was  how  to  get  a  found- 
ation through  the  spongy  slough  that  inter- 
vened between  the  then  mushroom  town  of 
Chicago  and  terra  firma,  on  the  ridge  now 
occupied  by  Oak  Park.  It  was  then  deemed 
impossible  to  find  bottom  in  these  shaky 
lands,  and  piles  were  resorted  to,  with  lon- 
gitudinal stringers,  to  secure  support  from 
one  to  another.  Thus  the  work  began  along 
Madison  street,  but  was  soon  abandoned 


as  premature,  and  no  farther  attempts  to 
prosecute  it  were  made  till  1846,  when 
William  B.  Ogden,  John  B.  Turner  and 
Stephen  F.  Gale  purchased  the  charter  of 
Messrs.  Townsend  &  Mather,  of  New  York, 
who,  up  to  this  time,  held  it,  with  the  assets 
of  the  company.  Ten  thousand  dollars  in 
stock  was  to  be  paid  down,  and  $10,000  on  its 
completion  to  Fox  River.  A  preliminary 
survey  was  made,  and  the  work  put  in  charge 
of  Richard  P.  Morgan,  a  gentleman  from 
Boston,  who  had  earned  a  reputation  for  rail- 
road building  in  Massachusetts. 

The  next  year,  on  the  5th  of  April,  a  Board 
of  Directors  was  appointed,  and  books  were 
soon  opened  for  subscription  to  the  stock. 

Here  fresh  difficulties  came  up.  Many 
thought  the  road  would  injure  the  retail 
trade  of  Chicago  (which  was  all  she  then 
had,  by  facilitating  the  transportation  of 
goods  to  country  merchants,  and  the  latter 
feared  their  trade  would  suffer  such  quick 
and  easy  access  to  Chicago  as  the  road  would 
give  to  the  farmers  Despite  these  difficul- 
ties, through  the  efforts  of  Benjamin  W. 
Raymond  and  John  B.  Turner,  in  their  suc- 
cess in  negotiating  loans  in  New  York,  and 
the  reluctant  home  subscriptions  to  the  stock, 
the  road  was  finally  completed  to  Harlem, 
ten  miles  from  Chicago,  December  30,  1848. 
to  which  place  its  rickety  old  second-hand  en- 
gine and  cars  ran,  on  a  slipshod  foundation 
of  wooden  stringers,  faced  with  bar  iron. 

During  the  autumn  of  the  same  year,  its 
track  was  laid  to  Elgin,  and  the  cars  were 
running  to  the  place  January  23,  1850,  for 
which  the  company  owe  a  lasting  obligation 
to  Edward  W.  Brews  ter,  now  a  citizen  of 
Wheaton.  He  was  then  living  on  his  farm, 
at  the  Little  Woods  three  miles  below  Elgin, 
and  he  not  only  gave  the  company  the  right 
of  way  through  his  land,  but  gave  them  lib- 
erty to  cut  ties  from  his  grove,  without  which 


152 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


privilege  the  road  could  not  have  been  fin- 
ished before  another  summer,  for  navigation 
was  about  to  close,  and  ties  could  not  have 
been  procured  from  any  other  source.  "  One 
good  turn  deserves  another."  So  Mr.  Brew- 
ster  gave  the  company  the  necessary  ground 
for  grading  the  road  when  filling  was  want- 
ed, but  on  conditions  that  he  and  his  family 
should  ride  free  on  -the  road  as  long  as  he 
lived.  Little  did  they  then  know  what  they 
were  bargaining  for.  Mr.  Brewster  still  lives, 
though  ninety  years  old,  and  when  he  comes 
for  his  annual  pass,  the  company  pleasantly 
tell  him,  "  Yes,  Father  Brewster,  we  are  will- 
ing to  carry  you  as  long  as  you  live,  but  we 
did  not  expect  you  were  going  to  live  so 
long." 

Out  of  this  humble  beginning,  this  com- 
pany has  grown  into  gigantic  proportions, 
co-equal  with  the  incxease  of  wealth  in  Ihe 
country  through  which  it  and  its  various  di- 
visions pass.  These  are  the  Galena  Division, 
313.14  miles;  Iowa  Division,  622.53  miles; 
Northern  Iowa  Division,  292.43  miles;  Wis- 
consin Division,  555.26  miles;  Peninsular 
Division,  290.10  miles;  Madison  Division, 
461.79  miles;  Winona  &  St.  Peter's  Railroad 
and  Branch,  406.10  miles;  Dakota  Division! 
342.99  miles;  total,  3,284.54  miles. 

Lines  under  construction:  Volga  to  Ab- 
beyville,  Dakota,  24.50;  Watertown,  D.  T., 
to  Redfield,  65;  Sioux  Rapids  to  Ireton, 
Iowa,  68 ;  Narenta  to  Felch  Mountains,  North- 
ern Michigan,  36.40;  total  miles  under  con- 
struction, 193.96;  grand  total,  3,478.44. 

This  company  achieved  its  first  success 
partly  in  Du  Page  County,  and  through  its 
center,  on  this  road,  passes  much  freight  from 
the  Pacific  Coast  to  Europe.  Its  entrance 
into  the  business  heart  of  Chicago  is  direct 
and  without  detention,  affording  its  business 
men  easy  access  to  rural  homes  in  Du  Page 
County,  the  eastern  portions  of  which  its 


fast  trains  reach  in  forty-five  minutes,  the 
central  portions  in  fifty-eight  minutes,  and 
the  western  portions  in  one  hour  and  fifteen 
minutes,  thereby  bringing  the  towns  of  this 
county  within  as  quick  time  to  the  business 
center  of  Chicago  as  the  remote  but  already 
thickly  settled  streets  in  the  outskirts  of  this 
city,  to  and  from  which  the  horse  cars  are 
uncomfoitably  crowded  constantly,  and  it  is 
an  unsolved  problem  why  the  thousands  who 
have  already  availed  themselves  of  these  con- 
ditions to  secure  rural  luxuries  are  not  mul- 
tiplied, till  the  whole  line  of  the  road  is  a 
continuous  village.  This  would  quickly  be 
the  case  if  every  citizen  of  Chicago  knew  by 
experience  the  advantages  of  life  among  the 
gardens. 

CHICAGO,   BURLINGTON  &  QUINCY  RAILROAD. 

The  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad 
passes  through  the  southern  tier  of  towns  in 
Du  Page  County,  affording  facilities  for  easy 
access  to  Chicago,  and  offering  good  induce- 
ments for  business  men  to  make  quiet  homes 
along  its  line.  The  first  beginning  or  nu- 
cleus of  this  road  was  the  Aurora  Branch 
Railroad,  a  line  of  road  constructed  in  pur- 
suance of  an  act  of  the  General  Assembly  of 
the  State  of  Illinois,  approved  February  12, 
1849. 

The  Aurora  Branch  Railroad  extended  from 
Aurora,  Kane  County,  about  thirteen  miles  to 
a  point  on  the  Galena  &  Chicago  Union  Rail- 
road, now  named  Turner  Junction.  The  first 
locomotive  was  purchased  February  20,  1852. 

The  original  charter  was  amended  June  22, 
1852,  and  the  name  of  the  company  changed 
to  the  Chicago  &  Aurora  Railroad  Company. 
On  January  26,  1853,  the  charter  was  again 
amended,  and  the  name  of  the  company  be- 
came the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Rail  - 
road  Company,  a  name  formally  accepted  by 
the  stockholders  February  14, 1855. 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


155 


At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Directors 
held  February  11,  1862,  an  act  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly,  authorizing  the  construction 
of  a  branch  from  Aurora  to  Chicago,  by  way 
of  the  village  of  Naperville,  was  formally  ac- 
cepted by  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy 
Railroad  Company.  At  the  annual  meeting 
of  the  stockholders  held  June  20,  1862,  it 
was  resolved  to  authorize  the  building  of  the 
road  from  Aurora  to  Chicago.  This  road  was 
completed  in  1864,  at  which  time  it  only  went 
to  the  Mississippi  River,  but  now  Northern 
Missouri,  the  State  of  Kansas,  Southern  Iowa 
and  Southern  Nebraska  are  directly  on  its 
lines,  and  besides  these,  it  claims  a  share  in 
the  Colorado  and  Pacific  trade.  It  had  2,- 
924  miles  of  railroad  in  operation  January 
1.  1882. 

CHICAGO  &  PACIFIC  RAILROAD. 

The  Chicago  &  Pacific  Railroad  was  organ- 
ized by  R.  M.  Hough  in  December,  1877. 
The  charter  bears  date  previous  to  1878,  since 
which  time  the  railroad  was  built,  under  the 
supervision  of  R.  M.  Hough,  who  was  Pres- 
ident of  the  road.  The  Directors  of  the  road 
were  Thomas  S.  Dobson  (who  was  also  Vice 
President),  Walter  Pearce,  John  L.  Wilcox, 
George  S.  Bowen,  George  Young  and  Will- 
iam Howard.  John  L.  Wilson  was  Solicitor, 
and  William  T.  Hewes,  Secretary.  Fifteen 
thousand  dollars  was  paid  to  William  How- 
ard for  the  charter.  An  ordinance  was 
passed  in  the  Council  to  give  the  right  of 
way  for  the  road  into  Chicago  in  May,  1872. 
In  June  following,  work  was  commenced  on 
the  road,  and  it  was  finished  to  Elgin  in  the 
summer  of  1873.  This  road  is  now  owned 
by  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Rail- 
road. 

DU    PAGE    COUNTY    BIBLE    SOCIETY. 

In  giving  a  history  of  this  society,  we  are 
somewhat  embarrassed,  as  we  find  no  record 
of  its  first  meeting.  At  whose  suggestion  it 


was  called,  in  what  month  it  was  held,  by 
whom  the  meeting  was  called  to  order,  or 
who  participated  in  its  organization,  we  are 
not  informed;  we  are  assured,  however,  that 
the  first  meeting  was  held  in  Naperville. 
The  minutes  of  the  first  anniversary  indicate 
that  Rev.  John  H.  Prentiss  was  the  first  Pres- 
ident, and  leave  us  to  infer  who  were  his  as- 
sociates in  the  organization: 

NAPERVILLE,  February  5,  1841 . 
The  society  met  at  the  office  of  Esquire  Hosmer, 
and  was  opened  with  prayer  by  Rev.  John  H.  Pren- 
tiss, President.  The  annual  meeting  having  failed, 
the  following  were  appointed  officers  of  the  society 
for  the  ensuing  year,  viz.:  Rev.  Orange  Lyman, 
President;  Rev.  Caleb  Lamb,  Hart  L.  Cobb,  E. 
Thayer,  Eli  Nosheram  and  T.  Paxton,  Vice  Presi- 
dents; John  H.  Prentiss,  Secretary;  Aylmer  Keith, 
Treasurer;  Lewis  Ellsworth,  Depository ;  J.  H. 
Prentiss,  A.  Keith,  Pomeroy  Goodrich,  Isaac  Clark 
and  Alexander  Underwood,  Executive  Committee. 
At  the  second  annual  meeting  the  following  resolu- 
tion was  passed:  "Resolved,  That  the  first  article  of 
the  constitution  be  so  altered  that  the  name  of  the 
society  shall  be  the  Du  Page  County  Bible  Society," 
thereby  indicating  that  it  formerly  had  a  local  name. 
At  this  meeting,  we  find  the  first  report  of  the 
Treasurer,  as  follows:  "  There  is  now  in  the  treas- 
ury $8  cash,  and,  as  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  $15.80 
worth  of  books."  In  1843,  the  Treasurer  reported 
eight  Bibles  and  three  Testaments  on  hand,  valued  at 
$11.72,  also  cash  $6  ($3  of  which  is  counterfeit). 
We  may  charitably  hope  this  spurious  money  found 
its  way  into  the  Lord's  treasury  by  mistake.  The 
first  fifteen  years,  the  society  held  its  annual  meet- 
ings at  Naperville;  the  sixteenth  anniversary  at 
"Wheaton  Station,"  from  thence  it  went  to  Bloom- 
ingdale,  returning  by  the  way  of  Danby  to  Wheaton. 
After  visiting  Lombard  and  Prospect  Park,  called 
again  at  Wheaton  on  its  way  to  Turner  Junction, 
Elmhurst  being  the  next  stopping  place,  from  which 
we  return  to  Naperville  to  greet  our  old  friends  of 
forty  years  ago;  old  friends,  did  we  say?  Were  we 
to  call  the  roll  of  those  who,  forty  years  ago  were 
active  in  Bible  cause,  how  few  would  respond  ! 
Opposite  the  names  of  nearly  all  we  write  gone — 
dead.  The  memories  of  other  years  crowd  upon  us. 
The  recollection  of,  and  association  with,  many  now 
living,  as  well  as  those  gone  before,  during  a  resi- 
dence of  forty-four  years  in  the  county,  is  pleasant. 

i 


156 


HISTORY  OF   DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


We  write  their  history  to-day,  who  will  write  ours 
forty  years  hence? 

Eleven  venerable  men  have  presided  over  the  de- 
liberations of  the  society,  and  eight  Secretaries 
recorded  its  doings. 

We  are  unable  to  give  correctly  the  financial  his- 
tory of  the  society,  but,  from  the  best  sources  at  our 
command,  it  has  received  and  disbursed  at  least 
|15,000,  the  smallest  sum  reported  in  any  one 
year  being  $ 6.25,  the  largest  $949.13. 

L.  W.  MILLS,  Secretary. 

REMOVAL  OF  THE  COUNTY  SEAT. 

As  stated  in  foregoing  pages,  at  the  organ- 
ization of  Du  Page  County  it  was  anticipated 
to  take  in  tbe  three  ranges  of  sections  on  its 
southern  limit,  but  this  plan  miscarried,  and 
left  Naperville  at  the  extreme  southern  verge 
of  the  county,  which  had  the  effect  to  jeop- 
ardize her  prerogative,  and  ultimately  to 
disinherit  her  from  a  right  that  she,  by  vir- 
tue of  age,  numbers  and  wealth,  tenaciously 
claimed,  which  was  to  be  the  seat  of  justice 
of  the  county.  Albeit  her  remoteness  from 
the  center  of  the  county  afforded  a  pretext 
for  other  ambitions  to  come  to  the  front  and 
assert  their  claims. 

This  rivalry  began  to  take  legal  action  in 
the  winter  of  1857,  when  the  Legislature  of 
the  State  passed  an  act  authorizing  an  elec- 
tion to  be  held  on  the  first  Monday  of  May, 
the  same  year,  to  decide  the  question  of  the 
removal  of  the  county  seat  to  Wheaton. 

The  election  was  held,  but  it  went  against 
removal,  setting  the  matter  at  rest  for  ten 
years,  when,  through  the  Wheaten  interest, 
the  Legislature  again  authorized  an  election 
for  the  same  purpose.  It  was  held  in  June, 
1868,  and  this  time  gave  a  small  majority 
for  removal — not  without  the  "  inside  grip  " 
(best  known  by  politicians)  being  practiced 
on  both  sides  to  their  utmost  limit.  They 
made  a  very  interesting  polemic  out  of  the 
campaign,  which  must  ever  stand  as  a  monu- 
ment of  Du  Page  County  grit,  but  both  sides 


were  so  nearly  matched  in  handling  their 
forces  that  neither  gained  any  advantage,  and 
it  was  the  few  extra  votes  that  gave  Wheaton 
the  victory,  and  not  her  superior  skill. 

After  the  election,  it  was  many  months 
before  the  court  confirmed  the  decision;  this 
done,  the  Board  of  Supervisors  selected  a  site 
for  the  court  house,  which  was  donated  to 
the  county,  and  the  building  erected  that  now 
convenes  the  court  sessions  and  places  crimi- 
nals on  the  proper  side  of  iron  grates.  The 
records  were  removed  early  one  winter  morn- 
ing, and,  unfortunately,  a  few  of  them  were 
lost,  but  not  any  portion  of  them  that  are  es- 
sential to  show  a  good  chain  of  title  to  lands. 
In  the  summer  of  1879,  a  fire-proof  building 
was  erected  on  the  north  side  of  the  court 
house  grounds,  with  vault  and  offices  for 
Clerks  and  Treasurer. 

DU  PAGE  COUNTY    AGRICULTURAL    AND    MECHANICAL 
SOCIETY. 

Fairs  had  their  origin  as  far  back  as  the  first 
Olympiad,  600  years  B.  C. ,  when  kings  ran 
foot  races  with  "news  boys,"  whose  occupa- 
tions of  turning  an  honest  penny,  selling  the 
Naperville  Clarion  or  the  Wheaton  Illinoisian,  ' 
was  no  bar  to  their  social  equality  with  a 
crowned  head,  at  least  at  the  Olympic  games. 
When  both  were  stripped,  perhaps  the  "news 
boy ' '  could  show  the  best  muscle,  and  that  was 
what  counted.  These  were  exhibitions  of 
strength,  but  nowadays  men  plume  them- 
selves more  on  a  big  pumpkin  and  on  the 
muscle  of  their  horses,  so  they  always  had  a 
race-course  for  the  latter  to  ventilate  his  fine 
points  on  and  a  place  in  which  to  show  the 
pumpkins,  and  then  in  these  days  of  female 
culture,  the  best  room  in  the  building  is  al- 
lotted to  the  display  of  needle  work  and 
crayon  work  of  the  girls,  and  sometimes  a 
few  loaves  of  bread  from  a  matronly  hand. 
Du  Page  County,  animated  with  a  laudable 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


157 


ambition  to  stimulate  her  industries  and  in- 
genuity, took  steps  in  this  direction  by  call- 
ing a  public  meeting  at  Naperville,  October 
19,  1853,  of  which  E.  O.  Hills,  of  Blooming- 
dale,  was  Chairman,  and  James  G.  Wright,  of 
Naperville,  Secretary.  The  society  was  or- 
ganized with  a  constitution  and  by-laws,  with 
183  members,  Lewis  Ellsworth,  President;  J. 
G.  Wright,  Secretary.  •  The  first  fair  was 
held  at  Naperville  October  11  and  12,  1854. 
The  third  annual  fair  was  held  at  Wheaton 
September  17  and  18,  1856.  A  charter  was 
obtained  in  February,  1857,  soon  after  which 
fifteen  acres  of  ground  were  donated  to  the 
society  by  J.  C.  and  W.  L.  Wheaton,  for  a 
permanent  place  for  holding  their  fairs.  By 
the  conditions  of  the  donation,  the  grounds 
are  to  revert  back  to  the  original  owners  if 
the  society  neglects  to  hold  their  fairs  for 
three  successive  years.  Fairs  have  been  held 
each  year  at  the  place  ever  since,  with  a  good 
showing  of  the  best  things  in  the  county. 
Mr.  Albert  D.  Kelly,  the  present  Secretary, 
furnished  the  above  statistics  for  the  work. 

TELEPHONE     LINES. 

Telephone  lines  were  established  Septem- 
ber 1,  1882,  between  Chicago,  Austin,  May- 
wood.  Elmhurst,  Lombard,  Wheaton,  Elgin, 
St.  Charles,  Geneva,  Batavia,  Aurora,  Joliet, 
Lockport  and  Summit.  The  intermediate 
towns  will  be  connected  as  soon  as  practicable, 
and  tte  line  is  to  be  extended  to  Eockford 
soon.  It  would  be  premature  to  state  at  this 
time  any  limit  to  the  extension  of  the  line. 
The  rates  now  are  25  cents  for  five  minutes' 
conversation.  L.  C.  BROWN,  Agent. 

GEOLOGY    OF    DU    PAGE    COUNTY.* 

The  following  diagram  shows  the  order 
and  thickness  of  the  several  divisions  which 
form  the  geological  system  of  Illinois: 

Quaternary. 
Tsrtittry. 

Carboniferous  . 

Mountain 
Limestone.     * 

Devonian. 

Upper 
Silurian. 

Lower 
Silurian. 

160  ft. 

Prairie  surface. 
Alluvium  and  Drift 

200  ft. 

Tertiary. 

900  ft. 

Upper, 
Middle 

and 
Lower 
Coal  measures. 

300  ft. 

Millstone  Grit. 

250  ft. 

Chester  Limestone. 

100  a 

Ferruginous  Sandstone. 

200  ft. 

St.  Louis  or  Warsaw  Limestone. 

100  ft. 

Keokuk  Limestone. 

200  ft. 

Burlington  Limestone. 

100  ft. 

Kinderhook  Oroup. 

40  ft. 

Black  Slate. 

120  ft. 

Hamilton  Qroup. 

50  ft. 

Orlskany  Sandstone. 

300  ft. 

Niagara  Limestone. 

100  ft. 

Hudson  Kiver  Group. 

300  ft. 

Galena  or  Trenton  Limestone. 

150  'a 

St.  Peter's  Sandstone. 

100  ft. 

Calciferous  Sandstone. 

*Coutributed  by  C.  D.  Wilber,  LL.D. 

158 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


The  position  occupied  by  Du  Page  and  ad- 
jacent counties  is  the  Niagara  division  of  the 
Upper  Silurian.  This  has  been  determined 
by  the  examination  of  the  various  quarries 
and  from  outcrops  of  rock  formation  on  the 
Du  Page  River,  and  also  by  several  artesian 
borings,  which  have  penetrated  more  than 
one  thousand  feet.  In  this  division  are 
found  the  quarries  of  Lemont  and  Joliet, 
from  which  are  annually  shipped  vast  quan- 
tities of  dimension  stone  and  building  ma- 
terial. Below  it  from  700  to  800  feet  is 
found  the  St.  Peter's  sandstone,  which  con- 
tains the  water  supply  of  the  great  system  of 
artesian  wells,  of  which  about  one  hundred 
are  already  in  active  operation  in  Northern 
Illinois. 

The  county  of  Du  Page,  it  will  be  seen, 
occupies  both  extremes  of  the  geological 
series,  viz.,  the  Silurian  system  at  the  bottom 
and  the  prairie  system  at  the  top.  The  pres- 
ent article  being  limited  to  a  few  pages,  will 
be  mainly  devoted  to  a  consideration  of  the 
unfailing,  omnipresent  question. viz. ,  "What 
is  the  Origin  of  the  Prairies?  " 

From  observation  on  the  smaller  lakes  and 
lakelets  in  Illinois,  Michigan,  Indiana  and 
Ohio,  Prof.  Leo  Lesquereux  saw,  as  he 
thought,  the  outline  of  a  theory  which  would 
account  for  the  present  prairie  system. 

After  a  brief  view  of  the  soils  of  these  dry 
lakes,  and  the  tree  growths  on  the  margin,  he 
says:  From  these  facts,  no  other  conclusion 
can  he  taken  than  this:  That  all  the  prairies 
of  the  Mississippi  Valley  have  been  formed 
by  the  slow  process  of  sheets  of  water  of 
various  extent,  first  transformed  into  swamps, 
and  by  and  by  drained  and  dried.  The  high 
and  rolling  prairies,  the  prairies  around  the 
lakes,  those  of  the  bottoms  along  the  rivers 
are  all  the  result  of  the  same  cause,  and  form 
a  whole  and  indivisable  system. 

But  since  lake  bottoms  are  generally  level, 


or  present  a  general  concavity  of  surface,  and 
since  prairies  afford  every  variety  of  topog- 
raphy of  rolls,  hills,  slopes,  plains,  divides, 
inclines,  draws,  ravines,  terraces,  bottoms, 
etc..  it  seemed  quite  difficult  at  the  outset  to 
meet  these  formidable  difficulties.  But  the 
heroic  Lesquereux  sweeps  them  all  away  with 
a  pen  stroke. 

"I  believe,"  says  he,  "that  though  undu- 
lated the  surface  of  the  prairies  may  be  now, 
as  it  has  been  originally  horizontal  enough 
to  form  shallow  lakes,  and  then  swamps  like 
those  which  now  cover  some  parts  along  the 
shores  of  Lake  Erie,  Lake  Michigan,  etc.  I 
have  followed  for  whole  days  the  sloughs  of 
the  prairies,  and  have  seen  them  constantly 
passing  lower  and  well-marked  channels,  or 
to  the  beds  of  rivers  by  the  most  tortuons 
circuits,  in  a  manner  comparable  to  the  me- 
anderings  of  some  creeks  in  nearly  horizontal 
valleys.  Indeed,  the  only  difference  is  that 
in  the  high  prairies  there  is  not  a  definite 
bed,  but  a  series  of  beds  extending,  narrow- 
ing, winding  in  many  ways.  This  explana- 
tion seems  so  natural  that  I  could  not  under- 
stand how  high  prairies  could  be  perfectly 
horizontal." 

No  person  ever  appeared  more  charmed 
with  his  favorite  idea  than  the  bold  Lesque- 
reux with  his  pet  theory  for  the  origin  of  the 
prairies. 

"  The  level  of  the  low  prairies  being  scarce- 
ly above  that  of  the  lakes,  their  surface  after 
an  overflow  becomes  dry  by  percolation  and 
evaporation,  rather  than  by  true  drainage. 
But  wherever  the  rivers  have  cut  deeper  chan- 
nels, the  drainage  has  constantly  taken  place 
toward  these  deep  channels,  and  the  water, 
though  its  movements  may  be  very  slow,  fur- 
rows the  surface  in  its  tortuous  meanderings, 
and  from  this  results  that  irregular,  wavy  con- 
formation, generally  and  appropriately  called 
rolling  prairie." 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


159 


For  illustration  of  his  theory,  Prof.  Lesque- 
reax  refers  to  the  prairie  soil  of  Illinois: 

"Its  thickness  is  first  to  be  considered;  it 
varies  from  one  to  four  feet,  and  even  more 
How  has  been  produced  this  enormous  coat- 
ing of  black  mold  which  covers  the  clay  sub- 
soil? and,  also,  how  has  this  subsoil  been 
produced,  if  not  under  the  influence  and  ac- 
tion of  water  ?  Complete  oxidation  of  vege- 
table remains  has  never  resulted  in  the  keep- 
ing of  such  a  peculiar  thick  compound  as  is 
the  soil  of  the  prairies.  We  must  then  con- 
sider this  prairie  soil  as  formed  under  pecu- 
liar chemical  action  by  a  slow  oxidation  or 
decomposition  of  vegetable  matter,  retarded 
in  its  action  by  water,  in  preventing  the  free 
access  of  oxygen,  as  in  formation  of  peat. 
This  (prairie)  soil,  then,  as  we  have  said,  is 
half  peat  and  half  humus." 

Prof.  Whitney,  formerly  State  Geologist  of 
California,  writing  of  the  formation  of  prai- 
ries, considers  the  absence  of  trees  caused  bj 
the  fineness  of  the  soil,  and  partly  by  the  ac- 
cumulation in  the  bottoms  of  immense  lakes 
of  a  sediment  of  almost  impalpable  fineness 
under  certain  conditions. 

The  one  great  fault  with  these  theories  is, 
that  they  are  hasty  and  indiscriminate,  when 
a  larger  view  would  include  all  that  these 
theorists  have  stated,  without  shutting  us  up 
to  narrow  requirements.  We  can  take  in  all 
that  Prof.  Lesquereux  says,  viz.,  that  the 
great  prairie  system  has  been  covered  with 
water,  and  at  the  same  time  understood  that 
water  action  is  not,  or  was  not  even  the  re- 
motest cause  of  the  unwooded  districts. 
The  prairies  may  come  after  the  existence 
and  subsidence  of  lakes,  but  they  come 
simply  in  the  order  of  events,  and  not  as  a 
consequence  of  water.  There  is  nothing  in 
the  water  or  primitive  lake  theory  that  does 
not  apply  equally  to  the  wooded  regions  of 
any  country. 


Referring  to  Lesquereux's  theory,  and 
Whitney's,  Prof.  Winchell  says:  "  The  fatal 
objection  to  this  theory,  and  all  the  theories 
which  look  to  the  physical  or  chemical  con- 
dition of  the  soil  for  an  explanation  of  the 
treeless  character  of  the  prairies,  is  discovered 
in  the  fact  that  trees  will  grow  when  once 
introduced." 

The  numerous  lakes  of  Iowa,  Illinois,  Wis- 
consin and  Michigan  are  mostly  shallow,  cov- 
ering often  areas  five  miles  by  ten  or  fifteen. 
They  have  a  dark  sediment  bottom,  generally 
upon  clay,  which,  being  impervious,  like 
leather,  will  for  ages  maintain  these  bodies 
of  fresh  water  as  they  are.  In  some  cases  of 
higher  altitude,  with  smaller  lakes,  the  clay 
can  be  punctured,  and  after  the  escape  of 
water  the  black  sediment  becomes  good  soil. 
Or  the  lake  may  be  drained  by  cutting  down 
its  lower  edge  with  a  deep  ditch.  It  is  ob- 
vious that  the  concave- shaped  clay  substratum 
caused  the  lake,  and  it  appears  that  the  fresh 
water  acted  as  a  medium  through  which  the 
sediments,  no  matter  how  obtained,  were  pre- 
cipitated; but  directly  the  lake  is  drained  the 
soil  is  ready  to  raise  crops  of  grains,  grasses 
or  trees — but  it  does  not  become  a  prairie. 
West  of  the  Missouri  River,  and,  as  far  as 
known,  west  of  the  Mississippi  River,  in  Ne- 
braska and  Kansas,  the  brown-colored  top  soil 
is  not  a  sediment  of,  but  instead,  the  same 
material  as  the  sub-soil,  whether  loess  or 
drift,  having  the  same  chemical  elements,  but 
colored  by  successive  years  of  decay  of 
grasses.  Whether  these  grasses,  year  after 
year,  were  burned  or  disappeared  by  the 
slower  process  of  oxidation,  they  were  cer- 
tain to  contribute  both  the  dark  or  humus 
color,  besides  a  certain  amount  of  material 
not  being  sediment  in  any  sense.  We  are 
agreeably  relieved  from  introducing  the  need- 
less  miracle  of  innumerable  lakes  as  prairie 
antecedents. 


160 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


The  evidence  of  prairie  origin  deduced  from  ' 
the  disappearance  of  lakes,  large  or  small,  is 
thbrefore  rejected  as  not  sufficient.  The 
lake  patches  with  subsequent  drainage,  are 
simply  facts  by  themselves,  but  not  in  any 
way  related  to  the  origin  of  the  vast  un- 
wooded  regions  of  North  America. 

The  proportion  of  prairie  to  forest  is  so 
great  in  the  Western  States  and  Territories 
as  to  reverse  the  order  of  the  inquiry.  It 
seems  here  more  proper  to  inquire,  Why  have 
we  woodland  and  grove  and  densely  timbered 
tracts  in  the  Canadas  and  Eastern  States,  in- 
stead of  these  "  unshorn  fields,  sublime  and 
beautiful,  for  which  the  speech  of  England 
has  no  name?" 

This  leads  to  another  inquiry,  viz.,  Which 
is  the  normal  condition  of  the  surface;  which 
has  priority,  prairie  or  woods?  Are  not 
prairies,  and  pampas,  and  steppes,  and  vast 
unwooded  areas  quite  as  natural  as  forest- 
covered  plains  and  hills?  Have  we  not  a 
problem  quite  as  intricate  in  explaining  the 
existence  and  permanence  of  forests  as  in  pre- 
senting a  theory  which  explains  their  ab- 
sence ? 

Individual  estimates  of  the  comparative 
value  of  wooded  and  prairie  regions  would 
vary  as  to  the  tastes  or  traditions  of  men; 
but  the  general  summary  of  an  impartial 
census  leaves  no  room  for  debate  on  the  su- 
perior advantages  of  prairie  surfacea  The 
center  of  empire  makes  its  way  westward 
over  these  natural  meadows  more  rapidly  than 
through  dense  forests.  The  unprecedented 
advance  in  the  United  States  since  the  year 
1840,  in  political  power,  wealth  and  popula- 
tion, is  due,  mainly,  to  the  prairie  system  of 
the  Western  and  Northwestern  States  and 
Territories. 

The  landed  estate  of  Illinois  is  worth 
$1,000,000,000  in  forty  years,  is  equal  to 
that  of  Ohio  in  nearly  eighty  years,  and 


an  average  prairie  county  in  the  interior  of 
Nebraska  in  twelve  years  attains  the  wealth 
and  population  of  one  in  the  woods  of  Ohio, 
of  equal  size,  with  seventy-five  years  of  toil. 
After  searching  all  that  is  known  upon  the 
subject,  we  may  see  that  both  prairie  and 
forset  are  natural  conditions,  and  that  it  is 
in  the  power  of  man  to  make  or  unmake,  to 
have  either  surface,  or  to  combine  the  two  in 
any  manner  united  to  his  use  or  caprice.  It 
does  not  matter,  therefore,  whether  grassy 
plains  or  boundless  forests  have  priority  as 
the  primitive  condition.  It  would  easily  ap- 
pear from  both  geologic  and  human  history, 
that  the  two  orders  of  surface  have  alternate- 
ly held  possession,  and  that  the  present  prai- 
ries and  timbered  areas,  wholly,  or  in  part, 
were  once  covered  with  forests,  and  vice 
versa.  To  that  whenever  we  raise  the  ques- 
tion of  priority,  we  are  at  once  carried  into 
the  realm  of  geologic  history,  whose  faint 
outline  can  be  seen  on  the  shdres  of  the  old 
Silurian  Sea,,  where  the  first  fronds  of  vege- 
table life  raised  their  tiny  forms,  suited  to 
the  earliest  condition  of  light,  air  and  moist- 
ure consistent  with  life  upon  the  planet. 
But  the  two  great  orders  of  vegetable  life, 
viz.,  trees  and  grasses,  are  so  diverse  in  mode 
of  growth,  in  form  and  in  degree  of  vital 
force  that  we  may  naturally  took  in  the  di- 
rection of  this  diversity  for  causes  that  shall 
logically jlead  us  toward  a  satisfactory  expla- 
nation. 

The  superior  vital  force  of  grass  growths, 
aided  by  favorable  conditions,  enables  them 
to  exclude  timber  growths,  except  where  pro- 
tected by  natural  barriers.  The  constant  and 
free  action  of  these  relative  forces  maintains 
the  present  boundary  between  prairie  and 
timber  areas.  Whenever  these  forces  are  in- 
constant, or  irregular,  or  suspended  by  human 
agencies,  the  relative  areas  of  each  are  varied 
or  changed. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


161 


Grass  is  called  "  an  annual  "  plant,  yet  in 
an  enlarged  sense  it  is  perennial.  There  is 
more  vitality  in  the  rhizoma  or  roots  of  grass, 
than  in  the  oak  or  palm.  Whatever -may  de- 
stroy a  tree  or  shrub  brings  no  harm  to  grass. 
An  ocean  of  flame  may  sweep  over  the  prairie 
and  consume  every  living  thing,  and  leave 
the  plain  a  parched  and  desolate  waste,  yet 
in  a  month  the  grass  is  green  over  the  entire 
area,  but  the  trees  are  dead.  "What  required 
ten,  twenty  or  a  hundred  years  to  accumulate 
as  forest  or  grove,  can  be  replaced  only  by  the 
same  mimber  of  years,  while  grass  will  come 
to  its  best  estate  in  the  summer  time  of  every 
year.  I  offer  this  primal  and  fundamental 
relation  between  grasses  and  trees,  as  the 
present  and  procuring  cause  in  a  theory  to 
explain,  philosophically,  the  origin  of  the 
prairies: 

' '  Next  in  importance  to  the  Divine  profu- 
sion of  water,  light  and  air,  those  three  great 
physical  facts  which  render  existence  possible, 
maybe  reckoned  the  universal  beneficence  of 
grass.  Exaggerated  by  tropical  heats  and 
vapors  to  the  gigantic  cane  congested  with  its 
saccharine  secretion,  or  dwarfed  by  polar  rig- 
ors to  the  fibrous  hair  of  Northern  solitudes, 
embracing  between  these  extremes  the  maize, 
with  its  resolute  pennons,  the  rice  plant  of 
Southern  swamps,  the  wheat,  rye,  barley,  oats 
and  other  cereals,  no  less  than  the  humbler 
verdure  of  the  hillside,  pasture  and  prairie 
in  the  temperate  zone,  grass  is  the  most  wide- 
ly distributed  to  all  vegetable  beings,  and  is 
at  once  the  type  of  our  life  and  the  emblem 
of  our  mortality.  Lying  in  the  sunshine 
among  the  buttercups  and  dandelions  of  May, 
scarcely  higher  in  intelligence  than  the  mi- 
nute tenants  of  the  mimic  wilderness,  our 
earliest  recollections  are  of  grass;  and  when 
the  fitful  fever  is  ended,  and  the  foolish 
wrangle  of  the  market  and  forum  is  closed, 
grass  heals  over  the  scar  which  our  descent 


into  the  bosom  of  the  earth  has  made,  and 
becomes  the  blanket  of  the  dead. 

"  Grass  is  the  forgiveness  of  nature — her 
constant  benediction.  Fields  trampled  with 
battle,  saturated  with  blood,  torn  with  the 
ruts  of  cannon,  grow  green  again  with  grass, 
and  carnage  is  forgotten.  Streets  abandoned 
by  traffic  become  grass  grown  like  rural  lanes, 
and  are  obliterated.  Forests  decay,  harvests 
perish,  flowers  vanish,  but  grass  is  immortal. 
Beleaguered  by  the  sullen  hosts  of  winter,  it 
withdraws  into  the  impregnable  fortress  of 
its  subterranean  vitality,  and  emerges  upon 
the  first  solicitation  of  spring.  Sown  by  the 
winds,  by  wandering  birds,  propagated  by 
the  subtle  horticulture  of  the  elements,  which 
are  its  ministers  and  servants,  it  softens  the 
rude  outline  of  the  world.  Its  tenacious 
fibers  hold  the  earth  in  its  place,  and  prevent 
its  soluble  components  from  washing  into  the 
wasting  sea.  It  invades  the  solitude  of  de- 
serts, cJimbs  the  inaccessible  slopes  and  for- 
bidden pinnacles  of  mountains,  modifies 
climates,  and  determines  the  history,  char- 
acter and  destiny  of  nations.  Unobtrusive 
and  patient,  it  has  immortal  vigor  and  ag- 
gression. Banished  from  the  thoroughfare 
and  the  field,  it  bides  its  time  to  return,  and 
when  vigilance  is  relaxed,  or  the  dynasty  has 
perished,  it  silently  resumes  the  throne  from 
which  it  has  been  expelled,  but  which  it 
never  abdicates.  It  bears  no  blazonry  of 
bloom  to  charm  the  senses  with  fragrance  or 
splendor,  but  its  homely  hue  is  more  en- 
chanting than  the  lily  or  the  rose.  It  yields 
no  fruit  in  earth  or  air,  and  yet  should  its 
harvest  fail  for  a  single  year,  famine  would 
depopulate  the  world." 

The  forest,  however,  in  its  strife  for  the 
mastery  or  possession  has  its  peculiar  advan- 
tages. From  its  deep  shades  it  excludes  the 
grasses.  The  lack  of  light  and  warmth  in 
the  twilight  of  vast  forests — "the  boundless 


162 


HISTORY   OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


contiguity  of  shade  " — partly  paralyzes  vege- 
table growth  of  all  kinds,  and  nearly  obliter- 
ates all  traces  of  grass.  The  shrubs  and  un-  j 
dergrowth  are  dwarfed  into  insignificance, 
and  appear  unwelcome,  like  lank  beggars  in 
a  lordly  court. 

Grown  trees,  however,  with  their  spreading 
branches,  bearing  coronals  of  leaves,  yearly 
increase  in  this  manner  their  own  bulk,  and 
at  the  same  time  deepen  the  shade  that  de- 
prives the  shrub  or  sapling  and  grass  of  their 
bread  of  life.  By  this  regime  the  forest  at- 
tains its  majesty,  and  maintains  its  regal 
splendor  for  centuries.  By  this  economy, 
with  its  steady  bracing  and  blending  of 
woody  fiber,  the  tree  trunk  lengthens  towards 
the  sun,  increases  in  strength  and  beauty, 
and  contributes  to  man  his  house  on  land  and 
his  ship  at  sea.  On  the  border,  between  the 
forest  and  plain,  both  grasses  and  trees  show 
the  decimating  effect  of  antagonism  in  the 
struggle  for  existence.  Trees  of  high  growth 
and  rank  never  grow  into  columns;  but,  with 
branches  near  the  ground,  dwindle  into  groves 
in  bush  forms.  Among  them,  but  with 
abated  force,  the  grasses  spread,  and  afford 
only  tolerable  pasture.  It  is  evidently  a 
drawn  battle,  or  an  attempt  to  compromise 
under  a  flag  of  truce.  The  effect  of  annual 
fires  over  prairie  areas  is  nearly  uniform. 
It  is  one  of  the  constant  forces,  varying,  of 


course,  in  direction  and  power  with  the  wind, 
but  passing  over,  year  after  year,  nearly  the 
same  areas,  and  meeting  the  same  barriers  to 
stay  its  progress,  thus  keeping  the  same  bor- 
der line  between  the  two  kingdoms.  These 
fires  may  have  originated  ages  ago,  from  the 
ordinary  lightning,  or  what  is  more  probable, 
they  were  caused  by  the  same  means  that  now 
maintain  them,  viz.,  human  agency.  From 
time  immemorial,  the  Indians  have,  generally 
in  the  autumn  of  each  year,  fired  the  prairie 
or  grass  plains,  producing  thereby  that  pecu- 
liar phenomena  called  Indian  summer.  By 
these  annual  fires,  they  secure  two  results, 
viz.,  first,  the  game  is  driven  to  the  timber, 
where  it  can  be  more  easily  taken;  and  sec- 
ond, the  grasses  being  burned,  the  bare 
prairie  affords  free  vision  against  invasion, 
and  also  facilitates  speed,  whether  for  assault 
or  retreat.  Compelled  thus  by  a  twofold  ne- 
cessity to  annually  burn  the  prairies,  it  is 
easy  to  see  that  they  must  have  maintained 
for  ages  the  areas  that  were  fixed  by  natural 
barriers  in  the  indefinite  past — established 
with  no  prospect  of  change,  except  by  a 
change  of  policy  under  a  different  race  of 
men.  In  this  case  the  successful  invaders  of 
the  present  vast  population  of  farmers  must 
speedily  revolutionize  the  Indian  policy  and 
the  former  boundaries  between  prairies  and 
groves. 


MILTON  TOWXSHIP. 


168 


CHAPTEE   VIII. 


MILTON    TOWNSHIP  — ITS   FIRST   SETTLERS  — WHEATON  — HOW   IT   RECEIVED    ITS   NAME  — THE 
GALENA  &  CHICAGO  UNION  RAILROAD— CHURCHES  OF  WHEATON— PIONEER  SCHOOL- 
STACY'S  CORNERS— BABCOCK   GROVE— PROSPECT   PARK— ITS    CHURCHES. 


r  I  iWO  seafaring  men,  who  had  risen  from 
*-  cabin  boys  to  become  masters  of  vessels 
by  time  they  had  attained  manhood,  formed 
a  determination  to  relinquish  the  calling  to 
which  they  had  been  trained,  and  strike  oat 
a  new  coarse  in  life.  These  men  were  the 
two  Naper  brothers,  of  whom  much  has  been 
said  in  previous  pages.  The  new  plan  con- 
templated the  forming  of  a  colony  to  establish 
itself  and  grow  up  with  the  country  some- 
where in  the  West  to  which  the  immense  im- 
migration was  tending  that  had  loaded  their 
vessels  westward  bound  to  their  utmost  ca- 
pacity for  the  years  that  they  had  been  sail- 
ors and  Captains.  The  names  of  two  of  the 
men  who  joined  their  colony  are  Lyman  But- 
terfield  and  Henry  T.  Wilson.  The  vessel 
started  from  Ashtabula,  Ohio,  in  June,  1831, 
and  arrived  at  Chicago  in  July.  From  thence 
the  adventurers  made  their  way  across  the 
spongy  flats  that  then  intervened  between  the 
place  and  the  Desplaines  River,  and  kept  on 
to  the  west  till  their  destination  was  reached, 
which  was  the  spot  where  Naperville  now 
stands.  Here  Mr.  Butterfield  and  Mr.  Wil- 
son remained  a  short  time,  witnessed  the 
Black  Hawk  scare,  and  the  next  year  took  up 
claims  a  few  miles  north  of  the  parent  set- 
tlement— Naperville.  Mr.  Butterfietd's  claim 
was  for  a  half-section  of  land  lying  wholly  in 
the  present  township  of  Milton,  in  its  south- 
eastern corner.  Mr.  Wilson's  claim,  made  at 
the  same  time,  happened  to  be  where  the 
three  townships— Lisle,  Winfield  and  Milton 


— corner  together.  These  two  men  were  the 
true  pioneers  of  Milton  Township,  just  half 
a  century  ago  last  June,  the  time  of  writing 
this  chapter  being  August,  1882.  Mr.  But- 
terfield died  a  few  years  ago,  but  Mr.  Wilson 
still  walks  the  streets  of  Wheaton,  and  stal- 
wart young  men,  whose  fathers  he  saw  in 
their  swaddling  clothes,  now  help  the  old 
man  up  and  steady  his  tottering  footsteps 
down  the  uneven  sidewalks  of  Wheaton,  as 
he  goes  for  the  mail  or  after  a  newspaper  to 
see  what  is  going  on  in  a  world  of  excitement 
of  which  he  has  beheld  three  full  generations. 
His  grip  on  life  is  still  tenacious  as  it  is 
chronic.  As  this  goes  to  press,  news  comes 
that  Mr.  Wilson's  sands  of  life  are  run  out 
almost  to  the  last  grain. 

Ralph  and  Morgan  Babcock  canue  to  the 
place  since  called  Babcock's  Grove,  and  made 
claims  in  1833  of  nearly  the  whole  grove, 
with  a  view  of  parceling  it  out  to  their  friends 
who  were  soon  to  follow. 

The  next  year  (1834),  Deacon  Winslow 
Churchill,  with  his  sons — Seth,  Winslow,  Jr., 
and  Hiram — came  to  the  place  and  made 
claims — all  in  what  is  now  Milton,  except 
that  of  Winslow,  Jr.,  which  was  on  the 
ground  on  which  the  northern  part  of  the 
village  of  Lombard,  in  York,  now  stands. 
WTith  the  Churchills  also  came  the  wife  of 
Morgan  Babcock,  John  D.  Ackerman  and 
family  and  Seth  Churchill  and  family.  All 
these  came  from  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y., 
arriving  at  Chicago  on  the  schooner  La 


164 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Grange,  June  4,  1834;  here  they  procured 
teams,  and,  loading  their  household  goods, 
started  over  the  prairies,  stopping  the  first 
night,  at  Scott's  tavern,  where  Lyons  now  is, 
and  the  next  night  at  Parson's,  where  Lisle 
now  is;  thence  over  the  trackless  prairie 
northwardly,  to  the  grove  where  their  home  h  ad 
been  secured  to  them  the  year  before  by  a  few 
blazes  made  on  trees  in  the  grove  and  a  few 
stakes  driven  in  the  prairie  by  Mr.  Babcock. 
In  1835,  Moses  Stacy  and  his  wife  came 
from  Windham  County,  Vt.,  via  Buffalo  to 
Detroit,  by  steamer,  thence  by  schooner  to 
Chicago;  thence,  with  a  hired  team,  they 
started  for  Hennepin,  111.,  their  original  des- 
tination, but,  on  their  arrival  at  Ottawa,  they 
found  so  many  cases  of  malarial  fever  that 
they  retraced  their  steps  in  pursuit  of  a  more 
salubrious  location  to  the  north.  They  found 
it  '.he  last  of  August,  1858,  at  the  high  spot 
of  land  to  which  their  name  has  been  given — 
Stacy's  Corners — and  here  Mrs.  Stacy  and 
one  of  her  sons  still  live  on  this  spot  so  beau- 
tifully adorned  by  generous  nature,  on  the  top- 
most of  those  gravelly  ridges  that  rise  in  ter- 
races one  above  another  till  it  crowns  the  whole 
with  a  broad  plateau,  extending  indefinitely 
to  the  north.  Here  they  built  a  small  cabin, 
14x16,  with  a  puncheon  floor  and  a  roof  of 
split  logs,  the  lower  layers  of  which  were 
channeled  so  as  to  catch  the  drainage  from 
the  upper  ones.  Soon  after  it  was  built,  an  oc- 
casional traveler  called  at  night  for  enter- 
tainment. It  would  not  do  to  turn  him 
adri  ft,  for  he  had  no  other  refuge.  Thus  be- 
gan this  business  of  tavern-keeping,  which 
grew  on  their  hands  till  their  premises  were 
enlarged  and  rebuilt  once  and  again,  and 
still  inadequate  to  supply  the  demand  as  the 
country  settled  to  the  West,  and  Stacey's 
Corners  gave  promise  of  a  central  nucleus  of 
a  metropolitan  character,  and  the  name  of 
Du  Page  Center  was  given  it. 


David  Christian  settled  at  the  place  in 
1837,  and  built  a  frame  house,  the  first  in 
the  new  settlement.  In  a  few  years  it  had 
two  good  stores,  two  blacksmith  shops,  a  har- 
ness stop,  a  hame  factory,  a  wagon  shop  and 
all  the  machinery  of  a  town. 

Even  Chicago  came  to  the  place  to  get 
their  mechanics  to  make  a  dredge  to  clean 
the  mud  out  of  the  Chicago  Eiver.  But  there 
was  a  limit  to  this  prosperity.  The  laws  of 
trade  are  inexorable  and  would  follow  the 
railroads,  even  from  pleasing  heights  into 
valleys,  and  when  the  Galena  &  Chicago 
Union  Railroad  came  through  in  1849,  many 
buildings  were  moved  from  the  Corners  to 
Danby,  and  all  the  business  that  had  hither- 
to centered  at  the  place. 

But  let  us  return  again  to  the  good  old 
days  of  1835,  when  log  schoolhouses  were 
built  for  earnest  children  to  study  in,  drawn 
thither  by  no  aesthetic  influences.  One  of 
these  was  built  by  subscription  in  1835,  at 
an  opening  in  the  north  edge  of  the  grove, 
on  a  small  tributary  of  the  East  Fork.  It  is 
now  a  lonesome  spot,  away  from  the  road,  but 
was  then  vocal  with  young  voices  on  week 
days,  and  hallowed  with  divine  worship  on 
Sundays,  as  all  schoolhouses  were  in  the  early 
days. 

The  first  teacher  in  this  house  was  Miss 
Maria  Dudley,  whose  brother  is  now  a  promi- 
nent lawyer  in  Naperville.  Rev.  Pillsbury 
was  the  pioneer  preacher  in  it,  per  ord«r  of 
Presiding  Elder  Clark,  of  the  Du  Page  dis- 
trict, the  same  who  had  in  June  the  previous 
year,  come  to  the  place  to  preach  the  funeral 
sermon  of  a  young  daughter  of  Deacon  Wins- 
low  Churchill — Amanda.  There  was  no 
cemetery  in  which  to  deposit  her  remains, 
but  she  was  buried  on  private  grounds  with 
solemnities  all  the  more  impressive,  because 
where  people  are  few  and  the  face  of  nature 
is  ample,  the  loss  of  a  single  individual 


MILTON  TOWNSHIP. 


105 


leaves  a  broader  chasm  in  the  home  circle 
and  in  the  neighborhood. 

The  same  year,  1835,  William  D.  Dodge, 
from  Rutland  County,  Vt. ,  came  to  the  settle- 
ment and  made  a  claim  adjoining  Babcock's-, 
his  family  arriving  the  following  October. 
It  was  no  small  acquisition  to  the  settlement, 
for  he  had  four  sons  and  nine  daughters,  all 
of  whom  settled  at  the  piece.  The  names  of 
the  sons  were  N.  Mason.  Darwin  D.,  William 
B.  and  J.  S.  It  is  not  so  necessary  to  name 
the  girls,  for  they  soon  became  identified  by 
other  names  of  a  more  masculine  and  less 
transient  type,  in  which  capacity  they  lent  a 
hand  in  building  up  the  country. 

Warren  L.  and  Jesse  C.  Wheaton,  Erastus 
Gary,  Peter  Crosby,  S.  H.  Manchester,  Al- 
vin  Simmons,  Peter  Northrup,  all  came  to  this 
township  soon  afterward,  and  all  of  them 
are  still  active  men,  which  would  go  to  show 
that  half  a  century  in  Milton  Township  had 
not  tasked  nature  to  her  extreme  limits,  with- 
out counting  how  much  wear  and  tear  these 
gentlemen  had  before  they  came  here  with 
ripe  growth  in  their  limbs.  These  specimens, 
together  with  other  evidences,  go  to  show  the 
healthfulness  of  the  place.  Its  surface 
drainage  is  good,  there  being  no  extensive 
flat  lands  in  the  township,  though  a  nar- 
row belt  of  low  interval  skirts  the  East 
Branch  of  the  Du  Page  River  that  courses 
through  the  eastern  tier  of  sections  in  this 
township. 

These  low  lands  are  not  built  on,  but  serve 
for  pasturage  or  meadow,  being  too  spongy 
for  cultivation.  There  are  groves  of  good 
timber  in  the  southwestern  and  central  east- 
ern and  northeastern  portions  of  the  town- 
ship, which  have,  even  up  to  this  day,  large- 
ly furnished  fuel  for  farmers  and  townsmen, 
besides  much  material  for  building,  fencing, 
etc.  The  gravel  banks  along  the  railroad 
west  of  the  Du  Page  are  very  valuable,  and 


furnish  the  necessary  material  for  graveling 
the  railroad. 

Milton  has  eight  school  districts  and  BB 
many  good  schoolhouses,  two  of  which  are 
graded.  The  number  of  persons  between  the 
ages  of  six  and  twenty  in  the  town  is  468. 

In  the  western  part  of  the  town,  at  Pleas- 
ant Hill,  is  a  creamery  that  consumes  4,000 
pounds  of  milk,  makes  120  pounds  of  butter 
and  350  pounds  of  cheese  daily.  The  dairy 
business  is  on  the  increase  in  the  town, 
owing,  especially,  to  the  facilities  which  the 
railroad  affords  for  sending  milk  to  Chicago. 

THE    MASTODON. 

To  trace  the  history  of  this  noble  animal 
since  the  timbers  of  Noah's  ark  cringed  be- 
neath his  ponderous  tread,  would  take  us 
through  many  evolutions  of  nature  ere  his 
offspring  found  their  way  into  Du  Page 
County.  That  he  finally  chose  his  pasture 
here  is  an  evidence  that  it  was  then  as  now  a 
good  grazing  country,  for  he  was  an  herb- 
eating  animal.  His  teeth  give  evidence  of 
that  and  further  prove  that  if  he  did  not  find 
grass  enough  to  till  his  capacious  stomach, 
that  he  could  crop  the  little  twigs  from  the 
trees,  or  eat  the  trees  themselves  level  to  the 
ground,  if  they  were  young  forest  trees  not 
over  twenty  feet  high,  for  what  were  such 
saplings  between  teeth  that  weighed  from 
two  to  six  pounds  each,  twenty-four  in  num- 
ber. Some  of  them  were  fashioned  like 
pruning- shears;  his  tusks  were  ten  feet  in 
length,  ten  inches  in  diameter  at  the  base  and 
weighed  200  pounds.  These  are  the  dimen- 
sions and  weight  of  a  pair  of  them  found 
near  Aurora  a  few  years  ago,  while  excavating 
for  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Rail- 
road. Later  in  the  fall  of  1869,  the  bones  of 
one  fore  leg,  sixteen  sections  of  vertebrae, 
shoulder-blade  and  hip-bone  of  this  extinct 
species  were  found  on  the  land  of  Mr.  Horace 


166 


HISTORY   OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Jane,  two  miles  from  Wheaton.  The  prob- 
lem is,  When  did  this  animal  leave  his  foot- 
prints on  our  soil  ?  Lyell  says  that  they  be- 
came extinct  many  thousand  years  ago,  but 
it  is  evident  that  he  had  not  consulted  Mr. 
Jayne,  for  he  could  have  given  him  evdience 
that  would  have  dispelled  such  a  theory. 

Mr.  Jayne  says  he  found  the  bones  in  a 
comparatively  recently  filled-up  basin  of 
water,  imbedded  in  murky  accretions  from  its 
surrounding  water-shed.  Near  the  bones 
were  small  tree  trunks  still  standing  with 
their  roots  pierced  into  the  solid  soil  below 
the  black  muck  that  covered  and  preserved 
them.  This  don't  look  like  the  work  of 
' '  many  thousand  years, "  for  this  process  of 
the  filling  up  of  prairie  ponds  is  still  going 
on,  and  much  of  nature's  handiwork  in  this 
direction  has  been  done  within  the  memory 
of  our  early  settlers.  No;  we  may  conclude 
that  not  more  than  five  centuries  ago  at 
most  that  herds  of  mastodons  frisked  about 
here  like  lambs  in  a  June  pasture.  Perhaps 
they  grazed  the  timber  all  down  where  the 
prairies  are,  and  providentially  left  the  groves 
for  winter  pasture.  If  this  settles  the  ques- 
tion of  the  origin  of  the  prairies,  it  will  'save 
archaeologists  a  good  deal  of  hard  study. 

BISTORT  OF  THE    VILLAGE    OF  WHEATON. 

Amidst  the  ' '  banks  and  braes  "  of  Wind- 
ham  County,  Conn.,  there  grew  up  some  note- 
worthy historical  associations.  The  place 
was  settled  in  1686  by  good  old  Puritan  stock 
from  Boxbury,  Mass.,  whose  influence  is  felt 
to-day  in  the  social  circles  of  Wheaton,  though 
transmitted  through  not  less  than  six  genera- 
tions. From  Pomfret,  in  that  county,  came 
the  first  settlers  of  Wheaton,  whose  courage 
and  ambition  may  have  been  toned  up  to  a 
good  scale  by  the  proximity  of  their  birth- 
place to  the  cave  where  Gen.  Putnam  bearded 
the  wolf  in  his  lair  and  slew  him,  which  was 


quite  a  feat  for  a  young  man  not  accustomed, 
like  the  old  Romans,  to  play  the  gladiator. 
From  near  the  spot  where  this  event  had 
transpired,  Erastas  Gary  came  to  St.  Joseph, 
Mich.,  in  the  autumn  of  1831.  Here  he 
found  a  prosperous  village,  containing  about 
twenty-five  families,  with  sufficient  attractions 
to  determine  him  to  remain  for  the  winter  to 
teach  the  town  school  and  await  what  might 
turn  up.  The  next  spring,  having  determined 
to  see  what  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  lake, 
he  started,  April  1,  1832,  with  three  compan- 
ions, in  a  dugout  canoe  for  Chicago,  which 
was  then  the  usual  method  of  private  travel 
between  the  two  places.  Constant  toiling  at 
the  oars  along  the  southern  shores  of  Lake 
Michigan,  with  two  nights  spent  in  camp 
thereon,  brought  the  travelers  to  Chicago  on 
the  3d,  and  here  Mr.  Gary  only  spent  the 
night,  for  the  place  looked  far  less  inviting 
than  St.  Joseph.  "Westward  ho!"  was  the 
watchword  the  next  morning,  and,  after 
taking  leave  of  his  companions,  he  took  up 
his  march  toward  sunset  and  gained  Law- 
ton's,  on  the  Desplaines,  at  night,  after  a 
day  of  amphibious  toil,  sometimes  for  miles 
through  water  a  foot  deep.  The  next  day,  he 
reached  Naperville,  which  was  on  the  5th. 
From  thence  he  made  his  way  northwardly, 
and  took  up  a  claim  at  first  adjoining  the 
claim  of  Mr.  Butterfield,  some  years  before 
the  spot  where  Wheaton  now  is  become  his 
residence. 

That  there  would  have  been  a  village  at  or 
not  far  from  where  Wheaton  now  stands  is 
certain  in  any  event,  but  how  it  came  to  be 
located  in  this  precise  spot,  and  how  it  took 
its  name,  grew  out  of  the  following  circum- 
stantial details. 

Warren  L.  Wheaton,  whose  limbs  had 
gathered  pith  and  whose  fires  of  youth  had 
been  fanned  to  manhood's  flame,  around  the 
old  classic  grounds  of  Pomfret  (his  birth- 


MILTOX  TOWNSHIP. 


167 


place),  as  well  as  Mr.  Gary's,  came  to  the 
Gary  settlement  June  1,  1837,  to  which  E. 
Gary,  his  fellow-townsman,  had  preceded 
him.  Ever  since  the  Black  Hawk  war,  set- 
tlers had  been  actively  employed  in  making 
claims,  especially  contiguous  to  the  Naper 
settlement,  and  the  lands  where  timber  and 
prairie  were  conbined  in  desirable  propor- 
tions, were  all  under  the  bonds  of  claims, 
which  were  sacred  as  deeds,  at  least  till  the 
land  had  come  into  market,  and  long  enough 
thereafter  to  give  the  respective  claimants  a 
reasonable  time  to  pay  for  them. 

The  amount  of  land  to  which  the  Garys 
and  Butterfields  had  laid  claim  was  much 
larger  than  they  wished  for  their  own  use, 
and  had  designedly  been  made  so  for  the 
purpose  of  letting  their  friends  and  old  fel- 
low-citizens from  Pomfret  have  a  portion  of 
it.  Notwithstanding  this  propitious  chance 
of  settling  here,  young  Wheaton  had  a  desire 
to  look  farther  west  before  he  made  a  de- 
cision, which,  as  the  result  proved,  was  to 
establish  him  for  life.  Accordingly,  he 
started  on  foot  over  the  open  prairies,  in  a 
southwesterly  direction,  sometimes  getting  a 
ride  by  stage  or  otherwise,  and  in  his  wan- 
derings visited  St.  Louis,  Quincy  and  Bur- 
lington. At  the  latter  place  .was  only  two 
houses.  Keeping  on  up  the  river,  he  saw 
Dubuque,  when  it  had  but  a  few  houses,  and 
Galena,  when  there  were  only  a  small  cluster 
of  buildings  at  the  place.  From  this  place, 
he  turned  his  course  homeward,  or  to  what 
afterward  became  his  home,  but  between 
which  spot  and  himself  lay  an  immense 
plain  of  waving  grasses,  almost  entirely  unin- 
habited. Dixon  was  his  first  point  to  reach, 
to  which  a  well-known  trail  led  and  also  con- 
tinued on  to  the  east,  the  main  line  leading 
to  Ottawa  and  a  branch  of  it  to  Naperville. 
Over  this  prairie  trail  he  traveled  on  foot, 
and  by  time  he  had  returned,  was  in  a  suit- 


able frame  of  mind  to  cast  his  lot  with  his 
friends,  among  the  undulating  swells  of  land 
where  he  now  resides.  Perhaps  his  long 
stretches  of  marching  between  the  stopping 
stations  and  his  tired  limbs,  had  something 
to  do  with  this  decision,  but  yet  the  distant 
hope  that  Chicago  would  rise  out  of  the  mud 
and  become  at  least  a  good  market  for  prod- 
U'-e  was  then  in  the  minds  of  every  one,  and 
had  its  influence  with  Mr.  Wheaton. 

A  year  had  now  been  spent  in  prospecting, 
pending  which  time  a  Mr.  Knickerbocker  had 
come  to  the  place,  and,  liking  the  lay  of  the 
land  where  the  Garys  and  L.  Butterfield 
had  made  a  claim,  either  unwittingly  or 
through  design,  came  to  the  spot  with  an  ox 
team  and  began  to  turn  over  the  sod.  Thirty 
acres  were  plowed  before  he  was  discovered, 
when  intelligence  of  the  trespass  came  to  the 
Garys  and  Mr.  Butterfield.  Something  must 
be  done  immediately,  and  it  was  planned  by 
the  aggrieved  party  promptly  to  repair  to  the 
spot  with  a  team  rigged  to  a  plow,  and  com- 
mence breaking  the  sod  by  following  the  fur- 
rows already  made  by  the  claim-jumper,  as 
Mr.  Knickerbocker  then  was  looked  upon  to  be. 
Thus  the  two  rival  interested  parties  contin- 
ued at  their  work,  without  saying  a  word, 
and,  as  they  went  round  after  round  on  the 
same  land,  determination  gathered  force. 
Knickerbocker  was  the  first  to  raise  the  flag 
of  truce,  which  he  did  substantially  by  com- 
ing to  the  Gary  party  to  hold  a  parley. 

During  this  eventful  parlance,  young  War- 
ren Wheaton,  who  was  a  looker-on,  took  the 
Gary  team  and  hastened  to  the  next  rise  of 
land  to  the  east,  where  no  claim  had  yet  been 
made,  and  plowed  around  about  640  acres  or 
more  to  secure  it  to  himself  before  Knicker- 
bocker could  have  time  to  do  it,  for  Mr. 
Wheaton  well  knew  that  he  would  be  driven 
from  the  grounds  of  Gary  or  Butterfield, 
and  felt  almost  certain  that  he  would  claim 


168 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


the  next  adjoining  land,  to  which  he  now 
was  making  good  his  own  claims.  While  Mr. 
Wheaton  was  doing  this,  the  dispute  was  ad- 
justed by  paying  Mr.  Knickerbocker  $120  for 
his  service  in  plowing  the  land,  of  which 
there  were  thirty  acres — a  happy  way  of  set- 
tling the  affair,  and  a  generous  one  on  the 
part  of  the  defendants,  for  claim-jumping 
then  was  a  serious  offense,  and  if  condign 
punishment  was  meted  out  for  it,  there  was 
no  one  to  question  its  justice  or  propriety. 
By  this  time,  Jesse  Wheaton,  who  had  arrived 
in  the  country  a  few  months  subsequent  to 
his  brother  Warren,  was  on  the  spot,  and  the 
disputed  territory  to  which  Knickerbocker 
had  laid  claim,  was  promptly  transferred  to 
him  by  his  paying  for  the  plowing,  which  he 
did. 

Perhaps  this  finale  to  those  negotiations 
was  a  sort  of  "  all-in-the- family''  arrange- 
ment, for  the  tradition  says  that  it  was  then 
supposed  that  Jesse  felt  a  gentleness  toward 
Orinda,  the  sister  of  E.  and  J.  Gary,  the 
truth  of  which  is  confirmed  by  the  subsequent 
marriage  of  the  two,  and  it  is  not  too  much 
to  say  here  that  this  marriage  so  promptly 
made  verifies  the  assertion  that  Cupid  is  more 
unerring  in  his  darts  in  new  countries,  for 
nowadays  many  long  courtships  terminate  in 
failures. 

These  are  the  circumstances  which  brought 
the  two  Wheaton  brothers  to  the  place  where 
each  now  live,  and  for  whom  the  town  was 
named.  That  they  came  may  be  set  down, 
perhaps,  as  the  result  of  rivalry  or  ambition 
to  secure  a  claim  ahead  of  Mr.  Knickerbocker, 
and  that  the  town  took  its  name  for  them,  is, 
perhaps,  the  result  of  a  friendly  dinner. 

The  circumstances  are  these:  When  John 
B.  Turner  and  William  B.  Ogden  came 
through  the  place,  in  1849,  prospecting  for 
a  route  and  the  right  of  way  for  the  Galena 
&  Chicago  Union  Railroad,  they  had  met  but 


slender  encouragement  from  the  settlers  im- 
mediately east  of  this  place,  then  without  a 
name.  Not  that  the  inhabitants  objected  to 
the  road,  but  they  showed  a  disposition  to 
avail  themselves  of  the  occasion  to  get  a  round 
price  for  the  land  needed  for  its  construction. 
Instead  of  taking  any  such  advantage,  the 
Wheatons  were  in  full  sympathy  with  these 
representatives  of  the  road,  offered  them  the 
right  of  way  gratis,  and  invited  the  two  gen- 
tlemen to  dinner.  Whether  it  was  this  din- 
ner, which  was  doubtless  a  good  one,  or  the 
free  gift  of  land,  or  both  combined,  that  in- 
fluenced the  managers  of  the  road  to  put  the 
station  here  and  name  the  place  Wheaton, 
will  never  be  known,  but  certain  it  is  that  no 
amount  of  finessing  and  subtlety  on  the  part 
of  rival  localities,  which  immediately  ensued, 
could  change  the  firm  purposes  of  Messrs. 
Turner  and  Ogden.  They  were  true  to  their 
first  love  and  resisted  all  the  blandishments 
of  coquetry  that  followed  from  whithersoever 
it  came. 

Mr.  Jewell  want  so  far  as  to  build  a  depot 
at  an  expense  of  $400,  so  situated  as  to  bring 
the  road  near  to  his  land,  the  same  now  known 
as  Jewell's  Grove,  but  it  had  no  effect. 

Dissatisfaction  also  prevailed  in  other  lo- 
calities where  apathy  had  existed  but  a  short 
time  before,  ere  the  people  had  awakened  to 
the  importance  of  the  subject.. 

But  let  us  return  to  trace  the  first  settlers 
who  came  to  the  place  after  the  WTheatons 
had  set  their  stakes  here.  The  three  next 
were  Peter  Crosby,  who  now  lives  next  door 
east  of  the  house  of  the  writer;  S.  H.  Man- 
chester, who  now  lives  close  by  Wheaton, 
and  Avin  Simmons,  who  still  lives  at  the 
place.  These  five  first  settlers  are  all  our 
esteemed  fellow-citizens  to-day,  July,  1882, 
after  a  residence  of  almost  half  a  century,  and 
all  able  to  attend  to  their  daily  avocations 
with  their  accustomed  promptness.  To  them 


MILTON  TOWH8HJP. 


169 


may  be  added  Erastus  Geary  and  Henry  T 
Wilson,  both  of  whom  are  citizens  of  Wheat- 
on,  and  came  to  the  county  several  years  be- 
fore the  first  five  named,  but  not  to  Wheaton 
till  many  had  preceded  them.  Both  these 
gentlemen  are  well  known  throughout  the 
country.  Mr.  Gary  is  still  an  active  mem- 
ber of  society,  taking  an  interest  in  all  the 
issues  that  affect  the  welfare  of  our  country, 
but  Mr.  Wilson,  now  within  a  few  weeks  of 
ninety-four  years  old,  has  passed  his  age  of 
utility,  though  he  still  sometimes  walks  the 
streets  and  bids  good  morning  to  his  old 
friends,  of  which  he  has  countless  numbers. 

There  are  many  others  venerable  with  age 
and  honors,  but  the  mention  of  whose  names 
does  not  belong  with  a  list  of  first  settlers, 
because  they  came  later  to  the  county. 

In  the  fall  of  1849,  the  Galena  &  Chicago 
Union  Railroad  laid  their  track  through  the 
place,  and  thence  to  Elgin,  and  built  a  depot 
here,  if  poles  set  in  the  ground  to  sustain  a 
roof  of  battened  boards  and  sides,  fashioned 
in  the  same  manner,  deserves  such  a  name. 
The  track  consisted  of  strap  iron  spiked  on 
wooden  scantling,  on  which  rickety  old  sec- 
ond-hand engines  ran  at  slow  rates;  but  this 
means  of  transportation,  though  defective, 
was  better  than  the  bottomless  sloughs  that 
intervened  between  Wheaton  and  Chicago. 

The  first  store  built  here  was  a  grocery. 
"Who  ever  heard  of  any  other  kind  of  a  store 
as  a  pioneer  effort  in  a  new  country  ?  Its 
very  name  sometimes  meant  that  you  could 
buy  from  its  proprietor  Kentucky  Twist  or 
Kentucky  Bourbon,  or  something  else  more 
fiery,  and  it  also  meant  that  the  way-worn 
traveler  could  find  entertainment  with  a  good 
solid  bed  to  sleep  in,  if  the  bedstead  which 
held  it  did  not  break  down,  and  that  he  could 
luxuriate  on  nutritious  corn-bread  for  supper 
and  breakfast.  This  is  what  the  pioneer 
grocery  in  a  new  country  frequently  meant, 


and  the  one  opened  here  by  Patrick  Lynch 
justified  the  reputation  of  these  primitive  es- 
tablishments, especially  those  who  played 
"  Hamlet  without  the  character  of  Hamlet. ' ' 
The  next  store  was  not  a  grocery  store,  that 
is,  Kentucky  Bourbon  was  not  kept  in  it,  al- 
though it  kept  tea,  coffee  and  sugar  and 
everything  that  sober  people  wanted  from  a 
penny  whistle  to  a  bass  drum,  to  use  a  com- 
parison. It  was  a  country  store,  and  Mr.  H. 
H.  Puller  was  its  proprietor;  he,  at  the  same 
time,  kept  a  hotel,  was  Postmaster,  kept  the 
depot  and  a  stage  office,  all  of  which  callings 
have  grown  into  larger  dimensions  than  one 
man  could  attend  to,  except  the  stage  office, 
which  is  now  one  of  the  extinct  institutions, 
like  the  relics  of  mastodons  that  were  dug  up 
on  the  land  of  Mr.  Jaynes,  adjacent  to 
Wheaton. 

Mr.  Fuller  has  now  enough  to  do  to  attend 

o 

to  the  depot,  of  which  he  still  has  the  charge. 
His  old  store  stood  where  the  Central  Hotel 
now  stands,  immediately  south  of  the  depot. 

The  first  man  here  who  followed  that  occu- 
pation to  which  Elihu  Burritt  lent  so  much 
honor  (that  of  a  blacksmith),  was  Mr.  Worm- 
with;  his  shop  stood  where  the  store  of 
Messrs.  Grotte  Bros,  now  stands,  and  was 
erected  in  1850.  Mr.  Wormwith,  a  few  years 
later,  died  with  consumption.  The  ware- 
house now  occupied  by  Messrs.  Sutcliffe  & 
Kelly  was  built  the  same  year  as  the  black- 
smith shop — 1850 — by  E.  Gary  and  the 
Wheatons. 

On  the  20th  of  June,  1853,  the  southeast 
quarter  of  Section  16,  Township  36,  Range 
10,  having  been  laid  out  in  streets,  by  W. 
L,  Wheaton,  J.  C.  Wheaton  and  others,  a 
plat  of  it  was  duly  recorded  as  the  village  of 
Wheaton. 

From  this  period  to  1859,  the  town  grew 
apace,  so  as  to  contain  not  less  than  seven  or 
eight  hundred  inhabitants.  It  was,  however, 


170 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


stigmatized  as  "Wheaton's  Mud-Hole"  by 
some  rival  localities — a  name,  it  must  be  con- 
fessed, not  unmerited  in  the  early  spring  or 
during  excessive  wet  weather  in  its  primitive 
days,  when  a  mud  blockade  kept  the  people 
at  home  oftentimes  when  pressing  necessities 
urged  locomotion. 

Stimulated  by  these  unfavorable  conditions, 
the  prominent  citizens  of  the  place  saw  the 
necessities  of  improving  the  streets  and  drain- 
ing the  sloughs  and  ponds,  of  which  there 
were  many,  and,  after  conferring  together, 
decided  that  the  true  interests  of  the  town 
required  an  act  of  incorporation,  in  order  to 
enforce  a  system  of  public  improvements. 
Accordingly,  a  charter  was  drawn  up  by  the 
United  Council  of  the  representative  men  of 
the  place,  taking  the  charter  of  Naperville  as 
a  model,  with  but  two  modifications,  the  first 
of  which  was  that  the  President  of  the  Coun- 
cil Board  should  not  be  admitted  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  the  county, 
and  the  second  was  that  the  Council  Board 
should  have  the  power  to  license  or  suppress 
the  sale  of  fermented  or  distilled  liquors  of 
all  kinds.  It  was  stipulated  by  the  charter 
as  follows:  "The  first  election  shall  be  held 
on  the  third  Monday  of  March,  A.  D.  1859, 
and  Erastus  Gary,  L.  J.  Bliss,  Seth  F.  Dan- 
iels and  J.  C.  Wheaton,  or  any  two  of  them, 
may  act  as  Judges  of  said  election.  This  act 
to  be  in  force  from  and  after  its  passage." 
Approved  February  24,  1859. 

The  north  half  of  the  southwest  quarter 
and  the  west  half  of  the  southeast  quarter  of 
Section  16,  the  south  half  of  the  northeast 
quarter  and  the  east  half  of  the  southeast 
quarter  of  Section  17;  Township  39,  Range 
10,  east  of  the  Third  Principal  Meridian, 
were  the  lands  comprised  in  the  charter. 

The  second  charter  of  Wheaton,  the  one 
under  whose  authority  the  Council  now  acts, 
was  approved  March  11,  1S69.  It  enlarged 


the  limits  of  the  town,  so  as  to  include  in  all 
the  whole  of  Section  16  and  the  southeast 
quarter  and  south  half  of  the  northeast  quar- 
ter of  Section  17,  and  the  south  half  of  the 
south  half  of  Section  9,  and  the  southwest 
quarter  of  the  southwest  quarter  of  Section  10, 
and  the  west  half  of  the  northeast  quarter 
and  the  northwest  quarter  of  the  southwest 
quarter  of  Section  15,  same  township  and 
range  as  the  first  description.  ' 

The  third  article  of  the  charter  provided 
that  the  first  Monday  in  each  year  should  be 
the  day  of  annual  election  for  town  officers, 
which  officers  should  consist  of  a  Council 
Board  of  five — that  a  Justice  of  the  Peace 
and  a  Constable  should  be  elected  biennially 
on  the  same  day  of  each  alternate  yoar,  and 
that  the  Council  Board  shall  have  power 
to  appoint  a  Clerk,  Treasurer,  Assessor  and 
Street  Commissioner.  The  office  of  Assessor 
is  now  discontinued,  as  the  Township  Assess- 
or acts  in  his  place  and  the  Treasurer  of  the 
village  corporation  is  elected  by  popular  vote 
instead  of  being  appointed  by  the  board. 

A  liberal  system  of  public  improvements 
has  been  inaugurated  in  Wheaton  as  the 
permanent  policy  of  the  town.  First,  the 
streets  were  piked  up  with  dirt  from  ditches 
each  side,  ponds  drained  by  tiling,  and  stone 
culverts  built,  but  these  improvements  were 
found  insufficient  to  make  the  streets  pass- 
able in  early  spring,  or  during  seasons  of  rain 
and  warm  weather  in  the  winter,  and  it  was 
determined  to  grade  them  with  gravel,  which 
fortunately  abounds  in  various  places  near  by. 
This  work  was  begun  in  June,  1877,  and,  July 
16,  1880,  a  gravel  pit  was  bought  of  E.  H. 
Gary,  for  $400,  which  gives  promise  of  an 
abundant  supply  of  this  material  so  essential 
to  the  wants  of  the  town. 

Of  the  manufacturing  interest  of  Wheaton, 

'little  need  be  said.     In  the  summer  of  1856, 

Peter  Northrup  built  a  grist-mill,  with  two 


LIBRAKY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


MILTON  TOWNSHIP. 


173 


run  of  stones  propelled  by  steam  power,  to 
•which  a  planing-mill  was  also  attached.  It 
fulfilled  his  expectations  until  it  was  burned 
down,  in  December,  1858.  It  stood  north  of 
the  blacksmith  shop  of  August  Michels,  across 
the  street.  About  the  same  time  this  grist-mill 
was  built,  a  carriage  factory  was  erected  just 
west  of  it  by  Avery  Chadwick,  with  steam-pow- 
er for  machinery.  H.  C.  Chi  Ids,  who  came  to 
Wheaton  in  1855.  full  of  ambitious  ideas, 
bought  out  this  establishment,  in  1859,  and 
employed  about  fifteen  hands  in  it  in  the 
manufacture  of  locomotive  vehicles  for  chil- 
dren and  babies,  for  which  there  was  quite  H 
good  home  market  in  such  a  fruitful  country 
as  Wheaton  and  its  surroundings.  This 
building  burned  down  in  1861,  but  the  de- 
mand for  baby  carriages  kept  on  increasing, 
notwithstanding.  In  this  emergency,  Mr. 
Chi  Ids  went  to  work  immediately  to  build 
another  factory,  the  site  of  which  was  across 
the  street  south  of  the  Methodist  Church.  It 
was  finished  in  1862,  and  the  same  business 
went  on  it  till  the  supply  of  baby  carts  was 
ahead  of  the  demand,  for  there  is  a  limit  to 
the  rate  of  animated  reproduction.  Mr. 
Childs  now  bought  the  ground  now  occupied 
by  the  Kelly  Block,  where  formerly  stood  a 
fine  hotel  owned  by  Mr.  Kinney  (which  had 
been  burnt  in  1861)  and  here  he  erected  the 
building  which  now  stands  on  the  spot,  and 
it  is  worthy  of  notice  that  he  established  the 
grade  of  Wheaton  business  streets  by  elevat- 
ing his  sidewalk  several  feet  above  the  old 
grade.  The  next  attempt  at  manufacturing 
here  was  by  E.  Blanchard,  who  established  a 
map  factory  in  the  Bedel  Block,  opposite  the 
depot,  in  the  autumn  of  1871.  In  a  few 
weeks  the  building  burned,  and  Mr.  Blanch- 
ard transferred  his  business  to  other  quar- 
ters, and  ultimately,  to  his  own  premises,  on 
the  grounds  of  his  homestead.  On  the  spot 
made  vacant  by  the  burning  of  the  Bedel 


Block  was  built  the  Central  Block,  in  1875 . 
It  is  the  principal  business  block  of  the  town, 
containing  ample  stores  and  basements,  with 
a  fine  hall  and  offices  above. 

Had  none  of  these  establishments  been 
burned,  it  is  hardly  to  be  supposed  that 
Wheaton  would  ever  have  attained  notoriety 
as  a  manufacturing  town,  for  the  reason  that 
no  streams  of  living  water  run  through  it, 
but  its  eligible  situation  as  a  place  of  resi- 
dence commends  it  to  those  wishing  a  home 
in  a  healthy  locality  among  intelligent  and 
thrifty  people.  The  houses  in  the  town  are 
ample  distances  apart  to  insure  a  free  circula- 
tion of  air  between  each,  and,  in  consequence 
of  the  college  having  been  located  at  the 
eastern  extremity  of  the  town,  and  the  grad- 
ed schoolhouse  at  the  western,  its  area  pre- 
sents tangent  points  in  each  respective  direc- 
tion. 

For  a  place  of  its  size,  few  have  such  an 
extended  reputation,  and  it  is  well  known 
that  its  fame  is  due  to  the  tenacious  religious 
connections,  not  only  of  its  leading' men.  but 
of  its  every-day  sort  of  people,  who  follow 
the  ordinary  occupations  of  life.  This  is 
evident  from  the  fact  that  there  are  eight 
churches  here  which  support  regular  preach- 
ing, and  at  least  four  more  kinds  of  religious 
beliefs,  too  weak  in  numbers  to  have  churches 
and  preaching,  but  not  too  luke-warm  in  their 
religious  feelings  to  keep  alive  in  their  hearts 
and  consciences  fidelity  to  their  principles, 
and  it  is  proper  here  to  add  that  the  univer- 
sal charity  that  the  necessity  of  religious 
sentiment  has  imparted  to  the  place,  has 
thrown  its  mantel  over  all  who  act  out  relig- 
ion whatever  they  do  or  do  not  profess;  and 
it  is  historically  due  to  Wheaton  to  say  that  a 
citizen  will  be  equally  respected  here  if  he 
does  or  does  not  help  support  any  religious 
faith,  other  things  being  equal. 

The  remarkable  cases  of  longevity  here  are 


174 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


worthy  of  mention.  Henry  T.  Wilson,  aged 
ninety-four,  now  able  to  go  out  of  doors,  but 
his  mind  enfeebled  and  his  memory  almost 
gone.  He  is  well  known  as  having  been  an 
active  and  useful  pioneer  and  a  thrifty  farm- 
er. Edward  W.  Brewster  is  ninety  years 
old;  he  has  seen  all  our  early  Presidents,  in- 
cluding President  Washington,  of  whom  he 
still  retains  a  dim  recollection,  though  but  a 
child  when  he  saw  him.  He  has  ever  been 
foremost  in  every  good  work  that  appeared 
before  him  to  be  done  during  his  long  and 
useful  life.  For  many  years  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  School  Board  of  Chicago,  and  his 
large  list  of  friends  are  still  found  among  the 
most  intelligent  people  of  that  city  and  other 
places  where  his  life  has  been  spent.  His 
mind  is  still  bright,  and  he  may  be  seen  al- 
most any  pleasant  day  at  work  in  his  garden. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sanford  Manchester,  each 
over  eighty  years  old,  have  lived  forty  years 
in  Wheaton,  and,  on  the  28th  of  June,  1882, 
celebrated  the  sixtieth  anniversary  of  their 
wedding-day.  They  are  now  enjoying  a  rea- 
sonable degree  of  health. 

The  elevation  of  Wheaton  at  the  depot  is 
166  feet  above  Lake  Michigan,  on  the  rail- 
road track.  From  this  point,  the  land  grad- 
uates upward,  both  to  the  north  and  to  the 
south,  except  in  the  channel  of  a  slough, 
which  tends  to  the  southwest,  and  affords  a 
good  escapement  for  surface  drainage. 

WHEATON  COLLEGE. 

About  the  year  1850,  a  movement  was  set 
on  foot  in  the  Illinois  Annual  Conference  of 
the  Wesleyan  Methodist  denomination  to  es- 
tablish an  institution  of  learning  somewhere 
in  the  State  of  Illinois. 

The  originators  of  the  scheme  wern  mostly 
men  who  had  but  little  of  this  world's  goods 
and  prized  learning  for  the  power  that  they 
saw  it  gave  others,  rather  than  from  any  ex- 


tensive realization  of  its  benefits  in  them- 
selves. They  were  real  reformers,  and  were 
especially  interested  in  the  anti-slavery  strag- 
gle which  was  then  at  its  height. 

They  saw  with  deep  concern  the  children 
of  anti  slavery  fathers  and  mothers,  who 
were  sent  to  college,  where  nothing  was  said 
against  human  bondage,  soon  losing  their 
parents'  principles  and  concluding  that  if 
slavery  were  as  bad  as  they  had  been  taught 
at  home  to  regard  it,  the  teachers  they  had 
learned  to  reverence  and  love  would  say  some- 
thing about  it. 

Their  purpose,  as  his  father,  who  was  one 
of  them,  has  often  told  the  writer,  was  not  so 
much  to  start  a  denominational,  sectarian 
school,  as  to  provide  a  pJace  where  their 
principles,  by  them  prized  and  early  taught 
to  their .  children,  should  not  be  smothered 
out  by  being  held  in  silence  by  those  who 
taught  or  deslroyed  by  the  active,  despotic 
teaching  of  the  times.  Wheaton,  offering  the 
most  favorable  terms,  was  chosen  as  the  seat 
of  this  school.  Preparations  for  building 
began  by  the  founders  kneeling  in  the  prairie 
grass  on  the  summit  of  the  beautiful  hill  now 
crowned  by  the  stately  stone  edifice  known  as 
Wheaton  College  building,  and  dedicated  the 
hill  and  all  that  should  be  upon  it  to  that 
God  in  whom  trusting  they  had  boldly  gone 
into  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  not  only  for  the 
freedom  of  human  bodies,  but  of  human  souls 
as  well. 

Although  often  being  taunted  by  the  enemy 
with  being  men  of  but  one  idea,  and  some- 
times pleading  guilty  to  the  charge,  their  one 
idea  was  a  grand  one,  including  the  whole  of 
man,  all  his  interests  for  this  world  and  the 
next. 

A  plain  stone  building,  two  stories  above 
the  basement,  forty-five  feet  by  seventy-five, 
was  first  erected  at  a  cost  of  about!  10,000. 
In  the  basement  of  which,  the  upper  part  be- 


MILTON  TOWNSHIP 


175 


ing  yet  unfinished,  on  the  14th  of  December, 
1853,  the  Illinois  Institute,  for  such  was  its 
first  name,  was  opened  under  the  instruction 
of  Rev.  John  Cross,  suceeding  whom,  the 
next  April,  the  Rev.  C.  F.  Winship,  afterward 
missionary  to  Africa,  had  charge  of  the  same 
for  one  year.  Subsequently,  Rev.  G.  P.  Kim- 
ball,  Miss  Pierce  and  the  writer  of  this  consti- 
tuted the  faculty  until  the  opening  of  the  next 
college  yecir,  when  Rev.  J  A.  Martling  became 
"Principal  of  the  first  collegiate  year." 

On  the  opening  of  the  school  year,  Septem- 
ber, 1856,  Rev.  L.  C.  Matlach,  who  had  been 
chosen  President  some  years  before,  entered 
upon  his  office.  He  was  preceded  a  little  by 
Prof.  F.  G.  Baker,  who  has,  till  his  recent 
decease,  been  Professor  of  Music  and  Trustee. 
Also  by  Dr.  Hiatt.  The  Trustees  had  sold, 
chiefly  through  the  agency  of  Rev.  R.  F. 
Markham,  for  many  years  Trustee  and  agent, 
scholarships  to  the  amount  of  $21,000,  of 
which  the  intention  was  to  use  only  the  in- 
terest, but,  in  the  exigencies  of  building  and 
keeping  up  current  expenses,  some  $6,000  of 
the  principal  was  either  invested  in  a  board- 
ing-hall or  used  up  in  paying  bills. 

This  was  in  part  offset  by  $2,000  or  $3,000 
of  interest  on  scholarships  yet  unpaid.  An 
effort  was  made  to  replace  the  money  expend- 
ed by  investing  all  the  interest  accruing 
thereafter  and  making  up  a  fund  of  13,200 
to  run  the  school  for  two  years,  by  the  faculty 
giving  $200  each  from  their  already  very 
small  salaries,  and  the  Trustees  giving  each 
a  like  sum,  and  securing  the  balance  by  sub- 
scription outside.  This  plan  was  only  par- 
tially successful,  but  served  to  help  the  in- 
stitution along  for  a  time. 

Under  the  Illinois  Institute  charter,  the 
Trustees  were  appointed  by  the  Illinois  Con- 
ference, and  vacancies  accruing  between  its 
sessions  were  filled  by  the  Trustees  them- 
selves. 


The  finances  of  the  institution  becoming 
more  and  more  involved,  the  Trustees  began 
to  cast  about  for  outside  aid  to  meet  current 
expenses  and  pay  a  debt  that  had  already 
reached  the  sum  of  $5,000.  This  debt,  which 
had  grown  to  over  $6,000,  was  afterward  paid 
through  the  efforts  of  President  Blanchard. 
If  some  people  could  be  found  and  enlisted, 
who  had  principles  like  their  own,  the  school 
could  yet  be  saved  and  made  to  fulfill  the 
design  of  its  founders. 

The  Congregationalists,  in  their  free  gov- 
ernment and  general  adhesion  to  reform  prin- 
ciples, seemed  more  like  them  than  any  other 
church. 

Overtures  were  accordingly  made  to  the 
Congregational  State  Association,  and  also  to 
President  J.  Blanchard,  who  had  recently  left 
the  Presidency  of  Knox  College.  A  meeting 
of  leading  Congregationalists  was  appointed 
at  Wheaton  to  consider  the  matter,  which 
meeting,  as  a  whole,  decided  against  the  prop- 
osition to  adopt  the  college;  yet  many  of 
its  leading  members  promised  all  the  aid  in 
their  power,  if  President  Blanchard  would 
take  the  Presidency  of  the  college. 

Stipulating  that  the  charter  should  be  so 
changed  that  the  Trustees  should  be  a  closed 
board;  that  the  church  should  make  some 
slight  changes,  and,  while  retaining  its  con- 
nection with  the  conference,  should  become 
connected  with  the  Congregational  Associa- 
tion, President  Blanchard  consented  to  take 
the  Presidency,  although  at  the  same  time  he 
had  similar  invitations  from  five  other  insti 
tutions — some,  perhaps  all,  apparently  more 
eligible  than  the  one  accepted,  for  the  reason 
that  he  preferred  a  college  whose  principles 
were  like  his  own.  The  founders,  also,  were 
careful  before  giving  up  the  control,  to  stipu- 
late that  the  institution  should  continue  to 
teach  their  principles,  which  included  not 
only  opposition  to  chattel  slavery,  but  as  well 


176 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


opposition  to  all  spiritual  despotism  that 
seeks  to  fetter  the  souls  of  men  by  profane 
and  extrajudicial  oaths  and  obligations. 

In  January,  1860,  President  Blanchard  en- 
tered upon  the  duties  of  his  office.  The  name 
of  the  institution  was  changed  to  Wheaton 
College,  and  the  charter  was  amended  by  the 
Legislature  of  1861. 

The  first  class  of  seven  young  men,  all  of 
them  from  the  regular  college  course,  gradu- 
ated on  the  4th  of  July,  1860. 

The  Board  of   Trustees   was  enlarged  to  ' 
twenty  members,    and    J.    Blanchard,    Hon. 
Owen  Lovejoy,  Dr.  F.  Bascoin,  Deacon  Moses 
Pettengill,  De   Chester   Hard,    Dr.   Edward 
Beecher  and  F.  H.    Mathers,  Esq.,    became  i 
members  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

On  the  breaking-out  of  the  war,  a  large 
number  of  students  went  into  the  army,  so  i 
that  the  next  year  no  class  graduated. 

In  response  to  the  country's  first  call  for  ] 
men,  several  entered  the  service,  among  whom 
(jr.  W.  Wood,  of  the  Freshman  class,  a  noble, 
Christian  young  man,  who,  amid  many  dis- 
couragements, was  working  his  way  to  a  col- 
lege diploma  and  a  life  of  usefulness  beyond 
it,  contracted  fatal  disease  while  lying  en-  j 
camped  among  the  swamps  of  Cairo.  He 
lingered  long'  enough  to  return  to  friends  at 
Dover,  111.,  but  soon  struck  his  tent  and  went 
to  be  with  the  angels. 

G.  H.  Apthorpe  sickened  at  the  same  time  ; 
ar/d  place,  subsequently  recovered  and  was  \ 
afterward  shot  dead  while  fighting  as  Captain  ; 
of  a  colored  company. 

J.  H  Dudley,  too,  succumbed  to  the  ma-  j 
laria  engendered  by  the  stagnant  waters 
about  Cairo,  dying  at  his  home,  in  Whiteside 
County,  111.  Of  this  same  first  quota  of  the 
college  to  the  war,  \V.  H  H.  Mills,  a  slender, 
beautiful  youth,  and  a  universal  favorite, 
lost  his  life  while  bathing  in  the  Ohio  River. 

Subsequently,    G.  C.    Hand,    of   Elkhorn,   ; 


Wis.,  then  a  graduate  of  the  college,  a  young 
man  of  splendid  scholarship,  of  high,  noble, 
j  Christian  bearing,  who  went  into  the  army 
to  serve  his  country,  not  for  pelf  or  prefer  - 
;  ment,  choosing  the  post  of  a  private  when 
i  office  was  offered  him,  volunteering  to  go  un- 
armed with  the  surgeons  into  danger,  and, 
when  captured,  suffering  another  to  go  free 
in  his  place  when  he  might  have  been  ex- 
changed, died  by  starvation  in  a  rebel  prison. 
H.  Skinner,  "  Little  Skinner,"  as  we  used 
to  call  him,  wiry,  withy  little  fellow,  thwarted 
the  winning  or  malice  of  some  practical  joker 
or  copperhead,  who  had,  during  the  night, 
placed  the  hated  palmetto  flag  above  the 
great  ball  surmounting  the  cupola  of  the  col 
lege,  hoping  to  enjoy  the  rage  of  the  mass  of 
angry  youth  who,  in  the  morning,  should 
hasten  to  haul  it  down.  The  boy's  peering 
eyes,  before  all  others,  espied  it,  and,  almost 
without  an  observer,  he  performed  the  daring 
feat  of  climbing  the  lightning  rod  and  no  eye 
again  saw  that  emblem  of  rebellion.  To  our 
surprise,  for  we  thought  him  too  small  for  a 
soldier,  one  day  Skinner  donned  the  blue  and 
slung  his  knapsack  and  rode  away  to  join  the 
country's  braves  on  the  field  of  deadly  strife. 
In  the  morning  of  that  awful  day  at  Pea 
Ridge,  Skinner  was  on  the  sick  list.  When 
the  order  came  to  march  out  to  battle,  forth 
came  he  from  the  hospital,  but  was  ordered 
back,  but  the  hospital  could  not  contain  him 
while  his  fellows  were  fighting  for  their 
country.  Sallying  forth,  he  mounted  a  horse 
and  all  day  long  he  was  in  the  thickest  of  the 
fight,  and,  at  nightfall,  insensible,  was  borne 
by  loving  comrades  back  to  camp. 

In  one  of  the  hard-fought  battles  of  the 
South,  while  in  the  midst  of  a  conflict,  a  rebel 
bullet  sent  him  -to  sleep  with  the  immortal 
defenders  of  liberty.  Wheaton  College  gave 
to  the  country  other  sons  not  here  mentioned, 
because  not  known  to  the  writer,  or,  if  once 


MILTON  TOWNSHIP. 


177 


known,  not  now  recalled.  Others,  no  less 
brave,  bear  honorable  sears  that  tell  of  their 
fidelity.  Among  these,  Maj.  Powell,  now  of 
the  Smithsonian  Institute,  having  buried  an 
arm  in  the  grave  of  the  great  rebellion,  after- 
ward, in  the  service  of  science,  in  the  ex- 
plorations of  the  canons  of  the  great  rivers 
of  the  Pacific  slope,  performed  deeds  of  dar- 
ing surpassing  those  of  knight-errant,  with 
his  one  strong  arm  boldly  steering  his  frail 
boat  into  gloomy  canons,  which  the  boldest 
native,  with  two  arms,  dared  not  enter,  shoot- 
ing the  water  falls  and  coming  out  safe  many 
miles  below.  MPJ.  John  Kinley,  of  the  in- 
vincible Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry,  is  growing 
prematurely  gray  from  an  ugly  wound  receiv- 
ed in  battle,  and  Sergt.  J.  F.  Ellis,  who, 
while  carrying  his  colors  into  the  deadly 
breach,  fell  by  a  terrible  wound,  still  lives  to 
engage  in  the  ever  irrepressible  moral  con- 
flict against  evil.  But  the  great  design  of 
Wheaton  College  was  not  to  fit  men  for  car- 
nal warfare.  It  soon  found  that  in  this  world 
where  error  reigns,  truth  may  not  be  taught 
with  impunity.  From  the  first,  the  college 
had  a  rule  forbidding  students  to  attend  se- 
cret societies  while  in  college.  The  Master 
of  the  Masonic  Lodge  gave  notice  that  he 
intended  to  break  down  this  rule.  For  some 
months  it  did  not  appear  how  he  was  going 
to  make  the  attack,  till  at  length  a  strolling 
lecturer  was  imported  to  organize  a  Good 
Templars  Lodge.  He  said  publicly,  let  the 
students  join  us,  and,  if  the  faculty  dare  say 
anything  we  will  publish  them  to  the  ends  of 
the  earth,  and  they  will  have  to  shut  up  their 
doors.  Three  students  were  known  to  have 
joined  them,  one  of  whom  was  made  their 
Secretary,  and  defiantly  posted  notice  of  their 
meetings  in  the  college  halls.  The  challenge 
thus  boldly  given  was  not  declined.  When 
arraigned  and  asked  if  they  knew  of  the  col- 
lege rule,  they  said  they  did  and  intended  to 


disregard  it.  Their  parents  were  then  inter- 
viewed, and  one  of  them  said  that  he  pro- 
posed that  his  son  should  attend  the  lodge 
and  the  college  too.  The  students  were  then 
suspended  until  they  should  conform  to  the 
rule.  The  falsehood  was  everywhere  pub- 
lished that  the  college  had  expelled  students 
for  belonging  to  a  temperance  society.  A 
writ  of  mandamus  was  sued  out  to  compel 
the  faculty  to  take  these  students  back. 
They  were  beaten  in  the  lower  court  and 
appealed,  the  Master  of  the  Masonic  Lodge 
signing  the  bail  bonds  for  the  costs.  The 
Supreme  Court  sustained  the  decision  of 
the  lower  tribunal,  and  the  first  moral  conflict 
ended. 

As  to  birds,  there  comes  a  time  of  nest  build- 
ing; so  to  men  and  institutions  there  comes 
a  time  to  build;  such  was  the  next  great  un- 
dertaking of  this  young  college. 

A  proposition  was  made  to  raise  the  first 
$10,000  in  little  Du  Page  County,  and  the 
President  said  that  if  others  would  raise  this 
amount  at  home,  he  would  go  abroad  and  se- 
cure other  funds  to  complete  the  enterprise. 
Part  of  the  sum  was  raised,  and  the  writer  of 
this  was  appointed  to  canvass  the  county  and 
complete  the  subscription. 

The  west  wing  was  then  inclosed  and  six 
recitation  rooms  finished  in  the  connecting 
wing,  when  all  the  moneys  raised  were  ex- 
pended, and,  in  pursuance  of  the  policy  not 
to  go  into  debt,  building  operations  ceased. 

About  two  years     fter,  the  President  hav 
ing  secured  more  money,  the  work  of   build 
ing  was  again  resumed,  and  continued  until 
the  present  noble  building  was  completed,  at 
a  cost  of  some  $70,000,  although  in  doing  so 
a  debt,  in  spite  of  the  President's  protest,  of 
$20,000  was  contracted. 

After  this  period  of  external  material  ac- 
tivity, there  succeeded  a  calm  which  was  fol- 
lowed by  a  moral  tornado. 


178 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


The  immediate  successors  of  the  Illinois 
Institute  Trustees  and  faculty  felt  doubly 
bound,  both  by  their  own  convictions  and  by 
the  injunction  of  their  predecessors  to  teach 
their  principles,  while  others  who  came  in 
later,  while  professing  to  hold  the  same  prin- 
ciples, wished  Wheaton  to  bo  like  other  col- 
leges that  made  no  stir  about  these  reform 
principles.  The  secret  empire,  which,  de- 
spising the  weakness  of  this  feeble  folk,  had 
before  kept  comparatively  quiet,  now  began 
to  show  signs  of  war.  As  before,  the  local 
lodge  issued,  by  its  Master,  its  brutum  fulmen 
against  a  rule,  so  now  there  came  from  secret 
caverns  a  hundred  miles  away  an  edict  that 
the  head  of  this  dangerous  institution  must 
be  cut  off.  Strike,  but  conceal  the  hand,  is 
the  assassin's  motto,  upon  which  secrecy  al- 
ways acts.  The  outburst  of  this  real  division 
of  sentiment  in  the  college  and  church;  the 
sore  heads  always  thrown  off  by  any  active 
movement;  the  financial  embarrassment  of 
the  college,  all  together,  seemed  to  afford  a 
fitting  opportunity  for  action,  and  for  the 
real  actors  to  escape  notice. 

One  material  thing  only  seems  to  have  es- 
caped their  notice.  No  power  on  earth  could 
perform  the  desired  decapitation  outside  of 
the  Board  of  Trustees,  and  the  large  majority 
of  these  held  the  same  principles  as  their 
President,  and  were  men  whom  neither  threats 
could  intimidate  nor  money  buy,  both  of 
•which  were  tried. 

When  other  measures  failed,  ecclesiastical 
action  was  taken,  such  as,  if  now  attempted 
in  any  civil  court  in  Christendom,  would  con- 
demn the  actors  to  an  immortality  of  infamy 
more  enduring  than  that  of  the  Star  Chamber 
or  the  Holy  Commission,  the  result  of  which 
was  to  drive  from  the  association  of  which  he 
had  been  a  father,  and  the  college  church 
from  connection  with  what  had  always  pro- 
fessed to  be  a  circle  of  free  churches.  When 


the  mad  surges  finally  are  laid,  it  is  found 
;  that  %God  still  reigns,  and  Wheaton  College, 
1  head  and  all,  lives.  Not  only  lives,  but  still 
grows  and  strengthens,  sending  downward  its 
roots  and  upward  and  outward  its  branches, 
bearing  leaves  and  flowers  and  fruits,  bidding 
fair  to  become  a  tree  of  the  centuries,  to 
stand,  when  the  errors  it  was  set  to  with- 
stand have  faded  from  the  minds  of  an  intel- 
ligent, free,  Christian  people. 

The  debt  of  the  college,  now  increased  to 
nearly  $24,000,  still  remained  unpaid.     Prof. 
C.    A.    Blanchard   was   planning  for  much 
needed  rest  in  the  summer  vacation,  when, 
i  on  reading  some  passages  of  Scripture,   he 
felt  impressed  that  the  debt  must  be  paid, 
and  he  must  take  measures  to  raise  it.     Times 
were  still  hard,  and  sobor  business  men  said 
that   nothing  short   of   a   financial   miracle 
could  do  it.     Contrary  to  the  judgment  of 
the  President  even,  Prof.   Blanchard  got  up 
a  subscription,  payable  in  case  the  whole  sum 
should  be  subscribed  before  the  opening  of 
,  the  next  fall  term.     When  urged  to  put  the 
!  time  longer,  he  said  if  it  was  raised  God 
must  raise  it,   and  he  could  do  it  in    that 
time  as  well  as  longer.     Before  the  time  ap- 
pointed, every  dollar  of  he  sum  was  made  up 
•  as  a  free-will  offering. 

The  college  lives  to  day  out  of  debt,  its 
faculty  agreeing  to  take  what  money  comes 
in  during  the  year,  and  at  the  close  give  :be 
balance  of  their  small  salaries,  and  report  no 
debt. 

Owing  to  the  infirmities  of  age,  its  old 
President  has  for  two  years  sought  to  retire, 
but,  by  the  united  entreaties  of  Trustees  and 
faculty,  has  been  induced  to  retain  the  office 
till  the  present 

He  now,  full  of  years  and  honors,  gives  place 
to  his  son,  Prof.  Charles  A.  Blanchard,  who 
comes  to  the  head  of  an  institution  every  way 
well  equipped  for  duty,  having  in  addition 


MILTON  TOWNSHIP. 


179 


to  the  ordinary  college,  a  prosperous  musical 
department,  under  the  charge  of  Prof.  S. 
Wesley  Martin;  a  very  successful  art  depart- 
ment, taught  by  Mrs.  S.  H.  Nutting,  and  a 
young  and  vigorous  theological  seminary, 
under  the  charge  of  President  L.  N.  Stratton, 
one  of  the  first  graduates  of  the  college. — O. 

F.    L0MRY. 

THE  COLLEGE  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST. 

The  first  settlers  on  the  site  of  the  town  of 
Wheaton  were  Hon.  Warren  L.  Wheaton  and 
his  brother,  Jesse  C.  Wheaton,  for  whom  the 
town  was  named.  They  worshiped  with  a 
small  Methodist  Episcopal  Society,  at  Gary's 
Mill,  in  this  county.  The  first  society  formed 
within  the  town  was  by  Wesleyans,  February, 
1843,  and  numbered  at  first  fourteen  mem- 
bers. 

This  society  was  ministered  to  by  Rev. 
Kufus  Lamry,  Rev.  Milton  Smith,  Alexander 
McArthur,  L.  B.  Ferris,  John  Cross,  G.  Clark, 
William  Kimball,  H.  Moulton,  William  Whit- 
ten  and  R.  F.  Markham,  whose  labors  ex- 
tended to  1855.  From  that  year  to  1859, 
the  preachers  were  Joel  Grinnell,  G.  P.  Kim- 
ball  and  L.  C.  Matlack. 

January,  1860,  J.  Blanchard.  who  had  been 
called  to  the  Presidency  of  the  college,  took 
charge  of  the  church.  A  new  charter  was  ob- 
tained for  the  college,  and  the  name  of  the 
church  was  changed  to  the  First  Church  of 
Christ,  in  Wheaton,  February  2,  1860,  and 
about  one  hundred  members  were  received  in  i 
the  first  two  years  of  his  pastorata  The  Wes-  i 
leyans  had  a  rule  excluding  members  of  secret 
orders  from  the  first,  seventeen  years  before  the 
change,  and  they  made  it  a  condition  of  the 
change  that  their  testimonies  against  slavery 
and  secret  societies  should  be  faithfully  main- 
tained, which  condition  has  been  sacredly 
observed.  It  was,  however,  thought  expe- 
dient to  organize  a  Wesleyan  society,  and  an  : 


amicable  division  took  place,  which  resulted 
in  the  present  Wesleyan  Church  in  Whea- 
ton, November,  1862.  Before  and  since  the 
withdrawal  of  the  Wesleyans,  the  members 
of  both  churches  have  all  walked  in  harmony 
from  first  to  last. 

The  "First  Church  of  Christ"  was  so 
named  after  the  manner  of  the  early  Congre- 
gational Churches  of  this  county,  which 
aimed  to  be  after  the  strict  New  Testament 
model,  and  were  not  called  "Congregational," 
but  as  in  Hartford  and  New  Haven,  etc., 
simply  churches,  designated  by  number, 
street  or  locality.  Like  the  early  Congre- 
gational Churches,  too,  it  called  its  commit- 
tees of  discipline  "  Elders. "  Its  government, 
too,  like  theirs,  is  strictly  Scriptural,  that  is 
to  say,  democratic. 

Several  attempts  were  made  to  over-ride  or 
rescind  the  rule  excluding  the  secret  deistical 
orders,  both  in  the  church  and  in  the  college, 
but  our  Circuit  and  Supreme  Courts  sustained 
the  rule,  and  the  church  refused  to  ignore  or 
rescind  it. 

The  church  united  with  the  Fox  River 
Union  in  1860.  It  was  set  off  to  a  new  Con- 
gregational association,  the  Aurora,  in  1867, 
and  was  transferred  by  request  to  the  Elgin 
association,  in  1875.  The  relations  of  the 
First  Church  with  the  three  local  associations 
to  which  it  has  belonged,  have  been  unexcep- 
tionably  harmonious,  as  also  with  the  general 
association  of  Illinois.  All  these  bodies  have 
on  their  records,  the  strongest  possible  testi- 
monies against  the  deistic  secret  orders.  In 
1867,  the  State  Association  adopted  a  resolu- 
tion, written  by  Professor,  now  President, 
Bartlett,  of  Dartmouth  College,  declaring 
Freemasonry  '*  hostile  to  good  government 
and  the  true  religion,"  and,  at  the  same  ses- 
sion, a  report  by  Dr.  Edward  Beecher,  whioh 
says:  "By  it  (Freemasonry)  Christ  is  de- 
throned and  Satan  is  exalted."  And  Aurora 


180 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Association   refused    to    license    two   young 
men  who  were  Freemasons  to  preach. 

Difficulties  having  arisen  in  1877  of  a  com- 
plex nature,  stimulated  by  an  officer  of  a  Ma 
sonic  lodge  outside,  at  the  written  request  of 
above  eighty  members,  in  January,  1878, 
the  church  voted  to  dissolve  and  become  two 
churches,  allowing  the  members  to  go  with 
either  body  as  they  chose.  Some  thirty  act- 
ing members  withdrew  and  afterward  ex- 
changed the  name  of  "First  Church  of 
Christ  "  for  the  "  First  Congregational 
Church,"  and  also  struck  from  the  manual 
their  testimony  against  secret  lodges. 

The  original  church,  to  avoid  controversy 
about  the  name,  took  the  name  of  the  "  Col- 
lege Church  of  Christ,  retains  the  testimonies 
unaltered  (1882),  worships  in  the  same  place 
where  it  ever  has  done  since  its  organization; 
has  enjoyed  several  revivals  of  religion,  peace 
in  its  own  membership  and  charity  with  all 
churches  of  Christ — JONATHAN  BLANCHARD. 

FIRST    CONGREGATIONAL    CHURCH. 

The  organization  known  as  the  First  Con- 
gregational Church,  Wheaton,  originated  in 
a  meeting  held  at  the  residence  of  Joseph 
Chadwick,  Sr.,  in  February,  1843.  and  was 
first  known  as  the  Wesleyan  Methodist 
Church,  its  membership  numbering  fourteen 
persons.  Bev.  Eufus  Lumry  was  the  first 
minister.  For  several  years,  no  records  were 
preserved,  but  it  is  known  that  the  follow- 
ing-named ministers  preached  for  the  church 
between  the  years  1843  and  1854:  Milton 
Smith,  Alex  McArthur,  L.  B.  Ferris,  John 
Cross,  Geo.  Clark,  Wm.  Kimball,  H.  Moultoni 
Wm  Whittin  and  E.  F.  Markham. 

The  records  have  been  preserved  since 
1855,  and  from  these  we  learn  that  Eev.  Joel 
Grennell  preached  a  few  months  during  that 
year;  Eev.  G.  P.  Kimball,  four  months  in 
1856;  Eev.  L.  C.  Matlack,  in  1856-59. 


In  January,  1860,  Rev.  J.  Blanchard  was 
employed  as  supply,  and  on  February  2  suc- 
ceeding, the  church  voted  to  adopt  the  name 
of  the  First  Church  of  Christ,  in  Wheaton, 
111.,  and  to  send  a  delegate  to  the  next  meet- 
ing of  the  Fox  Eiver  Union,  a  Congrega- 
tional association.  At  the  same  time,  a 
church  covenant,  in  accordance  with  Congre- 
gational usage,  was  adopted.  At  the  meet- 
ing of  the  Fox  Eiver  Union,  April  25,  1860, 
the  church  was  received  into  the  fellowship 
of  the  Congregational  Churches.  For  geo- 
graphical considerations,  it  was  dismissed  to 
the  Aurora  Association  in  1867,  and  by  that 
body  to  the  Elgin  Association  in  1875,  where 
it  still  holds  denominational  connection. 

On  November  29, 1862,  twenty-eight  mem- 
bers petitioned  for  letters  of  dismission,  to 
form  a  Wesleyan  Methodist  Church,  which 
were  granted. 

In  January,  1878,  difficulties  in  the  church 
culminated  in  the  withdrawal  and  subsequent 
excision  of  a  large  number  of  members,  who 
organized  as  an  independent  body,  styled  the 
College  Church  of  Christ. 

During  the  twenty-two  years  of  existence 
as  a  Congregational  Church,  nearly  seven 
hundred  persons  have  been  connected  with  its 
membership,  and  its  pulpit  has  been  supplied 
by  the  following  clergymen,  viz. :  E.  N. 
Lewis,  G.  F.  Milliken,  William  H.  Brewster, 
J.  B.  Walker,  D.  D.,  Lathrop  Taylor  and 
Augustine  G.  Hibbard.  The  pastoral  relation 
has  been  formally  instituted  in  but  two  in- 
stances, Eev.  G.  F.  Milliken  and  the  present 
pastor  having  been  regularly  installed. 

A  house  of  worship  was  built  in  1878,  at  a 
cost  of  nearly  $5,500.  In  January,  1879, 
the  name  was  changed  to  harmonize  with  its 
denominational  connection,  to  its  present 
title,  the  First  Congregational  Church.  The 
present  membership  is  forty-three;  Sabbath 
school  membership,  seventy;  contributions 


MILTOX   TOWNSHIP. 


181 


for  twelve  months,  $1,300.  Church  Clerk, 
Rev.  I.  A.  Hart;  Deacons,  Loren  Barnes, 
Eev.  H.  AV.  Cobb  and  E.  B.  Wakeman;  Sun- 
day School  Superintendent,  William  Nunn; 
Trustees,  E.  W.  Fisher,  George  Maze,  S.  N. 
Moffatt. — AUGUSTINE  E.  HIBBAED. 

METHODIST    EPISCOPAL    CHURCH. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Whea- 
ton  was  organized  as  a  circuit  October  24, 
1857,  with  the  following  officers:  Rev.  J. 
W.  Agard,  Presiding  Elder;  Rev.  J.  Nate, 
first  pastor;  Rev.  C.  Gary,  Local  Deacon; 
Erastus  Gary,  Levi  Ballou,  M.  E.  Nash, 
John  Finnerson,  George  Reed,  Joel  Wiant, 
William  Ainsworth  and  Warren  L.  Wheaton, 
Stewards;  Orlando  Wakeley,  David  S.  Chris- 
tian and  William  Miller,  Class- Leaders. 

Rev.  T.  L.  Oltnsted,  with  Rev.  George 
Brewster  as  his  assistant,  succeeded  Rev.  J. 
Nate  as  pastor. 

In  1859,  Rev.  Luke  Hitchcock  was  Presid- 
ing Elder,  and  Rev.  Thomas  Corcoran  was 
preacher  in  charge. 

In  May,  1860,  Rev.  L.  Hitchcock  was 
elected  agent  of  the  Western  Methodist  Book 
Concern,  and  Rev.  E.  M.  Boring  was  ap- 
pointed Presiding  Elder  of  the  district.  In 
the  fall  of  1860,  Wheaton  was  made  a  sta- 
tion, with  Rev.  L.  H.  Bugbee  as  preacher  in 
charge,  Rev.  William  Kimball  as  Local  El- 
der, with  P.  M.  Curtis,  O.  Wakeley,  J.  C. 
Wheaton  and  W.  L.  Wheaton  as  ,  Stewards, 
with  M.  E.  Nash  and  L.  S.  Phillips  as  Class- 
Leaders. 

In  the  winter  of  1861,  the  present  church 
was  finished,  and  dedicated  by  Bishop  M. 
Simpson,  assisted  by  Rev.  E.  M.  Boring  and 
Rev.  O.  H.  Tiffany.  It  had  eighty-seven 
members  and  eighteen  probationists,  and  the 
Sunday  school  connected  with  it  had  an  en- 
rollment of  160.  Wheaton  was  in  the  Chi- 
cago District  of  the  Rock  River  Conference. 


The  following  is  a  list  of  its  Presiding  El- 
ders, who  succeeded  Rev.  E.  M.  Boring  to  the 
present  time:  Rev.  S.  P.  Keys,  Rev.  H. 
Crews,  Rev.  W.  C.  Damdy,  Rev.  A.  J.  Jut- 
kins,  Rev.  W.  C.  Willing  and  Rev.  L.  Hitch- 
cock. 

The  following  is  the  order  of  pastors  since 
the  first  one:  Rev.  A.  W.  Page,  Rev.  J.  O. 
Cramb,  Rev.  George  E.  Strowbridge,  Rev.  S. 
Stover,  Rev.  John  Ellis  (during  whose  charge 
there  was  a  gracious  revival  of  religion),  Rev. 
William  Goodfellow,  D.  D.,  Rev.  J.  G.  Camp- 
bell, Rev.  S.  Searl,  Rev.  R.  Congdon,  Rev. 
William  P.  Gray  and  Rev.  E.  M.  Boring. 

The  church  has  had  a  varied  history. 
Many  who  have  been  identified  with  it 
have  removed  to  other  localities,  and  many 
have  died  in  the  faith  and  gone  home  to 
heaven. 

It  has  contributed  its  share  to  the  benevo- 
lent enterprises  of  the  day,  both  in  material 
aid  and  by  its  influence,  and  now  stands  with 
a  fair  record  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  rea-  . 
sonable  degree  of  prosperity — an  honor  to  the 
cause  of  Christ,  and  a  blessing  to  the  world. 
It  has  a  membership  of  eighty-seven,  and  five 
probationists,  and  a  Sunday  school  member- 
ship of  225,  with  an  average  attendance,  dur- 
ing the  past  year,  of  110. 

The  writer  has  just  been  returned  to  this 
charge  for  the  third  year.  The  following 
are  the  present  officers  of  the  church:  A.  B. 
Curtis,  Local  Preacher;  J.  C.  Wheaton,  Sr., 
J.  C.  Wheaton,  Jr.,  W.  I.  Wheaton,  E.  H. 
Gary,  N.  E.  Gary,  William  L.  Gary,  William 
H.  Wakelee,  B.  Loveless  and  H.  H.  Fuller, 
Stewards;  A.  B.  Curtis,  Levi  Ballou,  C.  O. 
Boring,  Class- Leaders;  J.  C.  Wheaton,  Sr., 
E.  H.  Gary,  William  L.  Gary,  H..H.  Fuller, 
H.  Holt,  J.  G.  Vallette,  J.  J.  Cole  and  A.  M. 
Ballou,  Trustees;  C.  O.  Boring  and  A.  B. 
Curtis,  Superintendents  of  the  Sunday  school. 
The  Trustees  hold  in  trust  for  the  church  one 


182 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


church  valued  at  $3,000,  and  one  parsonage 
valued  at  $2 ,500. 

The  above  report  is  made  from  imperfect 
data,  and  doubtless  has  many  omissions  of 
persons  and  events  which  should  have  been 
named. — E.  M.  BORING. 

BAPTIST    CHUBCH. 

Rev.  Philander  Taylor  was  the  real  pio- 
neer of  the  Baptist  denomination  in  this  vi- 
cinity. He  began  his  work  at  Stacy's  Cor- 
ners as  early  as  1846,  and  succeeded  in  es- 
tablishing a  church  at  the  place,  which  would 
have  been  a  permanent  one,  had  not  the  in- 
fluence of  the  railroad,  which  left  that  place 
a  mile  out  of  the  way  in  1849,  drawn  busi- 
ness to  Danby. 

Under  such  adverse  circumstances,  it  was 
in  vain  to  try  to  build  up  the  church  at  the 
Corners,  and  the  building  which  had  been 
erected  for  its  use  was  removed  to  Danby,  the 
railroad  station,  where  the  prospects  for  a 
village  seemed  promising.  Meanwhile,  the 
few  Baptists  at  the  Corners,  intent  on  build- 
ing up  and  re-organizing,  chose  Wheaton  as 
the  most  propitious  place  for  their  second 
attempt,  not  for  its  local  convenience,  but 
because  it  seemed  to  give  better  promise  of  a 
growing  place  than  any  other  within  the 
same  compass.  In  accordance  with  this  reso- 
lution, the  society  held  their  meeting  at  a 
schoolhouse  at  this  place,  after  the  removal 
of  their  church,  and  continued  to  do  so  till 
18(53,  during  which  period  several  citizens  of 
Wheaton  joined  them,  and  they  felt  strong 
enough  to  organize  a  church,  which  was  done 
in  1864.  For  the  next  year,  they  held  their 
meetings  mostly  in  the  Universalist  Church. 
Meantime,  they  had  commenced  a  building 
of  their  own,  which  was  partly  finished,  and 
meetings  held  in  its  vestry  room  from  May  12, 

1866,  till  the  completion  of  the  building,  in 

1867.  It  was  dedicated  the  5th  of  Decem- 


ber. Rev.  Garrison  was  the  pastor  of  this 
society  from  its  first  meetings  in  Wheaton 
most  of  the  time  till  its  re-organization  at 
that  place  in  1864.  Rev.  B.  F.  McLafferty 
was  the  first  pastor  after  its  re-organization. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  S.  W.  Marston, 
who  held  charge  till  1865,  since  which  time 
Rev.  E.  O.  Brien,  Rev.  W.  W.  Smith,  Rev. 
A.  J.  Colby,  Rev.  F.  M.  Smith,  Rev.  S.  Ba- 
ker, Jr.,  Rev.  Henry  B.  Waterman  and  Rev. 
T.  W.  Green  have  in  turn  been  pastors  of 
this  church.  The  main  church  building  is 
33x56  feet,  added  to  which  is  a  vestry  18x24 
feet. 

The  first  Trustees  of  the  church  were  P. 
W.  Stacy,  John  Sutcliffe,  P.  S.  Driscoll,  E. 
S.  Kelley  and  John  Roberts. 

THE    EPISCOPAL    CHURCH    IN    WHEATON. 

The  first  services  of  this  church  were  held 
in  June,  1875,  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  C.  V.  Kelly, 
who  continued  to  hold  occasional  services 
until  the  time  of  his  death,  in  the  spring  of 
1876.  The  Rev.  Dr.  William  Reynolds  suc- 
ceeded him  in  the  work  in  June,  1876,  re- 
maining in  charge  of  the  mission  until  his 
death,  in  the  summer  of  the  same  year.  The 
parish  then  remained  without  a  clergyman 
for  nearly  a  year,  the  services  being  contin- 
ued every  Sunday  with  Mr.  William  A. 
Shearson  as  lay  reader. 

In  May,  1877,  Bishop  McLaren  sent  to  the 
mission  the  Rev.  Dr.  T.  N.  Morrison,  who 
has  remained  in  charge  up  to  the  present 
date  (October,  1882). 

Until  June,  1882,  the  services  of  the  mis- 
sion were  held  in  the  Universalist  Church; 
!  but  on  Sunday,  the  18th  of  December,  1881, 
|  the  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  laid  the  corner- 
stone of  the  new  church,  which  was  completed 
in  June  of  the  following  year. 

The  consecration  services  were  held  on  the 
1  20th  of  June,  1882,  and  were  attended  by  the 


MILTON   TOWNSHIP. 


183 


Bishop  and  a  large  number  of  the  clergy  and 
laity  from  Chicago  and  its  vicinity. 

The  new  church,  which  bears  the  name  of 
Trinity,  is  built  of  wood,  with  stone  found- 
ation. Its  seating  capacity  is  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty,  the  dimensions  of  the  nave 
being  28x60  feet,  and  of  the  chancel  14x10. 
The  interior  of  the  church  is  finished  in'oiled 
pine  and' stained  walnut,  and  has  a  handsome 
open  timbered  roof.  The  windows  are  of 
stained  glass,  and  are,  in  several  instances, 
memorial  gifts.  The  chancel  is  semi-octag- 
onal in  form,  and  is  finished  like  the  body 
of  the  church.  The  various  articles  of  chan- 
cel furniture  are  of  walnut,  and  were,  with 
the  exception  of  the  altar,  gifts  from  individ- 
uals, the  altar  being  given  by  the  Church  of 
the  Epiphany,  Chicago. 

The  church,  which  is  entirely  free  of  debt, 
was  built  and  furnished  at  a  cost  of  about 
$5,100,  all  of  which  was  contributed  by  the 
members  of  the  mission  and  their  friends. — 
MARY  DRUMMOND. 

WESLEYAN  METHODIST   CHURCH. 

The  Wesleyan  Methodist  Church  of  Whea- 
ton  was  organized  in  February,  1843,  at  a 
meeting  held  at  the  house  of  Joseph  Chad- 
wick,  in  what  is  now  known  as  the  Hadley 
neighborhood.  George  C.  Vedder  was  chosen 
Chairman;  Joseph  Chadwick,  Steward;  and 
Abial  Hadley,  Class-Leader.  Eev.  Rufus 
Lumery  was  the  first  pastor.  The  primary 
reason  which  led  to  this  organization  was  the 
connection  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
with  slavery,  the  parties  in  this  movement 
being  members  of  her  communion.  That 
this  band  of  reformers  were  justified  in  their 
action  is  unmistakably  proven  by  the  history 
of  the  times,  the  church  from  which  they 
withdrew,  as  also  others,  having  long  since 
indorsed  their  position. 

The  distinctive  reformatory  principles  of 


the  church  are  opposition  to  slavery,  secret 
societies  and  arbitrary  church  government; 
methodistical  in  doctrine  and  usages,  Congre- 
gational in  government,  the  laity  being 
equally  represented  with  the  clergy  in  all 
their  deliberations.  It  holds  an  associated 
relation  with  a  connection  of  churches  known 
as  the  Wesleyan  Methodist  connection  of 
America.  This  was  the  first  church  in 
Wheaton.  Its  early  history  and  interests 
were  closely  identified  with  those  of  Wheaton 
College,  which  was  founded  by  the  Wesley  - 
ans  under  the  name  of  Illinois  Institute.  In 
1860,  by  mutual  agreement,  the  college  passed 
into  the  hands  of  the  Congregationalists, 
and  the  church  connected  therewith  assumed 
the  name  of  the  First  Church  of  Christ,  fol- 
lowing which  a  re-organization  was  effected, 
thereby  constituting  the  present  Wesleyan 
Church. 

The  following  persons  have  served  the 
church  as  pastors:  Revs.  R.  Lumery,  Milton 
Smith,  A.  McArthur,  L.  B.  Ferris,  John 
Cross,  George  Clark,  William  Kimball,  H. 
Maulton,  William  Whitten,  R.  F.  Markham. 
George  Kimball,  Joel  Grennell,  L.  C.  Mai- 
lack,  J.  Blanchard,  A.  H.  Hiatt,  D.  F.  Shep- 
ardson,  H.  R.  Will,  William  Pinkney,  Will- 
iam H.  Van  Boren,  J.  M.  Snyder,  J.  N.  Bed- 
ford, A.  F.  Dempsey  and  L.  N.  Stratton, 
President  of  Wheaton  Theological  Seminary. 
— L.  W.  MILLS. 

ST.  MICHAEL'S  CATHOLIC  CHURCH. 
The  Catholic  congregation  of  St.  Michael's 
Church  at  Wheaton  was  organized  in  1879. 
Up  to  that  time,  and  until  the  new  church 
was  formally  and  solemnly  dedicated — which 
was  done  on  the  29th  of  June,  1882 — the  peo- 
ple living  in  and  around  Wheaton  used  to  at- 
tend service  partly  in  Winfield,  partly  in 
Milton,  both  places  being  two  and  a  half  miles 
distant  from  Wheaton.  In  1879,  however,  the 


184 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


people  thought  it  best  to  have  their  own  at- 
tendance, and  hence  they  concluded  to  build 
a  suitable  church  for  worship.  The  founda- 
tion was  begun  on  the  29th  of  May,  1879, 
and  by  the  24th  of  the  following  month,  work 
had  advanced  so  far  that  the  corner-stone 
could  be  laid,  which  was  done  by  Very  Rev. 
J.  McJVlullen,  at  that  time  Administrator  of 
the  Diocese  of  Chicago.  After  the  comple- 
tion of  the  basement,  work  stopped  for  nearly 
two  years — apparently  for  want  of  means — 
but  it  was  resumed  in  the  fall  of  1881.  The 
edifice,  which  has  a  stone  basement,  on  which 
is  built  a  handsome  frame  church,  measures 
45x80.  Above  the  altar  in  the  middle,  a 
picture  of  the  Archangel  St.  Michael,  fighting 
the  demon,  an  oil  painting  by  J.  Schott, 
Detroit;  at  the  left  of  the  altar,  a  statue  of 
the  Blessed  Virgin ;  and  at  the  right  a  statue 
of  St.  Joseph.  The  whole  was  finished  June 
29,  1882.  It  is  an  ornament  for  Wheaton,  a 
proof  of  the  liberality  of  the  rather  small 
congregation — number  of  families  at  present 
being  about  thirty-five.  It  was  solemnly 
blessed  on  the  above  date,  by  His  Grace,  the 
Most  Rev.  Archbishop  P.  A.  Feehan,  D.  D., 
who  appointed  the  Rev.  William  de  la  Porte, 
who,  .for  over  twelve  years,  was  pastor  at  Na- 
perville,  as  rector  of  the  new  church. — WM. 
DE  LA  PORTE. 

ST.  STEPHEN'S  CHUHCH  AT  MILTON. 
This  church  is  as  old  as  St.  Peter's  at  Na- 
perville,  from  which  place  it  was  formerly 
attended  up  to  August,  1866.  Then  the  Rev. 
M.  Albrecht  took,  for  a  short  time,  charge  of 
the  congregation.  After  his  departure,  for 
two  years  it  was  attended  by  the  Benedictine 
Fathers  from  Chicago,  when  the  church  at 
"Winfield  was  built,  and  that  place  received 
its  own  pastor.  Milton  then  was  regularly 
attended  from  Winfield  twice  a  month.  At 
present,  it  is  under  the  care  of  the  pastor  of 


Wheaton,    who   visits    the   church    likewise 
twice  a  month.  — WM.  DE  LA  POBTE. 

THE    GERMAN    EVANGELICAL    LUTHERAN    ST.     JOHN'S 
CHURCH    OF    WHEATON. 

This  congregation  was  organized  in  the 
beginning  of  the  year  1865.  At  the  time  of 
its  organization,  it  numbered  some  forty  fam- 
ilies. Its  first  services  were  held  in  the  Uni- 

.versalist  Church,  Rev.  F.  W.  Richmann,  at 
that  time  pastor  of  a  congregation  in  Elgin, 
occupying  their  pulpit  every  second  Sunday. 
On  Christmas  Day  of  the  same  year,  the 
congregation  tendered  a  regular  call  to  Rev. 
Prof.  C.  A.  T.  Selle,  of  the  Evangelical  Lu- 
theran Teachers'  Seminary  at  Addison,  111. , 
who  accepted,  and  remained  their  pastor  for 
nearly  seven  years.  Services  were  then  held 
in  the  northeast  and  public  schoolhouse.  At 
the  close  of  1871,  Prof.  Sells  left,  and  Rev. 
G.  G.  W.  Bruegmann,  pastor  of  Rothenberg, 
followed  in  his  place.  This  gentleman  also 
remained  for  a  period  of  seven  years.  Dur- 
ing the  time  of  his  pastorate,  in  1875,  the 
congregation  bought  the  southwest  end  pub- 
lic school  property,  and  fitted  it  up  to  suit 
their  purpose.  In  the  spring  of  1878,  Rev. 
Bruegmann  accepted  a  call  to  Herscher  Sta- 
tion, 111.,  and  the  pulpit  of  the  congregation 
from  that  time  until  the  fall  of  1880  was 
alternately  supplied  by  the  Lutheran  pastors 
from  neighboring  towns,  viz.,  Rev.  H.  F. 
Fruechtenicht,  from  Elgin;  Rev.  M.  Grosse, 
from  Oak  Park;  Rev.  I.  H.  C.  Steege,  from 
Dundee;  Rev.  H.  Freese,  from  Algonquin; 

!  Rev.  H.  Grupe,  from  Rothenberg;  Rev.  L. 
Wagner,  from  Chicago;  and  Rev.  Prof.  Theo- 

.  dore  Brohm,  from  Addison.  Up  to  this  time, 
the  congregation  had  Gospel  service  but  every 
second  Sunday.  In  the  fall  of  1880,  their 
present  pastor,  the  Rev.  Karl  Koch,  was 
tendered  a  call,  who  had  just  finished  his 
theological  studies  in  the  seminary,  connected 


MILTOX  TOWNSHIP. 


185 


with  the  German  Evangelical  Lutheran  Syn- 
od of  Missouri,  Ohio  and  other  States,  at  St. 
Louis.  Begular  services  were  now  held  every 
Sabbath  day.  The  present  number  of  fami- 
lies constituting  the  congregation  is  fifty-five, 
with  nearly  three  hundred  and  fifty  souls. 
In  connection  with  the  church,  an  every-day 
school  is  sustained  by  tho  congregation, 
which  is  taken  care  of  and  taught  by  the 
pastor  himself.  The  number  of  scholars  last 
winter  was  sixty-two;  in  spring,  thirty-two. 
The  schoolhouse  was  built  in  the  fall  of  1881, 
at  an  expense  of  nearly  $600.  The  present 
value  of  the  whole  property  belonging  to  the 
congregation  is  about  $3,000. 

Standing  in  close  relation  with  the  congre- 
gation at  Wheaton,  there  is  a  smaller  one  at 
Turner  Junction,  numbering  but  fifteen  fam- 
ilies, where  regular  Gospel  services  are  led 
by  the  pastor  of  the  Wheaton  Church  in  the 
afternoon  of  every  second  Sunday.  The 
place  of  worship  is  the  Methodist  Church, 
the  use  of  which  has  been  secured  for  a  small 
amount  of  rent. — KARL  KOCH. 

THE    UNIVERSALIST     CHURCH    OF    WHEATON. 

In  1862,  a  few  men  met  together  in  Whea- 
ton to  form  a  society.  They  were  not  pro- 
fessed Universalists,  but  this  name  was  applied 
to  them,  and  perhaps  fitted  them  better  than 
any  other.  They  resolved  to  build  a  church, 
and  appointed  a  committee  to  this  end,  whose 
names  were  C.  K.  W.  Howard,  H.  C.  Childs, 
E.  Holmes,  J.  O.  Vallette  and  Hiram  Smith. 
The  house  was  built  by  subscription,  and 
dedicated  the  same  year.  S.  C.  Bulkley  was 
the  first  pastor,  who  has  been  succeeded  by 
A.  M.  Worden,  A,  B.  Call,  J.  O.  Barrett, 
Henry  Jewell,  Samuel  Ashton,  D.  P.  Kayner, 
J.  Straube  and  S.  Sage. 

Some  of  the  terms  of  the  above  ministers 
lasted  but  a  few  weeks,  and  between  several 
of  them  have  been  vacations  without  preach- 


ing. It  would  not  be  proper  to  call  this  body 
of  men  a  church,  because  they  never  have 
united  under  any  bond  of  faith,  or  instituted 
any  church  ordinance  in  discipline.  Strictly 
speaking,  they  are  liberals,  perhaps  no  two  of 
whom  believe  alike  on  religious  questions. 
They  are  bound  together  by  no  creed,  and 
cannot  be  rent  asunder  by  apostasy. 

They  have  occasional  preaching,  when  a 
meritorious  speaker  offers  his  services  and 
expounds  the  general  theory  of  a  broad  relig- 
ion to  meet  their  approbation. 

ANCIENT,    FREE    AND    ACCEPTED    MASONS. 

Wheaton  Lodge,  No.  269,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  was 
chartered  by  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Illinois  Oc- 
tober 6,  1858,  working  seven  months  under 
dispensation.  The  first  officers  were  J.  G.  Val- 
lette, W.  M.;  Peter  Northrop,  S.  W.;  F.  H. 
Mather,  J.  W.;  Harry  T.  Wilson,  Treas.;  L.  J. 
Bliss,  Sec.;  William  Vallette,  S.  D.;  Henry 
Bird,  J.  D.;  William  E.  Taylor,  Tiler. 

The  charter  members  were  J.  G.  Vallette, 
Peter  Northrop,  Frederick  H.  Mather,  W.  P. 
Abbott,  H.  T.  Wilson,  Henry  Bird  and  James 
L.  Bliss. 

In  1859,  J.  G.  Vallette  was  W.  M.,  and  James 
L.  Bliss,  Sec.  In  1860,  L.  J.  Bliss  was  W.  M., 
and  J.  G.  Vallette,  Sec.  In  1861,  L.  J.  Bliss 
was  W.  M.,  and  J.  McConnell,  Sec.  In  1862, 
L.  J.  Bliss  was  W.  M.,  and  W.  E.  Taylor,  Sec. 
In  1863,  Henry  Bird  was  W.  M.,  and  Simeon 
Schupp,  Sec.  In  1864,  H.  C.  Childs  was  W. 
M.,  and  W.  G.  Smith,  Sec.  In  1865,  H.  C. 
Childs  was  W.  M.,  and  P.  Parmelee,  Sec.  In 
1866,  H.  C.  Childs  was  W.  M.,  and  Henry  E. 
Allen,  Sec.  In  1867,  M.  E.  Jones  was  W.  M., 
and  H.  E.  Allen,  Sec.  In  1868,  H.  C.  Childs 
was  W.  M.,  and  J.  B.  Clark,  Sec.  In  1869, 
Melvin  Smith  was  W.  M.,  and  James  B.  Clark 
was  Sec.  In  1870,  Melvin  Smith  was  W.  M., 
and  William  H.  Johnson,  Sec.  In  1871,  Mel- 
vin- Smith  was  W.  M.,  and  John  Roberts,  Sec. 
In  1872,  M.  E.  Jones  was  W.  M.,  and  H.  W. 


186 


HISTORY  OF   DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Grote,  Sec.  In  1873,  Alfred  Waterman  was  W. 
M.,  and  Henry  Grote,  Sec.  In  1874,  L.  Collar 
was  W.  M.,  and  H.  W.  Grote,  Sec.  In  1875, 
James  Saunders  was  W.  M.,  and  Henry  M. 
Bender,  Sec.  In  1876,  William  H.  Johnson 
was  W.  M.,  and  G.  'H.  Thrasher,  Sec.  In  1877, 
William  H.  Johnson  was  W.  M.,  and  L.  C. 
Stover,  Sec.  In  1878,  Leonard  Pratt  was  W. 
M.,  and  L.  C.  Stover,  Sec.  In  1879,  William 
H.  Johnson  was  W.  M.,  and  L.  C.  Stover,  Sec. 
In  1880,  William  H.  Johnson  was  W.  M.,  and 
L.  C.  Stover,  Sec.  In  1881,  William  H.  John- 
son was  W.  M.,  and  L.  C.  Stover,  Sec. 

The  present  officers  are  M.  E.  Jones,  W.  M.; 
I.  S.  Ward,  S.  W.;  Horace  Jayne,  J.  W.;  Will- 
iam H.  Johnson,  Treasurer  ;  L.  C.  Stover,  Sec.; 
Fred  Jewell,  S.  D.;  William  Rothchild,  J.  D.; 
John  Hohmau.  Tiler. 

From  its  organization  until  May,  1866,  the 
lodge  held  its  meetings  in  the  building  on  the 
corner  of  North  Railroad  and  Hale  streets,  now 
occupied  by  Grote  Bros.  From  that  time  until 
Ma}1,  1870,  meetings  were  held  in  the  third 
story  of  the  Bedell  Building.  At  that  time  the 
lodge  was  moved  to  the  building  where  its 
meetings  are  now  held,  then  owned  by  Smith  & 
Kimball,  and  purchased  by  the  lodge  in  Janu- 
ary, 1872.  In  December.  1875,  the  lodge,  in 
connection  with  Doric  Chapter,  No.  166,  R.  A. 
M.,  rented  rooms  in  the  second  story  of  the 
Central  Block,  and  held  its  meetings  there  until 
July,  1878.  when  it  moved  back  to  its  present 
quarters  in  its  own  building,  where  it  has  since 
held  its  meetings,  enjoying  a  fair  share  of  pros- 
perity and  success. — WILLIAM  H.  JOHNSON. 

Doric  Chapter,  No.  166,  R.  A.  M.— The  first 
movement  toward  organizing  a  chapter  of  Royal 
Arch  Masons  in  Wheaton  was  made  by  a  few 
Companions,  who  met  in  the  hall  of  Wheaton 
Lodge,  No.  269,  November  3,  1874,  and,  after 
consultation,  decided  to  make  an  earnest  effort 
to  establish  a  chapter  in  Wheaton.  which  they 
at  once  proceeded  to  do. 


In  the  meantime,  J.  Blanchard,  hearing  of 
the  effort  that  was  being  made,  called  an  indig- 
nation meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Wheaton,  to 
take  measures  to  prevent  the  organization  of  a 
Chapter  of  Royal  Arch  Masons  here  in  their 
midst.  Accordingly,  he  and  his  adherents  met 
in  the  Wesleyan  Church,  and,  after  due  con- 
sideration, protested  against  it.  Notwithstand- 
ing, on  January  13,  1875,  a  dispensation  was 
issued  by  the  Grand  High  Priest,  authorizing 
the  formation  of  a  chapter  in  Wheaton,  and 
October  28,  1875,  a  charter  was  issued  to  the 
following  Companions  : 

John  H.  Lakey,  Edward  J.  Hill,  C.  P.  J. 
Arion,  William  H.  Johnson,  H.  T.  Wilson,  G. 
H.  Thrasher,  L.  Collar,  Henry  M.  Bender, 
Jamess  Saunders,  Caspar  Voll,  H.  H.  Fuller,  A. 
H.  Wiant,  J.  McConnell,  G.  P.Gary,  William  J. 
Loy,  John  Tye,  John  McWilliams,  L.  Ziemer, 
E.  H.  Gary,  L.  B.  Church,  J.  B.  Trull,  H.  Brad 
ley,  L.  C.  Clark,  George  Webb,  0.  M.  Hollister, 
A.  Campbell,  John  Kline,  L.  L.  Hiatt,  A.  Wat- 
erman, A.  E.  Bisbee  and  Frank  F.  Loveland. 

The  officers  of  Doric  Chapter,  while  working 
under  dispensation,  were,  John  H.  Lakey,  H. 
P.;  Edward  J.  Hill,  K.;  C.  P.  J.  Arion,  S.; 
William  H.  Johnson,  C.  H.;  L.  C.  Clark,  P.  S.; 
A.  H.  Wiant,  R.  A.  C.;  John  McWilliams,  M. 
3d  Veil ;  G.  H.  Thrasher,  M.  2d  Veil ;  H.  T. 
Wilson,  M.  1st  Veil;  L.  Collar,  Treas.;  J.  B. 
Trull,  Sec.;  A.  E.  Bisbee,  Tiler. 

In  1876,  E.  J.  Hill  was  H.  P.,  and  G.  H. 
Thrasher,  Sec.  In  1877  and  1878,  F.  F.  Love- 
land  was  H.  P.,  and  C.  Voll,  Sec.  In  1879, 
1880,  1881  and  1882,  William  H.  Johnson  was 
H.  P.,  and  Caspar  Voll,  Sec. 

While  working  under  dispensation,  the  chap- 
ter met  in  the  hall  of  Wheaton  Lodge.  After 
being  chartered,  it  occupied  rooms  in  Central 
Block  jointly  with  Wheaton  Lodge  until  July, 
1878,  since  which  time  it  has  held  its  meetings 
in  the  hall  of  Wheaton  Lodge. 

Its  piesent  officers  are  William  H.  Johnson, 
H.  P.;  John  McWilliams,  K.;  H.  T.  Wilson, 


MILTON  TOWNSHIP. 


187 


S.;  A.  H.  Wiant,  C.  H.;  James  T.  Hosford,  P. 
S.;  A.  C.  Cotton,  R.  A.  C.;  John  Kline',  Treas.; 
Caspar  Voll,  Sec.;  Henry  Grote,  M.  3d  V.;  Ed- 
gar Stephens,  M.  2d  V.;  William  T.  Reed,  M. 
1st  V.;  L.  C.  Clark,  Chaplain ;  I.  S.  Ward, 
Tiler. — WM.  H.  JOHNSON. 

INDEPENDENT  LITERARY  ASSOCIATION    OF  WHEATON. 

This  a3sociation  was  permanently  organized 
in  November,  1880,  by  the  adoption  of  a  con- 
stitution and  by-laws  and  the  election  of  the 
following  officers:  Dr.  L.  Pratt,  President; 
W.  H.  Johnson,  Vice  President;  A.  S.  Lan- 
don,  Recording  Secretary;  K.  A.  Patrick, 
Corresponding  Secretary;  L.  E.  Do  Wolf, 
Treasurer;  E.  H.  Gammon,  Marshal;  and 
other  officers  to  carry  out  its  objects.  The 
originators  had  in  view  the  establishment  of 
a  society  not  controlled  by  any  special  inter- 
est except  that  of  the  general  public  good  in 
mutual  improvement  in  science  and  literature. 
It  is  also  hoped  and  expected  that  amongst 
its  future  uses  will  be  the  establishment  of  a 
reading  room,  winter  courses  of  popular  lect- 
ures, and  a  public  library.  For  two  winters 
following  its  organization,  the  society  has 
provided  for  a  number  of  public  lectures  and 
other  literary  public  meetings,  which  have 
proved  of  interest  to  many  citizens. 

Its  constitution  provides  for  debates,  es- 
says and  addresses  at  stated  intervals. 

Its  membership  has  increased  within  the 
past  year,  and  an  interest  in  its  utility  is  de- 
veloped to  such  a  degree  that  its  permanent 
establishment  as  an  important  element  of 
progress  in  cultivating  moral  and  intellectual 
attainment  is  looked  upon  as  a  fixture.  Its 
meetings  are  suspended  during  the  extremely 
hot  weather  and  short  evenings,  and  renewed 
with  increased  interest  when  summer  is  over. 

Present  officers:  George  Brown,  Presi- 
dent; S.  W.  Moffatt,  Vice  President;  A.  S. 
Landon,  Recording  Secretary;  J.  Grove, 


Treasurer;    L.  H.  Wills,  Corresponding  Sec- 
retary: E.  W.  Fisher,  Marshal. — L.  PHATT. 

The  Sunday  school  is  an  institution  which, 
like  many  other  kindred  societies,  originated 
in  New  England,  and  from  thence  it  was  car- 
ried to  every  hamlet  in  America  where  the 
representative  Yankee  has  planted  himself  to 
stay.  In  all  Western  towns,  the  question  is 
not,  Will  the  Sunday  school  come?  or  Has  it 
come  ?  but  Who  brought  it  first  ? 

The  honor  of  doing  this  at  Wheaton  be- 
longs to  Alvin  Seamans.  He  settled  here  in 
1839,  having  come  from  Pomf ret,  Conn. ,  the 
home  of  the  Wheatons  and  Garys,  through 
whose  example  he  came  to  the  place,  and 
with  him  came  Hezekiah  Holt,  all  the  way, 
with  a  team. 

The  school  was  established  in  1850,  at  a 
schoolhouse  where  divine  service  was  held  by 
the  Wesleyan  and  Episcopal  Methodists,  each 
occupying  it  by  turns,  in  those  utilitarian 
days,  when  no  good  thing  was  allowed  to  de- 
cay for  want  of  use.  This  schoolhouse  stands 
a  little  west  of  the  old  Meacham  place,  and 
went  by  the  name  of  the  Wheaton  School- 
house.  Old  Father  Kimball,  Mr.  Bates,  Mr. 
Curtis  and  Mr.  Holt,  besides  the  Wheatons, 
Garys  and  a  few  others,  were  then  the  chief 
patrons  of  this  "  kind  of  an  omnibus  school- 
house,"  whose  seats  hardly  had  time  to  cool 
between  the  varied  sessions  with  which  they 
were  occupied. 

Mr.  Seamans  was  Superintendent  of  this 
Sunday  school,  and  Mr.  H.  H.  Fuller,  Secre- 
tary. A  library  of  100  volumes  was  obtained, 
and  subsequently,  with  the  school  itself, 
transferred  to  Wheaton  Institute,  then  under 
the  charge  of  the  Wesleyans,  which,  a  few 
years  later,  became  Wheaton  College.  The 
old  house  has  had  an  erratic  history,  hav- 
ing, after  it  was  no  longer  wanted  for  a 
schoolhouse,  been  moved  half  a  mile  west  for 


188 


HISTOKY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


a  farmhouse,  next  a  mile  east  for  the  dwell- 
ing of  a  citizen  of  Wheaton,  and  lastly  was 
moved  from  thence  to  become  the  home  of 
Mrs.  Bender,  widow  of  him  whose  fatal  fall 
from  a  building  terminated  his  life  a  few 
years  ago. 

It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  no  other 
building  in  Wheaton  has  been  the  abiding 
place  of  such  versatile  experiences.  Peda- 
gogues, pupils,  preachers  and  people  have 
had  their  day  within  its  walls,  since  which 
time  many  a  rollicking  baby  has  first  seen  the 
light  of  day  under  its  venerable  roof.  It  is 
the  oldest  building  in  Wbeaton,  and  still 
standing  in  reasonably  good  order.  The 
next  generation  may  whittle  it  up  into  charms 
to  dispel  the  misty  shrouds  that  hover  around 
their  way,  if  they  don't  inherit  a  good  foun- 
dation from  us  on  which  to  build  their  hopes 
of  prosperity  and  happiness  here. 

WHEATON    SCHOOLS. 

In  almost  all  newly  settled  places,  the  first 
schoolhouses  are  built  by  subscription.  It  is 
as  natural  that  this  should  be  so  as  it  is  for 
children  to  grow  in  these  same  new  settle- 
ments and  multiply  their  numerical  strength, 
and  they  do  this  so  quickly  in  these  great, 
broad  creations  of  sea  room  that  their  parents 
are  compelled  to  make  provision  for  their  ed- 
ucation before  the  slow  machinery  of  govern- 
ment gets  into  working  order  and  builds 
schoolhouses  with  public  money  accumulated 
by  taxation. 

Wheaton  was  like  other  new  places,  and, 
when  the  endless  chain  of  time  had  turned  up 
the  figures  1847,  a  bevy  of  buxom  boys  and 
lithe  girls  were  hop-skipping  and  jumping 
about,  and  stood  in  need  of  something  be- 
sides chimney-corner  discipline. 

In  this  emergency,  their  fathers  built  a 
schoolhouse  and  hived  a  teacher  to  apply  the 
discipline,  while  ABC,  etc.,  were  taught. 


It  was  erected  on  the  land  of  Alonzo  Crosby. 
This  was  the  honorable  pioneer  schoolhouse 
of  Wheaton,  who,  though  now  far  outgrown 
of  such  unpretentious  public  buildings, 
nevertheless  cherishes  the  memory  of  them 
with  kindly  retrospections.  This  old  school - 
house  was  for  seven  years  the  seat  of  learn- 
ing and  the  fine  arts  at  the  place,  and  within 
its  walls  young  minds  took  their  first  bent, 
and  genius  aspired  to  high  aims  in  life, 
though  perhaps  incased  in  sunburnt  skins. 
In  1854,  a  new  schoolhouse  was  built  by  pub- 
lic money,  the  contract  being  let  to  J.  G.  Val- 
lette,  for  which  he  received  $750. 

Eight  years  later,  a  second  building  was 
erected,  for  the  primary  department,  the  orig- 
iginal  one  being  too  small  to  seat  the  increas- 
ing number  of  children. 

In  1863,  the  first  one  was  burned,  and  the 
school  was  transf  erred  to  the  basement  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  where  it  re- 
mained till  the  graded  schoolhouse  which  now 
ornaments  the  town  was  built,  the  finishing 
of  which  bears  date  of  June  6,  1874.  J.  C. 
Wheaton,  E.  Gary  and  W.  K.  Guild  were 
the  Building  Committee.  It  has  six  large 
school  rooms  and  two  recitation  rooms,  be- 
sides the  basement,  which  could  be  utilized 
for  additional  school  rooms  should  necessity 
require  it. 

The  school  is  graded  in  its  course  of  study 
according  to  the  formula  of  other  first-class 
graded  schools.  Mrs.  Frankie  Wheaton  Sny- 
der  is  Principal;  Miss  N.  E.  Cole,  teacher  of 
grammar;  Miss  L.  E.  Wheaton  has  charge  of 
the  intermediate  course;  Miss  E.  T.  Miller  is 
Second  Principal;  and  Miss  E.  D.  Knight 
has  charge  of  the  primary  department. 

JOURNALISM    IN   WHEATON. 

It  is  quite  difficult,  at  this  time,  owing  to 
adverse  circumstances,  to  procure  correct  data 
and  particulars  as  to  the  first  publication  of  a 


OF 


OF 


MILTON  TOWNSHIP. 


191 


newspaper  in  Wheaton.  So  far  as  the  writer 
knows,  there  are  no  files  available  of  the  news- 
papers published  prior  to  1861,  having  been 
destroyed  by  fire  or  lost. 

A  newspaper  was  being  published  at  Na- 
perville,  then  the  county  seat,  but  the  citi- 
zens of  Wheaton,  a  village  on  the  Galena  Di- 
vision of  the  Chicago  &  North- Western  Rail- 

O 

road,  believing  the  interests  of  their  town  de- 
manded such  an  enterprise,  determined  to  aid 
and  assist  any  one  who  would  make  the  vent- 
ure. Sufficient  encouragement  being  given, 
in  the  month  of  June,  1856,  Leonard  E.  De 
Wolf,  a  prominent  lawyer  and  a  large  real 
estate  owner,  purchased  a  hand  press  and 
printing  materials  of  S.  P.  Rounds  &  Co.,  of 
Chicago,  and  commenced  the  publication  of 
the  Du  Page  County  Gazette,  employing  J. 
A.  J.  Birdsall  as  foreman  and  associate  edi- 
tor. It  was  published  about  a  year,  when  it 
was  discontinued. 

After  that,  a  gentleman  from  Chicago  by 
the  name  of  Nathaniel  H.  Lewis  undertook 
to  resurrect  the-  newspaper  enterprise  by 
starting  the  Wheaton  Flag.  But  this  paper 
led  a  precarious  life,  and,  about  the  year 
1860,  was  burned  out,  the  fire  supposed  to 
have  been  the  work  of  an  incendiary.  We 
have  no  knowledge  whether  the  paper  was 
resurrected  after  the  fire. 

In  June,  1861,  Henry  C.  Childs,  a  public- 
spirited  gentleman,  commenced  the  publica- 
tion of  the  Northern  Illinoian,  and  remained 
proprietor  of  it  for  six  years.  The  paper  was 
not  a  financial  success,  but  was  one  of  the 
best-conducted  papers  at  that  time  in  North- 
ern Illinois,  and  had  much  to  do  in  bringing 
Wheaton  and  Du  Page  County  into  promi- 
nent notice.  It  was  during  his  administra- 
tion of  the  paper  that  the  county  seat  fight 
culminated,  and  no  doubt  was  facilitated  on 
account  of  his  zealous  efforts.  His  brother- 
in-law,  Philander  Parmalee,  was  in  his  em- 


ploy, as  well  as  William  Marriott  and  John 
A.  Whitlock. 

During  the  years  1862  and  1864,  Benjamin 
F.  Taylor,  the  well-known  author  and  poet, 
was  connected  with  the  Illinoian  as  its  lit- 
erary editor.  The  paper  was  very  much 
sought  after  on  that  account,  and  obtained 
an  enviable  reputation. 

In  April,  1867,  H.  C.  Childs  sold  out  to 
John  A.  Whitlock,  who  successfully  conduct- 
ed it  up  of  the  16th  of  April,  1870,  when, 
owing  to  ill  health,  it  was  sold  to  the  present 
editor  and  proprietor,  J.  Russell  Smith, 
changed  to  the  name  of  Wheaton  Illinoian. 

At  the  time  of  the  starting  of  the  paper,  in 
1861,  by  H.  C.  Childs,  it  was  made  a  seven- 
column  paper.  December  7, 1864,  it  was  en- 
larged to  an  eight-column.  In  1868,  John  A. 
Whitlock  reduced  it  in  size  to  a  six-column, 
enlarging  it  to  a  seven-column  the  same  year. 
January  1,  1876,  the  present  owner  enlarged 
it  to  an  eight-column,  which  size  it  still  re- 
tains. 

The  Illinoian  is  and  has  always  been  a 
Republican  paper,  fearless  in  defending  the 
right,  but  charitable  in  allowing  all  parties  a 
fair  hearing,  zealously  looking  af  ter  the  local 
and  general  interests  of  the  county. 

In  addition  to  the  Illinoian,  there  is  pub- 
lished in  Wheaton  a  literary  sixteen-page 
monthly  entitled  the  College  Record,  Liter- 
ary Union  of  Wheaton  College,  publishers; 
established  1865  — J.  RUSSELL  SMITH. 

WHEATON    BUSINESS    DIRECTORY. 

Attorneys— N.  E.  Gary,  E.  H.  Gary,  C.  L. 
Blanchard,  W.  G.  Smith,  L.  E.  De  Wolf, 
Col.  J.  W.  Bennet. 

Abstract  of  Titles— J.  G.  Valletta 

Banks — Gary  &  Wheaton. 

Blacksmiths — A.  Michels,  C.  W.  Watson, 
McDonald,  H.  Egers. 

Barber — John  Lawler. 


192 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Clergymen — Rev.  J.  Blanchard,  Eev.  J.  B. 
Walker,  Eev.  A.  H.  Hiatt,  Eev.  L.  N.  Strat- 
ton,  Eev.  C.  F.  Hawley,  Eev.  W.  W.  Stew- 
art, Eev.  I.  A.  Hart,  Eev.  W.  O.  Hart,  Eev. 
H.  W.  Cobb,  Eev.  H.  Fischer,  Eev.  A.  G.  Hib- 
bard,  Eev.  E.  M.  Boring,  Eev.  C.  W.  G.  Koch, 
Eev.  C.  A.  Blanchard,  Eev.  J.  C.  Webster. 

Coal  Dealer— H.  H.  Fuller. 

Carpenters— A.  T.  Childs,  C.  W.  Miller, 
D.  Compton,  J.  Homer,  C.  Louts. 

Carriage  Painter  and  Trimmer — G.  W, 
Matthan. 

Carpet- Weavers — Mr.  Arakelian,  Martha 
Blair. 

Dry  Goods  and  Groceries — A  S.  Landon  & 
Co.,  Grote  Bros.,  Cole  &  Guild,  J.  B.  Colvin. 

Druggist — L.  L.  Hiatt,  W.  A.  Henninger. 

Dentists — J.  H.  Ashley,  P.  Learn. 

Dress-Making— -Misses  Nash,  Mrs.  Sals- 
bury,  Mrs.  Vernon,  Mrs.  I.  Lewis,  Miss  C. 
Scofield. 

Furniture- Dealer — Conrad  Kampp. 

Grain  -Dealers  — Sutcliffe  &  Kelly. 

Groceries  and  Confectionery — W.  Millner, 
J.  H.  Vallette,  E.  W.  Bixby,  L.  W.  Mills. 

Hardware — John  Sauer,  H.  &  E.  B.  Holt 

Hotels— M.  Stark,  M.  Eickert. 

House  and  Sign  Painters — William  Schatz, 
George  Hagermann. 

House-Moving — M.  E.  Jones. 

Harness-Makers — Binder  Bros. 

Insurance — J.  G.  Vallette,  Wm  L.  Gary. 

Jewelers — L.  C.  Brown,  A.  Alberts. 

Livery  Stables— Durland  &  Congleton,  E. 
H.  Ehle. 

Lumber-Dealers— W.  K.  Guild,  Sutcliffe 
&  Kelly. 

Laundry — Mrs.  J.  Wright 

Landscape  Gardener  and  Florist — Joseph 
Stanford. 

Boot  and  Shoe  Makers — A.  Eau,  G.  Esten- 
felter,  O.  Horner. 

Merchant  Tailor — H.  Garlic,  F.  Kusousky. 


Meat  Markets — C.  A.  Sohmer,  Thoman  & 
Webber. 

Masons  and  Builders — A.  Austin,  C.  Gates, 
J.  Knippen. 

Millinery — Misses  Nash,  Mrs.  West. 

Music  Teachers— (vocal)  S.  W.  Martin, 
(instrumental)  S.  W.  Martin,  Miss  Nettie 
Pratt. 

Nurserymen — A.  H.  Hiatt,  O.  F.  Lumery, 
J.  C.  Wheaton. 

Publishers — E.  Blancbard,  J.  E  Smith. 

Printers — J.  E.  Smith,  A.  L.  Hamilton, 
F.  Miner. 

Postmaster- —George  B.  Vastine. 

Photographer — Charles  L.  Kersting. 

Physicians  and  Surgeons — L.  E  Pratt,  F. 
N.  Englehard,  A.  H.  Hiatt,  S.  P.  Sedgwick, 
E.  Vogeler. 

Painting  and  Drawing— Mrs.  S.  H  Nut- 
ting, Miss  Flora  Mills. 

Eeal  Estate  Agents— C.  P.  J.  Arion,  H. 
W.  Cobb,  J.  Eussell  Smith. 

Eestaurants— W.  Millner,  E.  W.  Bixby. 

Surveyors — J.   G.  Vallette,  A.  S.  Landon. 

Station  Agent— H.  H  Fuller. 

Telegraph  Operators — Charles  Fuller,  M. 
E.  Griswold. 

Tinners— J.  P.  Sauer,  H.  &  E.  B.  Holt. 

Veterinary  Surgeon — J.  H.  Brown. 

Wagons  and  Carriages— William  H.  John- 
son, A  Stephens,  S.  Ott,  F.  Man. 

WHEATON  CREAMERY  COMPANY. 

Organized  February  10,  1882.  Capital 
stock,  $7,000.  James  S.  Peirronet,  President; 
E.  H.  Gary,  Vice  President;  H.  H.  Fuller, 
Secretary;  J.  J.  Cole,  Treasurer.  Brick 
building,  36x75  feet;  cost,  with  fixtures  and 
grounds,  $7,500.  All  late  improvements, 
including  the  wire  circular  vat,  Frazier 
gang  press  (which  will  press  twenty  cheeses 
at  once),  and  the  Mason  revolving  butter- 
worker.  The  milk  is  conducted  from  the  re- 


MILTON  TOWNSHIP. 


193 


ceiving  room  into  vats  in  the  cooling  room, 
where  the  cream  is  raised.  Then  the  milk  is 
drawn  from  under  the  cream  and  carried 
through  conductor  pipes  to  cheese  vats  in  the 
manufacturing  room.  Water  is  supplied  by 
two  wells,  one  twenty  feet,  the  other  1 5  feet 
deep.  Capacity  of  factory  is  16,000  pounds 
of  milk  per  day. 

The  interior  of  the  building  was  planned 
by  Mr.  J.  J.  Cole,  and  is  entirely  different 
from  any  factory  in  the  State. 

PROSPECT    PARK. 

Prospect  Park  is  a  village  on  the  western 
fringe  of  Babcock's  Grove.  It  grew  into  be- 
ing as  a  station  on  the  G.  &  C.  U.  R.  E.  Dr. 
L.  V.  and  his  brother  Lensa  Newton  bought 
land  here  of  William  Churchill  previous  to 
1849,  and  when  the  railroad  came  through, 
Dr.  Newton  built  a  depot.  David  Kelly  kept 
it,  and  also  a  tavern  and  post  office  in  the 
same  building  He  had  formerly,  in  1847, 
kept  a  post  office  on  his  farm,  three  miles  to 
the  north.  He  also  has  the  honor  of  giving 
the  name  of  Danby  to  the  place,  this  being 
the  same  name  he  had  given  to  a  town  in 
Rutland  County,  Vt,  ere  he  came  West.  He 
lived  to  see  it  changed  to  its  present  name, 
much  to  his  regret 

Messrs.  Standish  &  Saylor,  in  1853,  opened 
the  first  store  at  the  place.  The  old  depot 
was  about  this  time  moved  away  by  the 
owner,  and  a  new  one  erected  by  the  railroad 
company,  which  still  stands.  The  original 
one,  after  it  had  been  moved,  was  occupied 
for  various  uses  till  it  had  executed  its 
mission,  and  was  lastly  moved  to  get  it  out  of 
the  way,  which  was  about  the  year  1862. 
Undecided  what  disposition  to  make  of  it, 
the  rickety  old  structure  was  allowed  to  re- 
main on  a  side-hill,  where  it  stood  for  some 
months,  like  the  leaning  tower  of  Pisa — a 
slipshod  monument  of  early  days,  as  well  as 


a  target  for  jokes  from  railroad  passengers 
who  beheld  ii  The  site  of  this  town  is  un- 
equaled  by  any  other  in  the  county  in  na- 
ture's variety  of  oval  hillocks,  rising  one 
above  another,  all  underlaid  by  a  substratum 
of  gravel,  and  fanned  by  the  breezes  from  the 
adjacent  grove.  It  was  platted  May  20,  1854, 
by  L.  V.  Newton,  situate  on  Section  11, 
•  Township  89,  Range  10.  Its  elevation  above 
Lake  Michigan  is  162  feet. 

CONGREGATIONAL    CHURCH    OF    PROSPECT    PARK. 

This  church  was  organized  April  15,  1862. 
After  the  ceremonies  of  organization,  thirteen 
persons  united — Mr.  H.  B.  Gifford  and  wife, 
A.  Standish  and  wife,  S.  Ventassel  and  wife, 

i  J.  P.  Yalding  and  wife,  Mrs.  Cornelia 
Brooks,  Miss  Emily  Brooks  and  Mrs.  R.  Rud- 
dock. Church  services  were  held  at  Stacy's 
Corners  until  February,  1863,  when  the 
building  was  moved  to  its  site.  Rev.  E.  N. 
Lewis  was  the  first  pastor.  Nearly  one  hun- 
dred persons  have  united  with  the  church 
since  its  organization,  but  many  have  died, 

'  and  others  have  left  the  place;  not  quite  half 
of  that  number  are  members  to-day.  Three 
of  the  original  members — Mr.  and  Mrs.  J. 
P.  Yalding  and  Mrs.  C.  Brooks — are  regular 
attendants  on  "all  church  services.  The 
Wednesday  evening  prayer  meeting  has  been 
sustained  ever  since  the  organization,  and  a 

:  ladies'  prayer  meeting  for  a  few  years. 

The  church  is  in  a  prosperous  condition, 
all  of  its  services  being  well  attended. 

Prof.  H.  A.  Fischer,  of  Wheaton  College, 
has  supplied  the  pulpit  since  the  last  of  May. 
The  Sabbath  school  has  a  membership  of 
over  one  hundred. 

THE  FREE  METHODIST  CHURCH. 

The  Free  Methodist  Church  at  Prospect 
Park  grew  into  being  in  1880,  but  yet  the 
material  which  composed  it  had  been  accu- 


194 


HISTORY  OF   DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


mulaticg  for  years  prior  to  that  date.  The 
immediate  action  that  gave  birth  to  it  was 
a  series  of  meetings  held  by  Rev.  J.  E.  Oole- 
man  and  Rev.  J.  D.  Marsh,  and,  under  the 
pastoral  charge  of  the  latter,  the  church  was 
organized  from  the  converts  of  this  series  of 
meetings.  At  the  expiration  of  Mr.  Marsh's 
term — one  year — Rev.  William  Ferris  became 
pastor,  who  was  succeeded  the  next  year  by 
Rev.  James  Sprague,  the  present  pastor. 

The  above  statistics  have  been  furnished 
to  the  editor  by  Miss  Rose  Weidman,  Clerk 
of  the  church. 

The  Prospect,  Park  Library  Association  is 
a  stock  company  of  twenty  members,  similar 
to  the  one  at  Wheaton,  kept  at  A.  S.  Lan- 
don's.  The  books  are  Harper's  publications, 
and  the  Librarian's  report  shows  that  the 
books  are  read  and  appreciated  by  the  mem- 
bers. They  intend  to  make  an  effort  this 
winter  to  purchase  more  books  and  increase 
their  membership,  so  as  to  get  more  American 
publications.  The  officers  of  the  association 
are:  P.  G.  Hubbard,  President;  F.  W.  Stacy, 
Vice  President;  W.  Sabin,  Secretary;  W.  H. 
Luther,  Treasurer;  and  Miss  Georgiana 
Allen,  Librarian. 


NAMES    OF    THE    BUSINESS    AND    PROFESSIONAL 
MEN    OF     PROSPECT    PARK. 

Luther  Winter,  dealer  in  feed  and  coal. 
W.  H.  Luther,  agent  for  the  C.  &.  N.  W. 
R.  B, 

Miles  Allen,  store  and  post  office. 

P.  G.  Hubbard,  dealer  in  broom  corn. 

William  H.  Wayne,  blacksmith. 

M.  H.  Wayne,  wheelwright. 

Nelson  Dodge,  carpenter  and  builder. 

Brake  &  Myers,  carpenters  and  builders. 

Will  Jellies,  carpenter  and  builder. 

J.  R.  McChesney  &  Co.,  general  store. 

H.  Wegman,  general  store. 

Allen  R.  Walker,  tinshop  and  hardware. 

E.  Graff,  hotel. 

John  Weidman,  broom  factory. 

John  Hayden,  store. 

Frank  Walworth,  stone  mason. 

G.  M.  H.  Wayner,  commission  store. 

R.  Blackman,  dealer  on  Board  of  Trade. 

John  Sabin,  boot  and  shoe  shop. 

Aug  Bregson,  boot  and  shoe  shop. 

J.  S.  Dodge,  retired  farmer. 

L.  C.  Cooper,  attorney  at  law. 

James  Sanders,  M.  D. 


CHAPTER    IX. 


DOWNER'S     GROVE     TOWNSHIP  — THE    OLD     INDIAN     BOUNDARY —  CASS  — PIERCE     DOWNER  — 

THOMAS  ANDRUS  — CHICAGO  REMINISCENCES  — THE  VILLAGE  OF  HINSDALE— BRUSH 

HILL    MEMORIES  —  CLARENDON     HILLS  —  FREDERICKSBURG  —  DOWNER'S 

GROVE  VILLAGE— AN  OX  TEAM  HITCHED  TO  AN  OAK  LOG— WHAT 

GREW   OUT  OF  IT  — THE  UNDERGROUND  RAILROAD. 


~T~A  OWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP  includes 
•4-<  the  Government  Township  described  as 
Town  38,  Range  11,  and  also  the  three  north- 
ern tiers  of  sections  northwest  of  the  Desplaines 
River,  in  Town  37,  Range  11,  the  portions  lying 
in  Town  37  being  unofficially  known  and  de- 
scribed as  Cass. 


The  whole  of  Downer's  Grove,  except  Sec- 
tions 5,  6,  7  and  the  diagonal  halves  of  4,  8 
and  18,  lies  southeast  of  the  old  Indian  Bound- 
ary line,  and  was  surveyed  by  the  Government 
between  the  years  1829  (at  which  time  sur- 
veys were  commenced  at  Chicago)  and  1835. 
the  year  of  the  Government  sale  of  these  lands. 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


195 


Besides  this  Indian  Boundary  line  was  another 
running  parallel  with  it  twenty  miles  southeast 
of  it,  both  of  which  extended  from  Lake  Mich- 
igan to  the  Illinois  River  at  Ottawa.  The  strip 
inclosed  by  these  lines  had  been  ceded  to  the 
United  States  August  4,  1816,  by  the  Ottawas, 
Chippewas  and  Pottawatomies,  particulars  of 
which  have  been  -stated  in  a  former  chapter. 
Through  this  belt  of  land  the  Illinois  and  Michi- 
gan Canal  was  located,  and  the  alternate  sections 
for  five  miles  on  each  side  of  it  were  donated 
to  the  State  of  Illinois,  to  aid  in  its  construc- 
tion. Portions  of  these  donated  lands  laid  in 
Downer's  Grove,  and  were  sold  by  the  Canal 
Commissioners,  but  were  not  offered  for  sale 
till  some  years  after  the  sale  of  the  Govern- 
ment lands,  which  took  place  in  June,  1835. 

Many  of  the  early  settlers  of  Downer's  Grove 
were  purchasers  both  of  Government  and  Canal 
lands. 

Very  few  of  them  were  land  claimants,  but 
bona  fide  purchasers  from  the  first.  Mr. 
Downer,  whose  history  is  told  in  connection 
with  the  village  of  Downer's  Grove,  was  the. 
first  settler  of  this  town.  Many  other  pioneers 
of  this  town  are  also  mentioned  in  connection 
with  the  history  of  its  villages,  but  one  of  them, 
who  had  no  participation  in  village  building, 
deserves  a  page  on  account  of  his  experiences, 
which  are  so  representative  of  life  here  in  the 
early  day.  This  was  Thomas  Andrus,  born  in 
Rutland  County,  Vt.,  from  whence  he  inherited 
those  inflexible  traits  of  character  that  are 
almost  certain  to  make  a  man  pull  through 
difficulties.  He  was  born  in  1801  ;  came  to  Chi- 
cago December  1,  1833  ;  couldn't  find  anything 
to  do,  and  started  back  toward  sunrise  on  foot, 
but  before  he  had  arrived  to  the  Calumet,  a 
man  hired  him  to  drive  an  ox  team.  This  oc- 
cupation lasted  till  the  next  year,  1834,  when 
a  venturesome  man  determined  to  erect  a  three- 
story  hotel  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Lake 
and  Dearborn  street,  and  carpenters  were 
wanted.  Of  course  he  was  a  carpenter  ;  he 


was  a  Yankee,  and  that  meant  a  carpenter  just 
then.  The  next  winter  it  might  have  meant  a 
pedagogue,  but  whatever  it  means  it  always 
means  the  best  of  the  kind  wanted. 

Mr.  Andrus  went  to  work  and  filled  the  bill 
satisfactorily,  and  there  is  evidence  that  he  was 
above  par  in  the  estimation  of  his  employer ; 
for  when  the  frame  of  his  building  was  up,  Mr. 
Andrus  suggested  to  him  to  call  his  magnifi- 
cent three-story  hotel  the  Tremont  House,  after 
the  still  celebrated  house  of  that  name  in  Bos- 
ton. His  advice  was  taken,  and  the  name  has 
been  transmitted  to  the  third  generantion  of 
Tremont  Houses  ;  the  present  one  on  the  corner 
diagonally  opposite  where  the  first  was  built  in 
1834,  being  the  third  in  succession,  the  second 
one  having  been  burned  in  the  great  fire  of 
1871.  The  first  one  had  a  billiard  table  in  the 
third  story,  which  then  overlooked  the  whole 
one  and  two-story  town.  Dearborn  street  was 
then  the  great  thoroughfare  to  the  North  Side, 
to  which  it  was  connected  by  a  draw-bridge 
that  lifted  perpendicularly  by  means  of  wind- 
lasses, but  when  the  next  bridge  came  to  be 
built,  the  Clark  streeters  subscribed  the  most 
and  won  the  prize,  for  money  then  "  made  the 
mare  go "  as  well  as  now,  and  it  made  the' 
bridge  go. 

Now,  let  us  take  Mr.  Andrus  through  one 
more  old  way-mark  in  Chicago  before  he  goes 
to  settle.  It  is  this  :  He  assisted  in  driving 
the  piles  for  the  foundation  of  John  H- 
Kinzie's  warehouse  in  1834,  the  first  ever 
built  in  Chicago,  and  saw  the  first  lot  of 
wheat  shipped  from  it  that  ever  went  East 
from  the  place.  In  the  autumn  of  the 
same  year,  Mr.  Andrus  returned  to  Ver- 
mont, and  the  following  spring  (1835),  came 
back  with  his  wife  and  three  children,  arriving 
at  Chicago  in  June,  and  in  July  settled  where 
he  now  lives,  on  Section  6,  Town  37,  Range  11. 
Shadrac  Harris  had  preceded  him  a  few  weeks, 
and  lived  on  Section  8,  quite  near  him.  Mr. 
Harris  is  now  living  at  Marengo. 


196 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Dr.  Bronson  lived  on  the  Plainfield  road,  two 
miles  to  the  Northeast.  He  was  the  first  settler 
in  the  vicinity.  Hartell  Cobb  lived  a  little 
west  of  Mr.  Bronson.  After  Mr.  Andrus  had 
been  settled  six  weeks,  an  election  was  held 
for  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  he  was  one  of  the 
candidates.  He  came  within  one  vote  of  being 
elected,  his  rival  having  three  votes  while  he 
had  but  two.  Mr.  Harris,  the  fortunate  wire- 
puller, was  duly  sworn  in,  but  he  had  to  go 
to  Chicago  where  folks  swore  to  be  thus  dubbed. 
The  next  term  Mr.  Andrus  ran  against  the 
same  man  for  the  same  office  and  was  elected. 
and  could  have  retained  the  office  a  second 
term  had  not  his  wife  interfered.  This  tidy 
Vermont  girl  saw  more  tobacco  juice  than  profit 
in  it  (for  the  trials  were  held  in  her  parlor),  and 
she  requested  her  husband  to  decline  a  renomi- 
nation.  His  acquiescence  was  no  mean  exam- 
ple in  favor  of  woman's  rights.  The  first 
schools  of  the  place,  says  Mr.  Andrus,  were 
taught  in  discarded  private  houses,  whose  own  • 
'  ers  had  built  better  ones,  and  Miss  Nancy 
Stanley  was  the  first  teacher.  She  afterward 
married  Mr/Bush,  and  subsequently  Mr.  Dryer 
for  her  second  husband. 

Elder  Beggs,  the  same  who  now  lives  in 
Plainfield,  was  their  first  preacher,  and  Gen.  E. 
B.  Bill,  the  same  who  got  up  a  company  for 
the  Mexican  war  and  died  in  the  service,  think- 
ing the  Methodists  had  not  been  sufficiently 
generous  with  Father  Beggs,  got  up  a  dona- 
tion party  for  him,  which  was  well  received 
by  the  devout  itinerant,  though  it  came 
from  the  world's  people  and  not  from  his  own 
flock. 

Mr.  Andrus  was  appointed  the  first  Postmas- 
ter of  Cass  Post  Office,  which  was  organized  in 
1834.  and  held  the  position  fifteen  years,  during 
which  time  5  cents  was  reported  to  him  as  an 
error  in  his  account.  Several  offices,  away  from 
the  stage  line  of  Mr.  Frinck  that  passed  his 
house,  were  supplied  from  his  office  by  horse- 
back mail  riders.  Frinck's  line  had  sixteen 


coaches  each  way  per  day.  Of  course  he  kept 
tavern  in  his  new  house,  which  he  built  in  1836, 
and  in  the  dining-room  dances  were  held.  How 
were  you  on  tip-toe  ?  asked  the  writer  of  Mrs. 
Andrus.  Smiling  through  the  honorable  wrink- 
les of  eighty  years  that  furrowed  her  cheek, 
she  replied,  "Oh,  I  don't  like  to  recommend 
myself." 

Edgar  S.,  the  fourth  child  of  the  family,  was 
born  after  their  settlement  where  they  now  are, 
and  was  the  first  white  birth  of  this  town.  He 
is  now  one  of  its  residents. 

The  above,  together  with  the  history  of  the 
villages  of  this  town,  fully  represents  its  pioneer 
days.  There  are  thirteen  schoolhouses  in  the 
town,  three  of  which  are  graded,  and  1,142  per- 
sons between  the  ages  of  six  and  twenty -one. 

THE    VILLAGE    OT    HINSDALE. 

A  sailor  once  said  that  he  didn't  see  the  need 
of  any  land  except  enough  to  build  docks  to. 
His  ideas,  like  some  other  people's,  were  limited 
to  his  own  immediate  wants.  His  whole  sphere 
of  human  knowledge  centered  in  himself. 

"His  soul,  proud  soience  never  taught  to  stray, 
Far  as  the  solar  walk  and  milky  way." 

Nor  even  as  far  as  'tis  from  Chicago  to  Hins- 
dale,  of  which  the  latter  is  an  outpost,  a  kind 
of  retort,  to  catch  the  lovers  of  nature,  and 
hold  them  among  the  delightful  ranges  of  the 
place  as  they  pass  from  the  man-made  city  of 
Chicago,  full  of  turmoil,  inductions  and  seduc- 
tions, into  the  God-made  country,  full  of 
"  Ye  banks  and  braes  of  Bonnie  Doon." 

Here  they  bloom  "  fresh  and  fair,"  and  leave 
no  "  thorn  behind  "  to  the  peaceful  citizen  as  he 
sleeps  among  them,  fanned  by  the  summer 
breath,  as  it  moves  over  a  broad  heath  of  prairie 
farms  and  groves. 

The  variegated  hillocks,  no  two  of  which  are 
alike,  ou  which  the  town  is  laid  out,  seem  to 
have  been  fashioned  by  the  hand  of  nature  for 
a  kind  of  landscape  village,  and  for  nothing 
else,  for  its  site  never  had  been  utilized  for 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


197 


farming  purposes  before  the  village  was  born, 
with  a  silver  spoon  in  its  mouth,  to  use  a  met- 
aphor. But,  first,  let  us  tell  some  of  the  con- 
ditions of  the  place  before  the  village  came 
into  existence.  Alfred  Walker  came  from 
Windsor  County,  Vt.,  to  Brush  Hill,  just  north 
of  Hinsdale,  in  April,  1854.  Here  he  found 
a  little  bevy  of  settlers  nestling  in  an  open- 
ing in  the  grove  around  two  taverns,  a 
store  and  a  blacksmith  shop.  The  old  name 
of  Brush  Hill  still  clung  to  the  place,  and  does 
yet,  although  Benjamin  Puller,  three  years  be- 
fore, had  incorporated  the  town  and  officially 
named  it  Fullersburg.  Mr.  Walker  bought  all 
the  land  Mr.  Fuller  owned,  and  his  tavern- 
stand,  and  became  proprietor  of  the  place.  It 
had  few  permanent  inhabitants,  John  Coe  and 
Benjamin,  Lewis  and  Reuben  Fuller  being  all 
that  Mr.  Walker  mentions  as  land  owners.  One 
of  the  taverns  was  a  sort  of  catch-all  for  new- 
comers, where  rooms  were  temporarily  rented 
to  them  till  a  place  to  settle  was  found,  and  six 
or  eight  such  families  at  a  time  held  their  tran- 
sient abodes  there,  where  they  baked  their  corn- 
bread  and  boiled  their  coffee  with  fuel  gathered 
from  the  adjacent  grove.  Mr.  Walker's  pur- 
chase of  Mr.  Fuller  included  the  land  on  which 
his  house  now  stands,  half  a  mile  north  of  the 
depot,  and  here  he  built  a  farm  house  in  1858, 
in  which  he  now  lives,  within  the  corporate 
limits  of  the  town — a  monument  to  link  Hins- 
dale back  to  the  pioneer  times  that  preceded 
its  present  age. 

At  that  time,  says  Mr.  Walker,  there  was  not 
a  house  south  of  him  for  eight  miles.  All  the 
lands  were  owned  by  speculators,  and  held  at 
from  $7  to  $25  per  acre.  One  tract,  just  over 
the  line  of  Cook  County,  sold  at  auction  in 
1854,  for  $5.25  per  acre,  and,  says  Mr.  Walker, 
"up  to  1862,  wolves  were  often  seen,  and  cau- 
tious mothers  dared  not  send  their  little  chil- 
dren into  the  groves  after  the  cows." 

Two  years  later  was  planted  the  germ  out  of 
which  Hinsdale  grew  into  being.  This  was 


done  by  Mr.  William  Robbins,  who,  after  he 
had  purchased  800  acres  of  land,  built  the  fine 
residence  he  now  occupies,  which  was  finished 
in  February,  1864,  being  the  first  erected  in  the 
place.  Mr.  Robbins'  purchase  included  the 
west  half  of  Section  7  in  Cook  County,  besides 
Section  12,  on  which  was  the  original  plat  of 
Hinsdale.  The  next  year,  he  fenced  in  the 
whole  tract  for  a  stock  farm,  and  the  year  after 
(1866),  laid  out  the  northwest  quarter  of  Sec- 
tion 12  in  lots,  varying  in  size  from  one  acre  to 
lots  of  sixty-six  feet  frontage.  The  same  year, 
the  streets  were  graded,  plank  sidewalks  laid 
and  those  first  trees  planted  which  now  lend 
such  a  charm  to  the  place.  Rev.  C.  M.  Barnes, 
the  same  who  now  has  a  large  book-store  in 
Chicago,  bought  the  first  lot  of  Mr.  Robbins, 
and  built  a  house  on  it,  though  the  family  of 
James  Swartwout  was  the  first  one  to.  come  to 
the  place  after  that  of  Mr.  Robbius. 

Mr.  Swartwout  occupied  one  of  Mr.  Robbins' 
houses.  The  golden  wedding  of  this  vener- 
able pair  was  celebrated  at  Hinsdale  in  July, 
1882. 

In  1866,  Mr.  Robbins  built  a  stone  school- 
house,  which,  at  the  time  was  deemed  too  large 
for  present  or  even  future  use,  but,  in  1880,  an 
addition  was  erected  beside  it,  doubling  its  ca- 
pacity, and  the  two  combined  are  now  barely 
sufficient  to  accommodate  the  multiplying  wants 
of  the  place,  where  education  of  the  rising 
generation  is  a  prominent  interest,  and  where  a 
united  public  sentiment  has  provided  not 
only  a  model  schoolhouse,  but  model  teachers 
and  a  school  exemplary  in  its  grade  and  dis- 
cipline. 

In  1866,  Mr.  O.  J.  Stough  bought  eighty 
acres,  being  the  south  half  of  the  northwest 
quarter  of  Section  1,  and  the  next  year  he 
bought  the  southeast  quarter  of  Section  11, 
160  acres,  and  the  next  year,  1868,  by  various 
purchases,  he  bought  the  most  of  Estabrook's 
addition  to  Hinsdale,  lying  in  the  southeast 
quarter  of  Section  2,  and  the  next  year,  1869, 


198 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


he  bought  about  one  hundred  and  thirty-seven 
acres  lying  in  Section  10  —  all  the  above 
purchases  situate  in  Town  38,  Range  11,  and 
largely  on  the  north  side  of  railroad  track, 
along  those  beautiful  terraced  elevations  that 
rise  one  above  another  till  the  groves  of  Old 
Brush  Hill  are  reached,  and  on  May  19,  1868, 
1868,  his  first  addition  to  Hinsdale  was  re- 
corded, and  his  second  addition  June  2. 

Besides  making  these  purchases  and  sub- 
dividing portions  of  them,  Mr.  Stough  built  a 
church  on  the  north  side  in  1868,  and  Rev. 
William  Balch,  a  present  citizen  and  highly 
esteemed  minister  of  the  Gospel  at  Elgin,  was 
pastor  of  this  church  for  two  years.  A  Bible 
class  was  connected  with  it  of  which  Hon.  Joel 
Tiffany,  a  present  resident  of  Hinsdale,  held 
charge.  Neither  the  church  nor  the  Bible-class 
were  wording  under  any  name,  but  their  inde- 
pendent teachings  partook  of  the  broad  type  of 
natural  religion.  Many  of  the  first  patrons  of 
the  church  left  the  place  after  Mr.  Balch's 
term  had  expired,  and  services  were  suspended 
in  it  about  a  year  thereafter. 

The  first  addition  made  by  Mr.  Robbins  to 
the  original  town  was  called  W.  Robbins'  First 
Addition.  The  second  was  W.  Robbins'  Park 
Addition.  The  latter  was  laid  out  by  H.  W.  S. 
Cleveland,  Landscape  Gardener. 

After  making  a  thorough  study  of  the  oval 
elevations  and  graduating  valleys  of  the  place, 
he  laid  out  streets,  threading  their  way  among 
them  in  scroll-shaped  curves,  the  better  to 
heighten  their  scenic  effect,  and  that  he  suc- 
ceeded admirably  in  his  effort,  the  present 
natural  and  artificial  beauty  of  the  place  bears 
ample  evidence.  Mansions,  birds-nest  houses, 
hedge  rows,  conservatories,  vine-clad  arbors 
and  graveled  walks  interlacing  the  ground  on 
which  they  stand,  have  put  the  finishing  touch 
on  the  whole. 

This  is  Hinsdale  as  it  is — cheery,  beautiful 
and  healthful,  from  both  social  and  physical 
causes. 


THE   CONGREGATIONAL  CHURCH   AT  HINSDALE.* 

The  Congregationalists  residing  in  Hinsdale 
organized  themselves  into  a  church,  consisting 
of  ten  members,  August  12,  1866,  which  was 
duly  recognized  by  a  council  of  neighboring 
churches  October  16  of  the  same  year.  Mr. 
C.  M.  Sanders,  a  student  of  the  Chicago  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  commenced  to  preach  regu- 
larly in  the  place  a  few  weeks  before  the 
organization  of  the  church.  He  was  ordained 
by  a  council  in  April,  1867,  and  continued 
acting  pastor  of  the  church  till  the  close  of 
1868. 

'  During  his  ministry,  thirty-five  members 
were  added  to  the  original  number,  and  their 
place  of  worship  was  changed  from  the  passen- 
ger depot  to  Academy  Hall. 

During  several  succeeding  months,  the  church 
was  dependent  for  a  supply  of  its  pulpit  prin- 
cipally on  students  of  the  Theological  Sem- 
inary. 

In  October,  1869,  Rev.  F.  Bascom,  then  of 
Princeton,  111.,  accepted  their  invitation  and 
became  their  resident  pastor.  He  remained  in 
charge  of  the  church  till  May,  1872.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  J.  W.  Hartshorn,  who  en- 
tered upon  his  work  in  November  of  that  vear, 
and  remained  till  the  close  of  1875. 

From  the  1st  of  February  succeeding,  Mr. 
Crow,  from  the  Theological  School  at  Evans- 
ton,  was  in  charge  of  the  church  for  six 
months. 

In  the  autumn  of  1876,  Rev.  William 
Butcher  was  engaged  as  pastor  for  one  year, 
and  continued  his  ministry  till  December, 
1877. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Hartshorn,  who  on  retiring 
from  this  place,  had  taken  charge  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church  in  Naperville,  was  now  re- 
called, and  remained  as  pastor  two  years,  from 
May,  1878. 

In  the  summer  of  1880,  Rev.  John  Ellis  be- 
gan his  labors  as  pastor  of  the  church,  which 

•Contributed  by  ReT.  Flavel  Bodcom. 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


199 


have  thus  far  been  attended  with  growing  in- 
terest. 

In  1873,  the  congregation,  needing  a  more 
commodious  place  of  worship,  commenced  the 
erection  of  a  stone  edifice ;  but  when  the 
walls  had  reached  the  height  of  the  basement 
story,  the  approach  of  winter  and  an  empty 
treasury,  suggested  the  propriety  of  postpon- 
ing the  erection  of  the  upper  story,  and  the 
finishing  of  a  lecture-room  under  a  temporary 
roof.  In  that  room  the  congregation  has  found 
comfortable  accommodations  for  more  than 
eight  years. 

In  the  summer  of  1881,  an  effort  to  complete 
this  house  of  worship  was  resumed,  and  pros- 
ecuted with  the  most  gratifying  unanimity  and 
liberality.  But  unforeseen  difficulties  and 
hindrances  delayed  the  work  and  postponed 
its  completion  till  August,  1882.  It  was  dedi- 
cated to  the  worship  of  God  on  the  6th  day  of 
that  month,  free  from  debt. 

In  its  origin  and  history  hitherto,  this  church 
has  sought  to  cherish  the  spirit  and  to  exem- 
plify the  principles  of  union  among  evangelical 
Christians  of  every  name.  It  has  been  toler- 
ant of  unessential  doctrines  in  its  membership. 
For  a  long  time  it  united  with  another  church 
in  the  place,  in  sustaining  public  worship  and 
the  various  forms  of  Christian  work.  It  has 
always  welcomed  Christians  of  every  name  to 
its  fellowship  in  the  privileges  and  labors  of  its 
own  members,  and  its  prosperity  has  been 
greatly  promoted  by  such  co-operation.  For 
the  second  time  it  has  a  pastor  ecclesiastically 
connected  with  another  denomination  ;  but  his 
ministry  is  none  the  less  satisfactory  and  prof- 
itable to  Congregationalists,  while  it  tends  to 
obliterate  all  denominational  distinctions  in  the 
community. 

The  whole  number  of  members  connected 
with  the  church  since  its  origin,  is  153.  Its 
present  membership,  exclusive  of  absentees,  is 
eighty-four,  of  whom  fifty-two  have  been  re- 
ceived in  the  last  two  years. 


THE    BAPTIST   CHURCH   AT    HINSDALE.* 

A  Baptist  Church  was  organized  in  Hinsdale 
in  1868.  For  several  months  it  had  no  pastor, 
and  has  preserved  no  record  of  its  transactions. 
In  October,  1869,  Rev.  James  Lisk  accepted  an 
invitation  to  the  pastorate  of  the  church,  and  be- 
gan his  ministry  the  first  Sabbath  of  that  month. 
Their  place  of  public  worship  was  the  wait- 
ing room  of  the  railroad  passenger  depot,  where 
he  preached  to  them  very  acceptably  till  the 
spring  of  the  following  year,  when  his  accept- 
ance of  a  call  to  a  larger  field  left  them  again 
as  sheep  without  a  shepherd. 

In  the  meantime,  they  had  undertaken  the 
erection  of  a  house  of  worship,  the  expense  of 
which  overtaxed   their   resources,  and  subse- 
quently involved  them  in  great  embarrassment. 
After  the  completion  of  their  house,  they  were 
unable  to  carry  the   pecuniary  burdens  which 
they  had  assumed,  and,  at  the  same  time,  pro- 
vide for  the  salary  of  a  pastor.     They,  there- 
_  fore,  invited  the  Congregationalists  to  worship 
j  with  them,  who  accepted  the  invitation,  and 
i  both   churches   united  in   the  support  of  the 
|  Congregational  Pastor.     In  many  respects  this 
i  arrangement  was   profitable   and  satisfactory 
j  and  was  continued  till  May,  1872,  when  it  was 
discontinued  by  mutual  consent.     During  the 
next  year  the  church  had  no  regular  supply  of 
their  pulpit,  but  depended  principally  on  the 
Professors  and  students  of  the  Baptist  Theo- 
logical Seminary  of  Chicago. 

In  June,  1873,  Rev.  George  Kline  became 
their  Pastor,  and  for  about  a  year  labored  ear- 
nestly and  faithfully  to  promote  the  interests  of 
the  church  and  community.  But  his  people 
then  consented  regretfully  to  his  removal,  be- 
ing unable  longer  to  pay  him  the  requisite  sal- 
ary. And  in  the  prevailing  financial  embar- 
rassment which  was  then  so  disastrous,  their 
house  of  worship  passed  out  of  their  hands 
irrecoverably.  They  were  already  depleted  in 
numbers  by  deaths  and  removals  as  well  as 

*  By  Bey.  Flavel  Btucom. 


200 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


diminished  in  resources.  And  now  the  loss  of 
their  house,  added  to  their  former  reverses,  was 
so  discouraging  that  they  voted  to  disband, 
and  authorized  their  Clerk  to  give  letters  of 
dismission  to  other  churches  to  their  few  re- 
maining members. 

GRACE  EPISCOPAL    CHURCH    OF  HINSDALE.* 

Ill  the  spring  of  1873,  a  few  of  the  citizens 
of  Hinsdale,  viz.,  Messrs.  Stuart,  Notingham, 
Maydwell,  Chant,  Slocum,  Crocker  and  Payne, 
met  at  the  house  of  D.  J.  Crocker  to  organize 
the  Grace  Episcopal  Sunday  School,  of  which 
Mr.  J.  F.  Stuart  was  chosen  Superintendent, 
and  which  formed  the  foundation  for  the  parish 
which  was  organized  March  31, 1875,  under  the 
name  of  Grace  Episcopal.  Easter  services  had 
been  held  previous  to  this  date  in  the  base- 
ment of  the  Congregational  Church,  but  no 
parish  meeting  was  held  till  March  31,  1875, 
when  Alfred  Payne  and  Robert  Slocum  were 
elected  Wardens,  and  John  Ohls,  William  B. 
Maydwell  and  J.  F.  Stuart  were  elected  Vestry- 
men. At  the  vestry  meeting  following  the  ad- 
journment of  the  parish  meeting,  John  Ohls 
was  chosen  Treasurer ;  J.  F.  Stuart,  Secretary, 
and  Alfred  Payne,  Lay-reader.  The  services 
of  the  Rev.  N.  F.  Tuson  were  also  engaged,  and 
for  the  space  of  one  year  he  acted  as  priest-iu- 
charge,  allowing  us  one  service  a  month. 

After  his  resignation,  the  same  arrangement 
was  made  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Fiske,  of  Naper- 
ville,  who  officiated  the  last  Sunday  in  each 
month  till  August  26,  1878,  when,  pursuant  to 
a  call  from  the  parish,  the  Rev.  D.  F.  Smith, 
of  Champaign,  111.,  came  to  Hinsdale  as  Asso- 
ciate of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Fiske,  upon  whose  resig- 
nation Mr.  Smith  became  priest-in-charge,  in 
which  capacity  he  remained,  holding  three 
services  a  month  in  the  building  known  as 
"The  Old  Baptist  Church,"  till  June  11,  1881, 
when  he  resigned,  and  services  for  a 'time  were 
entirely  suspended. 

*By  William  C.  Payne. 


During  the  first  period  of  Mr.  Smith's  charge, 
the  church  seemed  prosperous  and  progressive, 
but  toward  the  latter  part,  that  discord  which 
affects,  more  or  less,  all  religious  bodies,  crept 
in  and  nearly  ruined  the  work  which  had  been 
done  before. 

On  the  last  Sunday  in  January,  1882,  serv- 
ices were  recommenced  in  the  room  known  as 
Rath's  Hall,  where  the  Rev.  Mr.  Perry  officiated 
on  the  second  Sunday  of  each  month  following, 
and  in  March  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lewis,  of  La  Grange, 
as  the  Associate  of  Mr.  Perry,  agreed  to  hold 
services  on  the  last  Sunday  of  each  month,  on 
the  remaining  Sundays  being  lay  services,  read 
by  Alfred  Payne.  Up  to  this  date,  services 
have  so  continued,  and  there  is  every  prospect 
of  a  church  edifice  being  erected  soon,  on  the 
land  northeast  of  the  Congregational  Church, 
which  has  been  denoted  for  building  purposes 
by  the  -kindness  of  Mr.  William  Robbins. 

SCHOOLS    OF    HINSDALE. 

In  1866,  when  much  of  the  real  estate  of  Hins- 
dale was  owned  by  Messrs.  William  Robbins,  O. 
J.  Stough  and  J- 1-  Case,  of  Racine,  Mr.  Robbina 
built  the  first  school  building  in  Hinsdale — a 
three  room  stone  building  having  two  rooms 
below  and  one  above.  The  two  lower  rooms 
only  were  used  for  school  purposes  for  some 
time,  the  upper  room  being  used  as  town 
hall. 

In  the  lower  room,  Miss  Stocking  taught  a 
subscription  school,  with  one  assistant,  till  the 
fall  of  1867,  when  it  was  organized  into  a  pub- 
lic school  as  a  branch  of  the  Fullersburg  Dis- 
trict. The  Directors  chosen  were  Messrs. 
Plummer,  E.  P.  Hinds  and  William  R.  Banker, 
and  Mr.  B.  F.  Banker  was  appointed  Principal. 
The  following  year  the  building  was  bought  of 
Mr.  Robbins  for  the  sum  of  $8,000,  and  Mr. 
Gleason  received  the  appointment  as  Principal. 
The  same  year,  that  portion  lying  south  of  the 
C.,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  was  formed  into  a  separate 
district,  and  so  it  remained  till  the  3-ear  1877, 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


201 


while  P.  A.  Downey  was  principal,  when  all 
that  portion  lying  north  of  the  C.,  B.  &  Q. 
track,  and  included  within  the  corporation  of 
Hinsdale,  was  united  with  the  south  side. 
After  Mr.  Downey,  Mr.  R.  A.  Robinson  became 
Principal  of  the  school,  with  two  assistants, 
and  the  following  year,  1879,  an  extensive  ad- 
dition was  made  to  the  building  at  an  expense 
of  about  $6,000.  Mr.  Robinson  taught  three 
years,  and  before  his  resignation  the  school  be- 
came very  prosperous,  giving  employment  to  five 
teachers.  Mr.  E.  L.  Harpham  succeeded  Mr. 
Robinson,  and  under  his  charge  the  school  still 
continued  to  increase,  and  much  interest  was 
taken  in  it,  not  only  by  those  sending  children, 
but  also  by  others. 

Upon  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Harpham,  the 
care  of  the  school  devolved  upon  Mr.  P.  C. 
Cole,  an  Ann  Arbor  graduate,  who  was  chosen 
by  the  present  Directors,  Messrs.  R.  A.  Ohilds, 
John  Bradley  and  C.  H.  Hudson. 

Mr.  Cole  is  assisted  by  four  teachers,  and 
the  building  is  nearly  filled  with  pupils,  many 
of  whom  are  children  of  those  residents  who 
have  but  lately  made  Hinsdale  their  home. 
— WILLIAM  C.  PAYNE. 

Hinsdale  Lodge,  No.  649,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.— 

This  lodge  began  work  under  dispensation 
granted  by  Grand  Master  Harmon  G.  Reynolds, 
March  19,  1870,  and  held  its  first  meeting 
March  24,  1870,  in  Academy  Hall,  D.  A. 
Courier  acting  W.  M. ;  J.  M.  Barr,  S.  W.,  and 
N.  H.  Warren,  J.  H. 

The  charter  was  granted  by  the  Grand  Lodge 
October  4,  1870,  the  following-named  being 
charter  members :  D.  A.  Courter,  J.  M.  Barr, 
N.  H.  Warren,  F.  H.  Rogers,  William  Blan- 
chard,  L.  E.  Gifford,  I.  L.  Hinds,  C.  T.  Plum- 
mer,  S.  A.  Coe,  B.  Plummer,  Charles  Fox,  J . 
H.  Alexander,  B.  E.  Terrill,  W.  R.  Banker, 
Ebeu  Millions  and  George  H.  Burtt. 

The  first  meeting  under  the  charter  was  held 
January  5,  1871,  when  the  lodge  was  consti- 
tuted by  G.  W.  Barnard,  Deputy  Grand  Master, 


and  the  following  persons  were  installed  as 
officers  : 

D.  A.  Courter,  W.  M.  ;  J.  M.  Barr,  S. 
W. ;  N.  H.  Warren,  J.  W. ;  Charles  Fox, 
Treasurer;  Charles  T.  Plummer,  Secretary  ;  L. 
E.  Gifford,  S.  D. ;  B.  E.  Terrill,  J.  D.,  and  Eben 
Millions,  Tyler. 

The  lodge  moved  into  a  new  hall,  purchased 
and  fitted  up  by  them  January  2,  1873,  but  the 
panic  compelled  them  to  relinquish  this  and 
secure  smaller  and  less  expensive  quarters  over 
Fox  Bros,  store,  in  the  spring  of  1878,  where 
the  "  three  great  lights  "  still  burn. 

The  present  officers  of  the  lodge  are  William 
Duncan,  W.  M.  ;  A.  L.  Pearsall,  S.  W.  ;  A.  S. 
Johnston,  J.  W. ;  Charles  Fox,  Treasurer ;  A. 
G.  Butler,  Secretary  ;  F.  A.  Rice,  S.  D.  ;  George 
H.  Burtt,  J.  D. ;  E.  Millions,  Tyler. 

The  present  membership  is  twenty-eight, 
among  whom  are  eight  of  the  charter  members. 
The  others  have  passed  beyond,  and  have  been 
consigned  to  the  earth  by  their  brethren  in  the 
full  belief  that  they  had  found  the  perfection 
of  light,  and  reached  the  last  and  highest 
degree. — A.  L.  PEARSALL. 

Hinsdale  Lodge,  A.  0.  U.  W.,  No.  182,  organ- 
ized April  16,  1881. 

P.  M.  W.,  George  H.  Talmadge  ;  M.  W.,  J. 
B.  R.  Lespinasse  ;  Foreman,  Adolph  Froscher  ; 
Overseer,  J.  H.  Papenhausen ;  Recorder,  James 
W.  Sucher  ;  Financier,  J.  C.  Merrick  ;  Guide, 
Philip  Bayer  ;  Inside  Watchman,  Henry  Heinke; 
Outside  Watchman,  George  Trench. 

Damascus  Legion,  No.  11,  Select  Knights  A. 
0.  U.  W.,  organized  August  19,  1882. 

Select  Commander,  J.  B.  R.  Lespinasse  ; 
Vice  Commander,  George  H.  Talmadge  ;  Lieu- 
tenant Commander,  Wendal  Hix  ;  Select  Re- 
corder, J.  W.  Sucher  ;  Treasurer  and  Record- 
ing Treasurer,  J.  C.  Merrick  ;  Standard  Bearer, 
George  H.  Trench  ;  Marshal,  J.  H.  Papenhau- 
sen ;  S.  W.,  G.  H.  Steinhoff;  J.  W.,  John  A. 
Debus  ;  Chaplain,  Philip  Bayer  ,  Guard,  Rich- 
ard Warde. 


202 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUXTY. 


BUSINESS    AND    PROFESSIONAL    MEN     OP     BINS- 
DALE,    ILL. 

Attorneys  at  Law,  D.  J.  Crocker,  K.  A. 
Childs,  William  D.  Gates,  J.  Tiffany. 

Real  Estate  Dealers,  William  Bobbins,  0.  J. 
Stough,  D.  L.  Perry,  A.  Walkel,  D.  Roth. 

Postmaster,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Notary 
Public  and  Insurance,  A.  L.  Pearsall. 

Police  Magistrate,  Real  Estate  and  Insur- 
ance, A.  Dorathy. 

Physicians,  J.  C.  Merrick,  T.  T.  Howard, 
Joseph  Williamson,  F.  H.  Van  Liew. 

General  Store,  Fox  Brothers. 

Grocery  and  Provisions,  F.  Bradley. 

Drugs,  William  Evernden. 

Hardware  and  Agricultural  Implements,  John 
Bohlander. 

Meat  Market,  John  A.  Gifford  &  Co.,  Will-  1 
iam  Hix. 

News  Agent  and  Bakery,  Thomas  Foster. 

Barber  and  Bakery,  Philip  Bayer. 

Cool  Dealer,  P.  S.  Townsend. 

Lumber  and  Real  Estate,  J.  Hulauiski. 

Carpenters  and  Builders,  William  Johnston,  [ 
S.  F.  Mills,  A.  W.  Bostwick,  carpenter  and  re-  | 
pairer. 

Tailor,  J.  H.  Papenhausen. 

Shoemaker,  W.  Lislie. 

Blacksmiths,  George  Trench  and  —  Lewis. 

Hotel  and  Livery,  Philander  Torode. 

Mason  and  Builder,  Jacob  Walliser. 

Painters,  A.  H.  Townsend,  William  H.  At- 
kinson, Thomas  Wadsworth,  A.  Anthony. 

President  and  Board  of  Village  Trustees. 
D.  L.  Perry,  George  H.  Talmadge,  J.  Hulan- 
iski,  George  W.  Hinckley,  J.  C.  Hess,  J.  C. 
Merrick. 

A.  L.  Pearsall,  Treasurer. 

George  Bowles,  Clerk. 

Portrait  and  Landscape  Painter,  A.  Payne. 

Pastor  Congregational  Church,  Rev.  John 
Ellis. 

One  of  the  Directors  Illinois  Home  Mission, 
Rev.  Flavel  Bascom. 


Rev.  T.  T.  Howard. 
Principal  of  School,  T.  C.  Cole. 
Station  Agent,  E.  A.  Lyon. 
The   elevation  of  the   railroad  track  above 
Lake  Michigan  is  158  feet. 

DOWNER'S   GROVE  VILLAGE. 

When  the  grove  after  which  this  village  was 
named  looked,  from  a  distance,  like  an  island, 
and  the  prairie  around  it  like  the  ocean  sur- 
rounding it,  on  one  summer's  day  in  1838,  six 
yoke  of  oxen,  hitched  to  the  trunk  of  a  large 
tree,  patiently  toiled  along  what  is  now  Maple 
Avenue  in  Downer's  Grove.  Backward  and 
forward,  for  two  miles  or  more,  they  dragged 
their  ponderous  burden,  till  the  prairie  turf  was 
ground  into  a  well-beaten  path,  and  on  this 
path  grew  the  village  to  its  present  dimensions. 
If  it  had  not  been  made  here,  the  village  would 
have  centered  farther  to  the  south,  where  the 
original  trail  first  went  that  led  from  Chicago 
to  Naperville,  and  it  was  to  divert  the  travel 
from  its  old  channel  and  turn  it  where  it  now 
is  that  the  surface  was  thus  marked,  connect- 
ing each  way  with  the  first  trail.  This  was 
done  by  Israel  P.  Blodgett  and  Samuel  Curtis, 
who  held  claims  within  the  present  corporate 
limits  of  this  village.  Soon  after  doing  it,  they 
planted  on  each  side  of  this  marked  trail  those 
sugar  maple  trees  that  have  now  attained^  such 
large  proportions,  and  outrival  in  arborial 
grace  any  wayside  trees,  far  or  near,  in  North- 
ern Illinois.  They  will  perpetuate  the  memory 
of  those  who  planted  them  for  centuries  to 
come,  as  lithe  feminine  forms  beside  mascu- 
line ones,  slowly  pace  along  beneath  their  foli- 
age in  the  twilight  hour,  when  young  minds 
take  sentimental  turns. 

This  is  the  history  of  the  trees  and  their 
uses.  Now  let  us  relate  the  history  of  the  other 
conditions  of  the  town,  less  ornamental,  but 
quite  as  essential  to  its  success. 

In  the  autumn  of  1 832,  by  the  means  of  the 
Sank  war,  a  knowledge  of  the  country  west  of 


DOWNEK'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


203 


Chicago  had  come  to  the  county  of  Jefferson, 
in  the  State  of  New  York,  and  with  a  deter- 
mination to  cast  his  lot  here,  Pierce  Downer,  a 
resident  of  that  place,  came  to  this  spot  to 
select  a  location,  and  being  attracted  by  the 
beautiful  grove,  then  the  favorite  abiding  place 
of  Wawbunsie — the  Pottawatomie  Chief,  but 
now  named  after  himself,  he  made  a  claim  on 
what  is  now  Section  6,  Township  38,  Kange  11. 
He  was  a  man  of  a  sound  body,  an  energetic 
mind,  bred  in  the  ironclad  integrity  of  his  age, 
tenacious  of  his  rights  and  able  to  defend  them, 
as  was  soon  abundantly  verified. 

His  claim  was  on  the  north  side  of  the  grove, 
and  here  he  lived  alone  in  the  edge  of  the 
island-like  spot,  till  his  family  came  the  next 
year — 1833.  The  same  year,  also,  came  his 
son  Stephen,  Mr.  Joel  Wells  and  Mr.  Cooley. 
Stephen  then  made  a  claim  on  the  east  side  of 
the  grove,  and  Mr.  Wells  and  Mr.  Cooley  made 
claims  the  southeast  of  the  grove — all  these 
claimants  selecting  suitable  proportions  of  tim- 
ber and  prairie. 

Meantime,  Messrs.  Wells  and  Cooley  coveted 
a  portion  of  Mr.  Downer's  claim,  and  in  an  evil 
hour  commenced  erecting  a  cabin  on  it.  This 
resulted  in  a  collision,  the  details  of  which,  as 
told  by  Mr.  Downer  himself  to  Walter  Blanch- 
ard  in  1857,  and  printed  in  Richmond  &  Val- 
lette's  History  of  Du  Page  County,  are  here 
quoted  : 

" '  I  went  to  Chicago  one  day  to  buy  some 
provisions,  and  on  returning,  thought  I  saw 
some  one  working  near  the  northeast  corner  of 
the  grove.  I  went  home  and  deposited  my 
cargo  (a  back  load),  and  although  very  tired, 
went  out  to  reconnoitre  my  premises.  To  my 
great  surprise  I  found  that  Wells  and  Cooley 
had  commenced  erecting  a  cabin  on  my  claim. 
I  went  to  a  thicket  close  by  and  cut  a  hickory 
gad,  but  found  I  had  no  power  to  use  it,  for  I 
was  so  mad  that  it  took  my  strength  all  away. 
So  I  sat  down  and  tried  to  cool  off  a  little,  but 
rny  excitement  only  cooled  from  a  sort  of  vio- 


lent passion  to  deep  and  downright  indignation. 
To  think  that  my  claim  should  be  invaded,  and 
that,  too,  by  the  only  two  white  men  besides 
myself  then  at  the  grove,  made  the  vessel  of 
my  wrath  to  simmer  like  a  pent  *sea  over  a 
burning  volcano.  I  could  sit  still  no  longer. 
So  I  got  up  and  advanced  toward  them,  and 
the  nearer  I  approached,  the  higher  rose  the 
temperature  of  my  anger,  which,  by  the  time  I 
got  to  them,  was  flush  up  to  the  boiling  point. 
I  said  nothing,  but  pitched  into  them,  shelalah 
in  hand,  and  for  about  five  minutes  did  pretty 
good  execution.  But  becoming  exhausted  and 
being  no  longer  able  to  keep  them  at  bay,  they 
grappled  with  me,  threw  me  on  the  ground,  and 
after  holding  me  down  a  short  time,  they 
seemed  to  come  to  the  conclusion  that '  discre- 
tion was  the  better  part  of  valor '  and  let  me 
up,  when  they  ran  one  way  and  I  the  other,  no 
doubt  leaving  blood  enough  upon  the  field  of 
action  to  induce  a  stray  prairie  wolf  to  stop 
and  take  a  passing  snuff  as  he  went  that  way. 
But,  sir,  they  didn't  come  again  to  jump  my 
claim." 

As  might  be  supposed,  Mr.  Wells  was  now  in 
a  suitable  frame  of  mind  to  sell  out,  and,  as  good 
fortune  would  have  it,  Mr.  Israel  P.  Blodgett, 
the  same  who  had  settled  in  the  Scott  settle- 
ment alluded  to  in  foregoing  pages,  was  ready 
to  buy  him  out,  which  he  did  in  1835,  and 
moved  to  the  place  with  his  family,  who  may 
be  enumerated  as  follows  :  H.  W.,  now  Judge 
of  the  Court  at  Chicago  ;  Israel  P.,  Jr.,  now  liv- 
ing at  Downer's  Grove ;  Daniel,  not  living ; 
Asiel,  now  living  at  Waukegan ;  Edward  A., 
now  living  in  Chicago  ;  Wells  H.,  now  living 
at  St.  Louis. 

The  year  before  this— 1834 — Geary  Smith 
came  to  the  place,  made  a  claim,  and  also  bought 
out  Stephen  Downer.  The  ground  on  which 
the  railroad  depot  now  stands  is  on  this  pur- 
chase. 

On  the  14th  of  August,  1836,  Samuel  Curtis 
bought  a  part  of  Mr.  Blodgett's  claim,  for  which 


204 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


he  paid  $1,000  cash  down,  and  on  it  now  stands 
the  center  of  Downer's  Grove.  He  died  Feb- 
ruary 25,  1867,  aged  seventy-seven  years,  and 
was  buried  in  the  cemetery  at  the  place.  He 
is  kindly  re'membered  by  the  many  friends  he 
made  during  his  useful  life.  Two  of  his  sons — 
Charles  and  Roswell  0. — still  live  in  the  village. 

David  Page  came  to  the  place  in  1837 ; 
bought  a  farm  at  the  south  edge  of  the  present 
corporate  limits  of  the  town,  where  he  remained 
till  he  died  a  few  years  ago. 

The  same  year,  Walter  Blanchard,  from  Or- 
leans County,  N.  Y.,  in  connection  with  Henry 
Carpenter,  from  Washington  County,  N.  Y., 
bought  a  farm,  part  of  which  is  now  within  the 
the  incorporate  limits  of  Downer's  Grove. 

Mr.  Blanchard's  land  extended  southwardly 
from  the  present  town,  and  through  the  more 
elevated  portions  of  it.  The  old  trail  went 
leading  from  Chicago  to  Naperville  ;  thence  to 
Dixon  and  Galena  by  one  branch,  and  by  another 
to  Ottawa. 

The  track  made  by  dragging  the  log,  as  al- 
ready stated,  shortened  this  curve  that  went 
along  the  portion  of  Mr.  Blanchard's  place  in- 
tended for  his  future  residence,  which  had  been 
made  by  the  early  travelers  to  find  better  eleva- 
tions. Like  many  other  young  men  who  came 
West,  Mr.  Blanchard  was  without  a  wife.  Here 
was  a  beautiful  location,  where  he  had  secured 
a  home  that  any  of  his  female  friends  left  be- 
hind might  feel  happy  and  fortunate  to  enjoy 
with  him.  He  did  not  share  the  feelings  of  the 
young  man  out  here,  whose  name  need  not  be 
mentioned,  who,  looking  upon  the  matter  in  a 
business  way,  said,  "  I  ain't  going  to  pay  no 
freight  on  a  woman,  no  how,  when  there's 
enough  here !"  But,  under  the  influence  of 
first  impressions,  returned  East,  and  promptly 
came  back  with  his  new  bride  ;  but,  what  was 
his  [surprise  to  find  the  locality  of  the  road 
changed  so  that  his  first  plans  had  to  be  modi- 
fied to  suit  the  conditions.  Mr.  Blanchard  has 
ever  since  been  one  of  the  representative  men 


of  the  place,  and  nobly  died  in  defense  of  the 
country  at  the  battle  of  Ringgold  Gap,  in  1863. 
His  remains  were  brought  home  and  interred 
in  the  cemetery  at  the  place. 

Henry  Carpenter,  who  bought  land  with  him, 
did  not  come  to  the  place  to  live  till  1840.  Five 
years  later,  he  opened  a  store,  the  first  one  es- 
tablished in  the  place.  Eli  W.  Curtis  was  then 
Postmaster,  and,  at  his  request,  Mr.  Carpenter 
took  the  duties  of  the  office  as  Secretary. 

Mr.  Carpenter's  trade  came  from  the  sur- 
rounding country,  and  in  that  day  he  was 
obliged  to  sell  largely  on  credit.  Any  one  who 
came  into  his  store  with  his  shoes  tied  up,  could 
get  trusted,  and  but  few  of  them  betrayed  his 
confidence. 

In  1855,  Mr.  Carpenter  sold  a  half-interest 
in  his  store  to  Leonard  K.  Hatch,  and  the  next 
year  sold  out  entirely. 

A  town  hall  was  built  by  the  corporation  for 
holding  town  meetings,  elections,  etc.,  in  1877. 
It  also  had  cells  for  confining  vagrants,  etc. 
Robert  Dixon  measured  out  justice  to  who  all 
came  before  him  for  that  purpose,  and  was  the 
first  judicial  magistrate  at  the  place. 

At  a  drunken  row,  while  raising  a  building 
on  Salt  Creek,  a  man  was  badly  hurt,  and  Mr. 
Dixon  fined  the  offender  $15.  After  this  he 
always  refused  to  taste  liquor  lest  it  might  set 
a  bad  example,  although  the  best  of  people 
then  drank  moderately,  for  there  was  no  one  to 
say  Why  do  ye  so  ?  Not  every  public  officer 
is  as  consistent  now-a-days. 

J.  W.  La  Salle  built  a  store  with  a  commo- 
dious public  hall  over  it  in  1879. 

A  company  came  here  in  1872,  and  bought 
600  acres  of  land,  most  of  which  was  in  the 
grove  which  is  now  being  laid  off  in  streets, 
with  artistic  curves,  rustic  parks  and  lawns, 
for  elegant  residences.  Gen.  Ducat  is  the  prin- 
cipal proprietor. 

After  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy 
Railroad  Company  was  located,  and  while  it 
was  being  built,  there  was  some  uncertainty  as 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


205 


to  where  the  depot  should  be  located  in  the 
town.  To  settle  this  matter,  a  meeting  was 
called,  to  which  Walter  Blanchard,  Henry  Car- 
penter, Samuel  Curtis,  R.  O.  Curtis,  S.  P.  Blod- 
gett,  N.  K.  Whitney  and  a  few  others  attended. 

Five  hundred  dollars  were  made  up  to  pur- 
chase grounds  for  the  depot  where  it  now 
stands.  The  owner  of  the  land,  John  P.  Coates, 
being  unfriendly  to  the  road,  would  not  sell 
it  short  of  this  sum,  which  was  a  round  price, 
and,  inasmuch  as  the  lands  a  mile  to  the  west, 
owned  by  Mr.  Dryer,  were  offered  free  for  the 
depot,  it  would  have  been  built  there  had  not 
the  gentlemen  mentioned  above  bought  the 
lands  of  Mr.  Coates  and  presented  them  to  the 
company. 

The  plat  of  Downer's  Grove  bears  date  of 
September  26,  1864,  recorded  by  Norman  Gil- 
bert, and  situate  on  part  of  Section  8,  Town  38, 
Range  11.  At  the  railroad  track  it  is  150  feet 
above  Lake  Michigan. 

THE   BAPTIST    CHURCH. 

On  August  5,  1851,  a  little  band  of  Baptists 
assembled  in  a  schoolhouse,  about  one  mile 
from  the  present  location  of  their  meeting- 
house, for  the  purpose  of  consulting  together 
as  to  the  propriety  of  organizing  a  Baptist 
Church.  After  mature  deliberation,  the  seven- 
teen present  unanimously  resolved  to  proceed 
to  organize,  and  adopted  articles  of  faith  and 
covenant,  and  at  said  meeting  extended  a 
unanimous  call  to  the  Rev.  G.  F.  Holt  to  .be- 
come their  pastor,  which  he  accepted.  At  the 
same  meeting,  Edward  Goodenotigh  and  Lewis 
Pound  were  chosen  Deacons.  A  council  of 
delegates  from  several  sister  churches  was 
called  to  meet  with  them  on  the  10th  of  Sep- 
tember, which  council  assembled  and  unani- 
mously voted  to  recognize  the  church  as  a 
Scripturally  organized  church  of  Christ,  the 
following-named  individuals  being  its  constit- 
uent members  :  Edward  Goodenough,  Lura  A. 
Goodenough,  Henry  Cruthers,  Harmon  Good- 


enough,  William  C.  Perry,  Lewis  Pound,  Mary 
C.  Pound,  Philip  Sucher,  Emily  Sucher,  Caro- 
line Gleason,  Josephine  Gleason,  Am.  E.  Good- 
enough,  G.  Smith,  Antoinette  Trumbull,  Nor- 
man Gilbert,  Emily  Gilbert  and  Sarah  M.  Smith. 
This  little  band  of  pioneers  all  had  a  mind  to 
work,  and  with  the  help  of  a  few  accessions  to 
their  number  and  the  indefatigable  labor  of 
their  pastor  for  help  from  those  outside,  suc- 
ceeded during  the  first years  in  building 

and  paying  for  a  house  of  worship,  at  a  cost  of 
about  $1,200  ;  at  which  time  the  only  settle- 
ments near,  besides  the  farm  community,  were 
a  small  store,  kept  by  Messrs.  Carpenter  & 
Hatch,  and  a  blacksmith,  Philip  Sucher. 

In  1871,  their  meeting-house  was  destroyed 
by  fire,  without  insurance.  At  that  time,  the 
church  numbered  about  ninety,  less  than  one- 
fourth  being  males.  They  were  not  discour- 
aged. A  meeting  was  soon  called  of  the  church 
and  society,  a  building  committee  appointed, 
with  instructions  to  procure  plans  and  build  a 
new  house,  which  was  completed  and  dedicated, 
free  from  debt,  about  one  year  thereafter,  at  a 
cost  of  about  $5,000,  in  addition  to  which, 
something  over  $600  was  raised  to  pay  for 
organ,  carpet  and  other  furniture  for  the  same. 

During  the  first  eight  years  of  the  history  of 
the  church,  preaching  was  only  maintained  on 
alternate  Sundays.  Since  that  time,  the  church 
has  maintained  preaching  every  Sabbath,  with 
fair  congregations,  though  three  other  churches 
have  meeting-houses.  One  or  two  other  soci- 
eties have  occasional  meetings.  The  present 
membership  is  108  ;  a  Sunday  school  with  an 
average  attendance  of  105,  there  being  168 
names  on  the  Secretary's  book. — N.  K.  WHIT- 
NEY, Present  Church  Clerk, 

CONGREGATIONAL   CHURCH. 

The  Congregational  Church  of  Downer's 
Grove  was  organized  September  14,  1866. 
Meetings,  at  first,  were  held  in  a  hall  rented  for 
the  purpose.  In  the  year  1874,  a  meeting- 


206 


HISTORY  OF   DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


house  was  built.  The  audience-room  is  pleas- 
ant. A  good  congregation  meets  on  the  Sab- 
bath, and  an  interesting  Sunday  school  is  held. 
The  pastors  of  the  church  have  been  T.  F. 
Chafer.  Joel  Grant,  A.  L.  Loomis,  G.  T.  Hoi- 
comb  and  S.  F.  Stratton,  who  is  in  the  fifth  year 
of  his  pastorate. 

ST.  PAUL'S  CHURCH. 

This  church  belongs  to  the  Evangelical 
Association.  In  1860,  Martin  Escher,  Sr., 
Jacob  Rehm,  Solomon  Mertz,  Phillipp  Leh- 
man, Michael  Hofat  and  others,  purchased,  for 
the  use  of  this  church,  the  one  which  the 
Congregationalists  had  built  some  years  pre- 
viously. In  1864,  this  building  was  moved  to 
a  more  central  location,  the  better  to  accom- 
modate the  members  of  the  church,  which  then 
had  increased  to  fifty  in  number. 

The  church  continued  to  prosper,  and,  in 
1873,  had  increased  in  numbers  to  seventy, 
many  of  whom  lived  in  the  village  of  Downer's 
Grove.  It  was,  therefore,  thought  best  to  again 
move  the  church,  to  place  it  in  a  more  central 
location,  and  to  this  end  an  acre  of  land  was 
purchased  of  Thomas  Hustin,  in  the  south- 
western part  of  the  village,  to  which  place  the 
church  was  removed.  A  flourishing  Sabbath 
school,  numbering  100  members,  is  connected 
with  the  church,  of  which  William  J.  Boidel- 
man  is  Superintendent.  Rev.  Samuel  Deikover 
was  the  first  and  Rev.  Peth  the  present  pastor. 

METHODIST    EPISCOPAL    CHURCHES. 

The  Downer  s  Grove  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  was  organized  by  Father  Beggs  in 
about  1836.  The  first  church  was  built  in 
1852.  Lewis  Wood,  Nathan  A.  Belden,  John 
Howard,  F.  M.  Roe  and  John  Cotes  were  the 
Trustees.  Rev.  —  Stover  was  the  first  pastor. 

In  1864-65,  Rev.  Richard  Wake  was  pastor. 
Rev.  Samuel  Ambrose,  Rev.  J.  R.  Allen,  Rev. 
A.  W.  Patton  and  Rev.  R.  D.  Russell  suc- 
ceeded till  1868. 

Rev.  Samuel  Hewes  was  pastor  in  1876,  and 


left  in  1878.  Rev.  John  0.  Foster  was  pastor 
in  1878-79.  In  1880,  Rev.  T.  C.  Warrington 
and  Rev.  C.  W.  Cordes  were  pastors.  In  1881, 
Rev.  A.  H.  Kistler,  with  Rev.  T.  C.  Cordes, 
were  pastors. 

The  church  now  occupied  was  rebuilt  in 
1879,  at  an  expense  of  $15,000,  besides  the 
ground,  which  had  been  originally  donated  by 
Henry  Carpenter. 

The  membership  is  now  thirty-five,  and  the 
Sunday  school  about  eighty.  The  church  is 
out  of  debt,  both  for  church  and  parsonage. 

The  Cass  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was 
organized  as  early  as  1836,  probably  by  Father 
Beggs,  who  would  be  more  likely  to  pioneer 
it  than  s.ny  one  known  to  the  writer.  Services 
were  first  held  in  a  log  schoolhouse.  Elisha 
Smart,  Old  Father  Cobb  and  Mrs.  John  Old- 
field  were  among  the  first  members.  The  pres- 
ent church  was  built  in  1869.  Rev.  A.  W.  Pat- 
ton  and  Rev.  J.  R.  Allen  were  the  ones  who 
obtained  the  subscription  to  build  it.  Mr. 
William  Smart  donated  the  ground.  The 
church  is  valued  at  $2,500,  all  paid  for.  It 
has  the  same  pastors  as  the  Downer's  Grove 
Church,  for  which  reason  its  history  has  suc- 
ceeded it,  though  the  church  is  located  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  town.  The  Sunday  school 
has  ninety  scholars,  and  the  church  numbers 
seventy-five  members. 

THE  DOWNER'S  GROVE  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS. 

The  first  schools  here  were  maintained  by 
subscriptions  or  by  pro  rata  assessments  ;  but 
now  schools  are  supported  by  a  public  school 
fund  and  taxes  paid  by  freeholders.  Early 
schools  were  kept  mostly  in  private  houses, 
where  accommodations  were  rude  and  limited. 
Now  comfortable  and  commodious  buildings, 
erected  for  the  purpose,  give  shelter  to  our 
public  schools. 

As  early  as  the  winter  of  1836  to  1837,  in  a 
"lean-to"  built  to  the  house  of  Mr.  I.  P.  Blod- 
gett,  Sr.,  the  village  schools  had  their  birth- 


82  YEARS  OLD. 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


Mr.  Hiram  Stillson,  a  student  from  Oberlin, 
here  instructed  the  children  of  Mr.  Blodgett 
and  a  few  others,  who  were  glad  to  avail  them- 
selves of  the  opportunities  here  afforded. 

About  the  year  1837-38,  what  may  be  re- 
garded as  the  first  district  school  was  opened 
in  a  house  built  by  Mr.  John  Wallace,  on  the 
spot  where  Mr.  Meadowcroft's  house  now 
stands,  and  of  which  the  old  schoolhouse  now 
constitutes  a  part.  Here  George  Carpenter 
taught  one  term. 

Subsequently,  school  was  kept  under  the  roof 
of  Mr.  Samuel  Curtiss,  Sr.,  taught  by  Norman 
G.  Hurd,  followed  by  E.  W.  Curtiss. 

Later,  Mr.  L.  K.  Hatch  taught  a  school  in 
what  was  then  known  as  the  "Norwegian 
House,"  or  the  "old  shoe  shop,"  which  stood 
some  distance  west  of  the  Blanchard  place. 

In  1838,  a  schoolhouse  was  built  on  the 
"  west  side,"  near  the  present  home  of  L.  W. 
Stanley.  Here  Mr.  Sherman  taught  the  first 
school,  which  was  made  up  of  children  who 
came  from  far  and  near.  Mr.  Slawson,  E.  W. 
Curtiss,  L.  K.  Hatch  and  Amos  Adams  (now 
Judge  of  Circuit  Court  in  California)  served  in 
the  capacity  of  teacher. 

In  1846,  a  redivision  of  districts  took  place, 
whereupon  a  site  was  purchased  and  a  school- 
house  built  near  the  present  residence  of  Mr. 
F.  M.  Woods,  by  Directors  James  Depue,  W. 
B.  Pratt  and  John  Shepard.  O.  P.  Hathaway 
was  employed  to  teach  the  first  school,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Messrs.  H.  L.  Litchfield,  J.  M. 
Valette,  Dayton  and  M.  B.  Gregory.  Here 
taught,  also,  Miss  Mary  Blodgett,  who  has  died 
long  since,  and  Miss  Annis  Gilbert,  now  Mrs. 
Paige.  Our  fellow-townsman,  Capt.  T.  S.  Rog- 
ers, here  "  wielded  the  birch,"  "  chalked  the 
line "  and  reigned  a  "  monarch  of  all  he  sur- 
veyed "  from  behind  the  teacher's  desk.  Here 
J.  W.  Rogers  instructed  the  youth,  who  came 
in  such  numbers  "to  sit  at  the  feet  of  this 
Gamaliel,"  that;  unless  some  class  was  contin- 
ually on  the  "  recitation  floor,"  all  could  not 


find  seats.  Others,  whose  names  have  escaped 
the  vigilance  of  memory,  here  made  the  best 
of  the  advantages  afforded  in  instructing  the 
youth  placed  under  their  care. 

In  1867,  it  seems  the  schoolhouse  of  1846 
had  "  served  its  day  and  generation,"  and  what 
is  now  the  "  north  wing  "  of  the  present  brick 
building  was  erected  by  Directors  John  Thatch- 
er, John  Stanley  and  Gardiner  Paige.  This 
building  contained  two  rooms,  and  was  dedi- 
cated to  the  cause  of  education  by  the  Misses 
Cochrane,  who  taught  the  first  schools  in  the 
new  building. 

It  rapidly  increased  in  numbers,  and,  in  1873, 
the  brick  building  was  full  to  overflowing,  and 
a  room  was  rented  on  Main  street  to  accommo- 
date a  third  department. 

Owing  to  the  rapid  increase  in  the  population 
of  our  village,  and  consequent  growth  of  the 
school,  Directors  Curtiss,  Blodgett  and  Parrar, 
found  it  necessary,  in  1877,  to  erect  the  main 
part  of  the  present  building,  thus  furnishing 
four  commodious  rooms,  all  of  which  are  at 
present  full  to  their  utmost  capacity  ;  and,  judg- 
ing from  the  unprecedented  increase  in  the 
school  population  as  recently  reported  to  us  by 
the  Clerk  of  the  School  Board,  it  cannot  be  long 
ere  the  sound  of  the  builder's  hammer  must 
again  be  heard  on  the  school  premises,  and  an 
increased  teaching  force  will  be  a  necessity. 

In  1876,  the  school  was  thoroughly  graded — 
a  tea  years'  course  of  instruction  adopted- 
embracing  two  years  of  high  school  work. 
Three  classes  have  thus  far  graduated  from  this 
school ;  in  1879,  a  class  of  five  members ;  in 
1881,  a  class  of  seven,  and,  in  1882,  a  class 
of  six. 

The  school,  at  present  under  the  directorship 
of  Messrs.  Woods,  Blodgett  and  Curtiss,  is  in  a 
prosperous  condition.  At  no  time  during  the 
seven  years'  work  of  its  Principal  has  the  out- 
look been  more  encouraging.  Miss  Georgia 
Fitch,  in  the  primary  ;  Miss  Elizabeth  F.  Marsh, 

in  the  intermediate,  and  Miss  Maria  L.  Clark, 

L 


210 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


in  the  grammar  department,  are  the  assistant 
teachers,  all  of  whom  are  accomplishing  credit- 
able results. — JOHN  K.  RASSWEILER,  Principal. 

ABOLITIONISM. 

Abolitionism  in  this  county  had  its  exponents 
in  Downer's  Grove  perhaps  to  a  greater  extent 
than  in  any  other  part  of  the  county  when 
such  a  political  doctrine  was  stained  with  dis- 
grace in  popular  estimation.  Its  active  spirits 
were  Israel  P.  Blodgett,  David  Page,  Robert 
Dixon,  Henry  Carpenter  and  Rockwell  Guild. 
Walter  Blanchard  was  a  Whig  Abolitionist, 
'•  not  that  he  loved  Ceesar  less,  but  Rome 
more."  He  took  hold  of  the  work  as  soon  as 
he  saw  progress. 

Mr.  Blodgett  had  charge  of  the  station  on 
the  underground  railroad.  The  trains  generally 
ran  in  the  night.  Aurora  was  the  first  station 
west,  and  Chicago  on  the  east,  the  depot  at  the 
latter  place  being  at  the  house  of  Philo  Car- 
penter. 

From  Aurora  to  Downer's  Grove  was  one 
night's  run,  thence  to  Chicago  another  night's 
run.  When  passengers  arrived  on  these  trains, 
their  names  were  not  published  on  register 
lists ;  on  the  contrary,  the  passengers  were 
often  concealed  in  buffalo  hides  as  they  were 
taken  from  the  vehicles  in  which  they  rode, 
and  carried  into  a  larder  room  like  a  quarter  of 
beef.  This  was  the  way  the  disciples  of  Free 
Soil,  in  their  aggressive  proselytism,  managed 
to  inaugurate  a  system  which  ultimately  over- 
turned the  mightiest  and  haughtiest  patri- 
archal institution  that  ever  grew  into  existence 
on  American  soil,  and  it  is  worthy  of  mention 
that  Du  Page  County  was  one  of  the  pioneers 
in  this  sweeping  change  in  the  public  policy  of 
our  nation. 

PROFESSIONAL   AND    BUSINESS  MEN. 

Pastor  Baptist  Church,  Rev.  Mr.  Van  Osdell ; 
Pastor  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Rev.  Mr. 
Cordice. 


Real  Estate  Agents,  Street  &  Pardee,  East 
Grove. 

Western  Agent  New  York  Lace  House,  John 
Radcliffe. 

Jeweler  and  Watchmaker,  V.  Simonson. 

Draper  and  Tailor.  N.  W.  Peterson. 

Blacksmiths  and  Horseshoers,  J.  W.  Sucher, 
shop,  corner  Main  street  and  Maple  avenue  ; 
Peter  Werte. 

Tinware,  Reapers,  Mowers,  Old  Iron  and 
Rags,  John  Debolt. 

Broom  Factory,  I.  P.  Blodgett. 

Boot  and  Shoe-makers,  and  all  kinds  of  fine 
repairing,  George  Diener  :  Charles  Hodgman. 

Ice  Cream,  Confectionery  and  Bakery,  John 
Welter. 

Wagon-maker,  Livery  and  Sale  Stable,  C. 
Smith. 

Practical  Wagon-maker,  William  Mergen- 
thal. 

Barber,  E.  E.  West. 

Harness-maker  and  Fancy  Carriage  and  Sign 
Painting,  M.  F.  Saylor. 

Harness-maker,  George  Downer. 

Station  Agent,  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy, 
F.  G.  Brown. 

Switchman,  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy, 
D.  0.  Cole. 

Engineer,  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy,  C. 
W.  Frisbie. 

Fireman,  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy, 
Wesley  Frisbie. 

Pastor  Congregational  Church,  S.  F.  Strat- 
ton. 

Attorney  at  Law,  A.  B.  Wilson. 

Police  Magistrate,  Gardner  Paige. 

Postmaster,  J.  M.  Barr. 

Dealers  in  Lumber,  Coal,  Hardware,  Agricul- 
tural Implements,  Salt,  Stucco,  Lime,  Cement 
and  all  kinds  of  Builders'  Materials,  J.  W. 
Rogers  &  Co.  ;  Mochel  &  Co. 

Carpenters  and  Joiners,  B.  B.  Morgan  ;  F. 
Schindler. 

Druggist,  C.  J.  Meadowcroft. 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


211 


Cheese  Factory,  Grist  and  Planing-Mill,  Mil- 
ler &  Blanchard.  Average  amount  of  milk  re-  j 
ceived  per  day,  3,000  pounds  ;  average  amount 
of  butter  made  per  day,  seventy -five  pounds  ; 
average  amount  of  cheese  made  per  day,  225 
pounds. 

Bricklayer,  and  all  kinds  of  mason  work.  W. 
J.  Beidleman. 

Painting,  Papering,  Whitewashing  and  Cal- 
cimining,  C.  N.  Saylor. 

Beardsley  House,  Proprietor,  E.  S.  Beardsley. 

All  kinds  of  Millinery  work,  Mrs.  K.  C. 
Bates. 

Milliner  and  Fashionable  Dressmaker,  Mrs. 

E.  H.  Andrews. 

Dealers   in   D^   Goods,   Groceries,  Ready-  j 
made  Clothing,  Etc.,  Thatcher  &  Crescy  ;  David 
Kline  ;  La  Salle  &  Co. 

Physicians,  J.  R.  Haggard,  M.  D.,  office  over  . 
drug  store  ;  E.  H.  Le  Due,  M.  D.,  office  at  drug 
store. 

Dentist,  Dr.  J.   F.   Thompson,  office  in  New  ; 
Music  Hall,  Chicago,  111. 

Agent  for  Linden  Heights  Land  Association, 

F.  M.  Woods,  office  at  post  office. 

The  principal  streets  of  Downer's  Grove  Ijave 
been  graveled  eight  inches  deep  in  1882.  The 
gravel  has  been  brought  to  the  place  by  the 
Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  Com- 
pany from  their  gravel  pits  at.  Montgomery, 
Kane  County,  the  gravel  being  laid  down  at 
the  place  at  a  very  low  rate  for  the  benefit  of 
the  town.  It  is  designed  to  gravel  Maple  avenue 
next  year. 

CLARENDON    HILLS. 

Clarendon  Hills,  situate  just  west  of  Hins- 
dale,  was  platted  October  29,  1873.  James  M. 
Walker,  Amos  T.  Hall,  Robert  Harris  and  Henry 
C.  Middaugh,  were  the  original  proprietors.  A 
new  depot  has  been  built  at  the  place. 

The  streets  are  laid  out  in  curves  adapted  to 
the  graduating  rises  of  ground  on  which  the 
whole  town  is  located,  some  parts  of  which  are 
the  highest  points  of  land  on  the  Chicago,  Bur- 


lington &  Quincy  Railroad"  between  Chicago 
and  the  Fox  River.  The  divide  on  the  railroad 
track  is  two  miles  west  of  this  place. 

The  elevation  of  the  track  at  the  depot  at 
Clarendon  Hills  is  158  feet  above  Lake  Michi- 
gan, from  which  place  the  land  rises  on  both 
sides,  but  more  rapidly  on  the  north  side,  where 
it  justifies  its  name  of  Clarendon  Hills  in  mul- 
tifarious ovals  and  convexities,  intermingled 
together  in  Nature's  ease. 

FULLERSBURG. 

This  village  lies  within  the  old  Indian  boun- 
dary lines,  and,  consequently,  the  land  on  which 
it  stands  was  sold  in  1835. 

It  was  purchased  by  Robert  Jones,  of  New 
York  City.  The  next  year  (1836),  Orin  and 
David  Grant,  two  brothers,  came  to  the  place, 
who  were  its  first  settlers.  They  opened  a  tav- 
ern, and  established  a  post  office  named  Brush 
Hill,  and,  for  many  years,  it  was  a  well  known 
landmark,  to  which  roads,  trails  and  trade 
tended  throughout  the  country.  Sherman  King 
succeeded  him  in  tavern  keeping,  who  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Mr.  Atkinson  in  this  business,  then 
so  pi-ofitable,  when  the  ox-team  dragged  its 
ponderous  burden  over  the  muddy  roads.  John 
S.  Coe  came  to  the  place  in  1839.  Jacob  W. 
Fuller  then  lived  two  miles  to  the  north.  His 
son,  Benjamin,  platted  the  place  January  20, 
1851,  when  its  name  was  changed  to  Fullers- 
burg.  It  is  a  most  delightful  retreat,  among 
the  tree-clad  hills  just  north  of  Hinsdale,  from 
which  place  sidewalks  extend  to  its  central 
streets. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  its  business  and 
professional  men :  Rev.  F.  Boeber,  Lutheran 
Church ;  A.  Ford,  merchant ;  S.  Heineman,  mer- 
chant and  Postmaster  ;  C.  Eidam,  blacksmith  ; 

C.  T.  Coe,  blacksmith  ;  F.  Tunk,  wagon- maker  : 
I.  Haff,  wagon-maker  ;  C.  Karnatz,  shoemaker  ; 

D.  Moeder,  shoemaker ;  I.  Ruchty,  ice-dealer  ; 
I.  Miller,  hotel ;  P.  Bohlander,  hotel ;  F.  Graue, 
miller ;  W.  Ostrum,  plasterer  and  mason  ;  A. 


212 


HISTORY   OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Froscher,  carpenter  and  builder ;  W.  Wagner, 
carpenter  and  builder ;  Win.  Delicate,  painter  ; 
L.  Kurth,  painter ;  Win.  Ostrum,  stone-mason. 
Its  Church. — In  the  lovely  little  village  of 
Fullersburg,  Du  Page  County,  there  is  a  Ger- 
man congregation,  called  the  "  German  United 
Evangelical  Church  of  St.  John,"  founded  in 
1878  by  their  present  pastor;  and  numbering 


already  fifty  families.  The  congregation  owns 
five  acres  of  land,  whereon  the  unpretending 
meeting-house  is  standing,  and  wherein  the 
dead  of  the  church  find  their  last  resting  place. 
There  is  also  a  day  school  as  well  as  a  Sunday- 
school  connected  with  the  German  Church,  and 
attended  by  from  fifty  to  sixty  children. — PR. 
BOBBER,  Pastor. 


CHAPTER   X. 


NAPERVILLE   TOWNSHIP— LIST   OF    EARLY    SETTLERS— VILLAGE    OF   NAPERVILLE— CHURCHES- 
SCHOOLS  —  MANUFACTORIES  —  THE     NORTHWESTERN     COLLEGE  — TEMPERANCE 
MOVEMENTS  — NEWSPAPERS  — FIRE   DEPARTMENT— MILITARY  COM- 
PANY—NURSERIES—THE LODGES— BANK— STONE  QUARRY. 


THE  history  of  the  Naper  settlement  com- 
prised the  cream  of  the  pioneer  history 
of  the  county.  It  has  been  told  in  early 
chapters  in  sufficient  detail  to  leave  little  to 
be  said  here;  yet  a  list  of  the  names  of  early 
settlers  of  this  township  may  be  a  conven- 
ience to  the  reader,  and  the  following  is  given: 
Joseph  Naper,  John  Naper,  John  Murray, 
Christopher  Paine,  R.  N.  Murray,  Ira  Car- 
penter, John  Stevens,  Michael  Hines,  A.  H. 
Howard,  John  Warne,  Daniel  Warren, 
Leister  Peet,  George  Laird,  Harry  Fowler, 
Hiram  Fowler,  E.  B.  Bill,  Nathan  Allen, 
Louis  Ellsworth,  S.  M.  Skinner,  A.  S.  Jones, 
S.  Sabin,  George  Martin,  L.  C.  Aldrich,  H. 
L.  Peasley,  R.  Hyde,  George  Stroubler,  G. 
Bishop,  T.  H.  Stevenson,  W.  Rose,  R.  Wright, 
E.  G.  Wight,  J.  F.  Wight,  W.  Weaver,  J. 
Granger,  N.  Crampton,  W.  J.  Strong,  R. 
Whipple.  U.  Stanley,  T.  Thatcher,  A.  T. 
Thatcher,  J.  Lamb,  R.  Hill,  David  Babbitt, 
H.  C.  Babbitt,  J.  S.  Kimball,  J.  B.  Kimball, 
L.  Kimball,  R.  K.  Potter,  J.  J.  Kimball, 
Adial  S.  Jones,  Peter  Dodd,  Benjamin  Smith. 
The  Scotts  and  H.  Boardman  were  settlers 
of  Will  County,  just  over  the  line,  but  were 


associated  with  all  the  interests  of  the  Naper 
settlement.  Their  history  is  inseparable 
from  that  of  both  Will  and  Du  Page  Coun- 
ties, as  has  already  been  made  apparent  to 
the  reader.  It  may  also  be  said  that  the  his- 
tory of  Naperville  Village  further  elucidates 
the  early  history  of  the  county. 

The  township  has  1,289  children  between 
the  ages  01  six  and  twenty-one,  ten  school 
districts,  with  a  schoolhouse  in  each,  and  one 
graded  school. 

Outside  of  Naperville  Village  are  three 
churches,  as  follows: 

GERMAN    BAPTIST    CHURCH. 

The  German  Baptist  denomination  of 
Christians  (commonly  known  by  the  name  of 
Dunkards)  organized  as  a  society  in  1855, 
and  built  a  meeting-house  in  1860,  about 
half  way  between  Naperville  and  Warren- 
vilJe,  in  Naperville  Township.  It  was  built 
by  subscription  among  themselves.  Their 
ministers,  Deacons  and  Elders  are  elected  by 
the  members  of  their  society,  and  none  of 
them  have  any  salary.  They  take  care  that 
none  of  their  people  shall  become  paupers, 


NAPERVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 


218 


or  want  for  the  comforts  of  life,  by  visiting 
every  family  among  their  order  and  supplying 
them  with  all  that  is  necessary,  if  misfortune 
befalls  them.  They  now  number  between 
fifty  and  sixty  members.  Its  present  officers 
are  C.  F.  Martin,  Elder;  Jacob  Sollenberger, 
Simon  Yundt  and  Hiram  Smith,  ministers; 
Dorence  Vroman,  Noah  Early,  Michael  Sol- 
lenberger and  John  Netzley,  Deacons. 

It  is  against  their  principles  to  go  to  law 
or  go  to  war,  or  to  swear  by  oath;  but  they 
affirm  when  called  to  give  evidence  before  a 
court  of  justice. 

Their  origin  was  in  Germantown,  Penn. 

Christopher  Sauer,  who  brought  the  first 
printing  press  to  America,  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  this  society. 

The  name  Dunkard  is  improperly  applied 
to  them.  Their  real  name  is  indicated  at 
the  head  of  this  sketch. 

ST.    JOHN'S    LUTHERAN    CHUKCH. 

The  following  history  of  the  Evangelical 
Lutheran  St.  John's  Church  of  Naperville, 
Du  Page  Co.,  111. ,  from  its  origin  in  1853  to 
the  present  date,  is  by  H.  Horstman: 

The  above-named  church  owes  its  origin  to 
about  ten  or  a  dozen  German  citizens  of  the 
towns  of  Naperville  and  Lisle,  in  Du  Page 
County,  who  desired  to  make  the  attempt  to 
lay  the  foundations  for  a  congregation  of 
their  own  creed,  at  the  same  time  using  ex- 
clusively the  German  language  as  a  medium 
of  communication  in  divine  service,  for  the 
benefit  of  those  new-comers  from  the  Father- 
land who  might  happen  to'arrive  in  this  vi- 
cinity. 

At  that  time,  in  the  summer  of  1853,  the 
Rev.  Fr.  Ottmann,  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
Synod  of  Missouri,  Ohio  and  other  States, 
lived  between  Naperville  and  Downer's  Grove. 
He  had  been  designated  to  preach  the  Gos- 
pel to  a  number  of  farmers  residing  in  the 


vicinity  of  the  latter  place,  and  alternately 
held  divine  service  in  a  schoolhouse  near 
Downer's,  and  in  a  similar  building  situated 
in  a  more  northerly  direction,  on  the  old  plank 
road  from  Naperville  to  the  Desplaines 
River. 

The  above  men  from  Naperville  and  Lisle 
went  to  hear  Mr.  Ottmann  from  time  to 
time,  and  finally  made  arrangements  with 
him  to  come  to  Naperville  every  third  Sab- 
bath morning,  to  preach  a  sermon  in  the  old 
court  house,  and  at  the  same  time  to  make  an 
attempt  to  build  up  a  congregation  sufficient- 
ly numerous  to  sustain  their  own  preacher. 
Mr.  Ottmann  fulfilled  his  engagement  to  the 
best  of  his  ability,  establishing  for  himself  a 
well-earned  reputation  for  sincerity  and  piety, 
but  felt  compelled,  after  a  duration  of  fifteen 
months,  to  abandon  his  trust,  being  unable  to 
agree  with  the  members  in  some  fundamental 
principles  held  sacred  by  the  Synod  of  Mis- 
souri, but  which  they  had  been  taught  to  re- 
gard in  a  more  liberal  light.  In  the  winter 
of  1854-55,  Mr.  Ottmann  received  a  vocation 
to  Missouri,  and  left  for  that  State,  accom- 
panied by  the  best  wishes  of  his  friends  in 
Du  Page  County. 

About  the  same  time,  information  was  re- 
ceived that,  in  the  fall  of  1855,  the  Rev.  E. 
H.  Buhre,  formerly  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
General  Council  of  the  State  of  Now  York, 
had  arrived  in  Aurora,  Kane  County,  from 
Williamsburg,  N.  Y.,  built  up  a  congrega- 
tion in  the  former  place,  and,  by  the  help  of 
friends,  had  even  succeeded  in  erecting  a 
church  building.  The  Naperville  men,  after 
having  attended  his  divine  service  occasion- 
ally, finally  induced  Mr.  Buhre  to  visit  Na- 
perville every  third  Sabbath  afternoon,  and 
for  this  purpose  the  building  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church  of  that  place  was  kindly 
ceded.  Mr.  Buhre  came  to  Naperville  for 
several  months,  when  the  members  of  the  con- 


214 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


gregation,  which  then  had  assumed  a  more 
tangible  form,  secured  the  services  of  a  Mr. 
Lei-fling,  who  moved  to  Naperville  in  the  fall 
of  1856,  but  was  again  dismissed  by  the  con- 
gregation in  January,  1857,  after  which  time  ' 
Mr.  Buhre  kindly  resumed  his  activity  in  Na- 
perville, having,  during  this  time,  joined  the 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Synod  of  Northern  Illi- 
nois, consisting  then  mostly  of  ministers  of 
German  and  Scandinavian,  but  also  of  Anglo- 
Saxon,  descent,  under  guidance  of  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Harvey,  of  Springfield. 

In  April,  1857,  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
congregation  at  Naperville,  who,  in  the  mean- 
time, had  in  some  way,  though  perhaps  not 
formally  organized,  visited  Germany,  and 
there  secured  the  services  of  Mr.  Herm  Lies- 
mann,  a  young  man  of  many  abilities,  and  ed- 
ucated by  the  missionary  society  at  Barmen, 
Ehenish  Prussia,  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  his 
countrymen  in  the  United  States.  Mr.  Lies- 
mann  arrived  in  the  fall  of  1857,  and,  after 
having  been  ordained  by  the  above-named 
Lutheran  Synod  of  Northern  Illinois,  and  de-  j 
clared  their  member,  forthwith  began  to  for-  j 
mally  and  legally  organize  the  Lutheran  con- 
gregation at  Naperville.  Mr.  Liesmann  at 
the  same  time  held  divine  service  about  six 
miles  southeast  of  Downer's  Grove,  and  built 
and  dedicated  a  church  there  in  the  summer 
of  1859  During  Mr.  Liesmann's  stay  in 
Naperville,  which  lasted  two  and  a  half 
years,  the  congregation  there  bought  the  old 
meeting-house  of  the  Evangelical  association 
of  that  place,  situated  on  its  present  site  on 
Van  Buien  avenue,  for  $600,  and,  for  an  equal 
amount,  erected  a  parsonage.  Mr.  Liesmann 
left  for  Iowa  in  the  summer  of  1860,  and  in 
his  place  the  congregation  chose  Mr.  H.  M. 
Guehl,  also  at  that  time  a  member  of  the 
Synod  of  Northern  Illinois,  but  which,  shortly  ; 
afterward,  he  left,  to  be  accepted  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Lutheran  Svnod  of  Wisconsin. 


whose  doctrines  seemed  more  conformable  to 
his  views. 

The  congregation  soon  followed  his  exam- 
ple, organized  under  a  new  constitution,  and 
numbered  about  thirty  members,  several  of 
whom,  however,  moved  to  other  States  in  the 
course  of  time.  In  the  fall  of  1862,  Mr. 
Guehl  was  called  by  his  synod  to  Northern 
Wisconsin,  and  as  his  successor  the  congre- 
gation chose  the  above-named  Rev.  E.  H. 
Buhre,  who  had  long  felt  inclined  to  leave 
Aurora.  Mr.  Buhre  also  remained  in  Naper- 
ville two  yeard,  the  same  time  visiting,  on  the 
Sabbath  afternoon,  Downer's  Grove,  and  then, 
owing  to  some  difficulties,  vacated  the  par- 
sonage and  removed  to  a  private  residence, 
which,  in  the  meantime,  he  had  created. 
Mr.  Buhre  left  in  the  fall  of  1864,  and  from 
that  time  to  September,  1865,  no  minister  of 
the  Lutheran  denomination  resided  at  their 
parsonage  at  Naperville. 

Occasionally  during  that  time,  divine  serv- 
ice and  communion  were  held  by  the  Rev.  E. 
Kenchen,  a  member  of  the  then  United  Evan 
gelical  Synod  of  the  Northwest,  comprised  of 
representatives  of  both  the  Lutheran  and 
Reformed  Churches  of  Germany,  as  embod- 
ied in  the  Evangelical  Churches  of  that  State, 
though  conforming  to  republican  institution. 
The  congregation  of  Naperville  soon  found 
the  doctrines  held  by  that  synod  more  agree- 
able to  their  views  than  the  ultra- Lutheran 
doctrines  of  the  Synods  of  Missouri  and  Wis- 
consin, joined  the  former,  and  were,  in  July, 
1865,  by  them  supplied  with  a  pastor  of  their 
own,  in  the  person  of  the  Rev.  William  Bin- 
ner.  The  members,  however,  whose  num- 
bers had  become  smaller,  organized  under  a 
new  constitution,  which,  with  only  one 
amendment,  regarding  membership,  exists  to 
this  day. 

Mr.  Binner,  with  his  family,  remained  at 
Naperville  a  little  over  three  Years,  and, 


NAPEBVILLE   TOWNSHIP. 


215 


though  removed  by  the  Lord  some  seven 
years  ago,  is  stil]  kindly  remembered  by  his 
many  friends.  Mr.  Binner  left  Naperville 
in  October,  1868,  and  was  succeeded  by  Mr. 
J.  Kern,  a  young  man  of  medium  capacities, 
who,  unaided  by  experience,  ultimately  failed 
in  his  task,  and  was  in  turn  succeeded,  after 
a  year's  time,  by  the  Eev.  T.  Lotka,  who, 
however,  after  a  short  stay  of  nine  months, 
accepted  a  call  for  a  Professorship  at  Fari- 
bault,  Minn.  The  Rev.  Fr.  Lohappel  fol- 
lowed in  the  fall  of  1870,  and  under  his  guid- 
ance, in  1871,  the  church  building  was 
greatly  enlarged,  a  steeple  was  built  and  a 
suitable  bell  procured;  the  interior  also  was 
newly  and  neatly  furnished,  the  whole  outlay 
being  nearly  $2,000.  The  funds  for  this 
purpose  were  raised  partly  by  contribution  of 
members,  one-half  of  them,  however,  present- 
ed to  the  congregation  by  Mr.  William  Preis- 
werk,  a  wealthy  gentleman  of  Switzerland, 
formerly  a  resident  of  the  State  of  Illinois, 
who  faithfully  remembered  his  old  friends. 

Mr.  Schappel  having,  in  March,  1874,  re- 
signed his  trust,  was,  in  July  of  the  same 
year,  succeeded  by  the  Eev.  E.  Wobus,  a 
young  man  of  great  ability  and  sterling  char- 
acter, who,  however,  was  called,  two  years 
afterward,  to  a  theological  Professorship  near 
St.  Louis,  Mo.,  belonging  to  the  Evangelical 
Synod  of  North  America,  which,  at  the  pres- 
ent time,  comprises  in  the  United  States  all 
the  representatives  of  their  own  creed. 

To  this  day  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Con- 
gregation adheres  to  that  synod,  and  their 
pulpit  has  been  successively  occupied  by  the 
Eev.  A.  Teutschel,  from  September,  1876,  to 
the  same  time  in  1877,  by  Rev.  H.  Huebsch- 
inanti  from  April,  1878,  to  October,  1881; 
the  present  pastor,  Rev.  G.  Hageman,  how- 
ever, residing  at  Amboy,  Lee  County,  and  al- 
ternately holding  divine  service  at  Naperville 
and  at  the  former  place.  Owing  to  the  re- 


moval of  many  members  to  Iowa,  Kansas  and 
other  States,  the  number  of  them  is  not  large, 
but  the  prospect  of  having  the  ranks  again 
filled  by  emigration  from  the  Fatherland  is 
encouraging. 

EVANGELICAL    ASSOCIATION. 

The  Evangelical  Association  at  Copenha- 
gen, in  the  southwest  part  of  Naperville 
Township.  Six  families  of  this  faith  came 
to  Copenhagen  and  settled  in  1844,  from 
Pennsylvania,  holding  religious  services  in  a 
schoolhouse  till  1858,  when  a  church  was 
built  by  subscription.  Eev.  Lintner  was 
their  first  pastor,  who  preached  at  the  school - 
house;  after  whom  they  had  other  pastors 
biennially,  according  to  their  church  govern- 
ment. From  its  first  organization,  the  mem- 
bership has  continued  to  increase,  chiefly  by 
immigration.  It  now  numbers  about  forty 
|  members.  The  church  is  a  neat  edifice,  and 
i  its  grounds  ornamented  with  trees. 

The  society  is  in  a  prosperous  condition, 
all  of  its  members  thrifty  farmers,  sons  and 
daughters  of  the  first  founders  of  the  church, 
who  have  inherited  the  religion  of  their  fa- 
thers, as  well  as  their  correct  habits  in  social 
life. 

VILLAGE    OF    NAPEEVILLE. 

The  first  settlers  of  Boston  were  attracted 
there  by  an  excellent  spring  of  pure  water 
that  broke  out  of  the  ground  from  the  base 
of  oae  of  the  three  hills  that  originally  stood 
at  this  place,  which  the  Indians  called  Shau- 
mut. 

Naperville  had  a  like  attraction  as  to  the 
spring,  which  drew  settlers  here  and  made  it 
the  first  nucleus  of  rising  power  in  Northern 
Illinois  west  of  Chicago  and  east  of  Dixon. 
Joseph  Naper  first  surveyed  and  laid  out  the 
town  in  streets,  and  his  plat  of  it  bears  date 
of  February  14,  1842.  It  was  situate  on  the 
southeast  quarter  of  Section  13,  Township 


216 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


38,  Range  9  east,  and  henceforward  the  name 
of  the  place  was  Naperville,  instead  of  the 
Naper  settlement.  The  first  frame  building 
erected  in  it  was  done  by  A.  H.  Howard  in 
the  fall  of  1833.  It  stood  a  few  rods  south 
of  a  house  in  which  Mr.  J.  Horn  lived  in 
1876. 

Here  was  the  center  to  which  highways 
tended.  Here  were  saw  and  grist  mills, 
stores,  and  the  material  out  of  which  to  make 
a  town,  and  here  existed  the  necessities  for  a 
corporate  government  to  regulate  certain  con- 
tingencies that  are  sure  to  come  up  amidst 
diverse  interests  in  close  proximity  and  pos- 
sible rivalry  to  each  other,  and  a  public  meet- 
ing was  called  at  the  court  house  in  1856  to 
take  the  initiatory  steps  to  bring  about  the 
desired  end.  By  a  vote  at  this  meeting,  Hi- 
ram Cody,  K.  N.  Murray,  H.  F.  Vallette  and 
H  Lor  ing  were  appointed  to  draft  the  form 
by  which  it  was  desired  by  the  sense  of  this 
meeting  to  incorporate  the  town,  and  Lewis 
Ellsworth  and  Nathan  Allen  were  commis- 
sioned to  present  this  document  to  the  Legis- 
lature to  be  acted  on  by  that  body.  In  ac- 
cordance with  their  request,  an  act  was  passed 
by  the  Legislature  of  Illinois,  and  approved 
by  the  Governor,  Joel  A.  Matteson,  February 
7,  1857,  to  incorporate  the  village  of  Naper- 
ville. Its  officers  were  to  consist  of  a  Presi- 
dent and  four  Trustees,  a  Clerk,  a  Police 
Magistrate  and  a  Police  Constable.  The 
President  and  Trustees  to  be  chosen  annually, 
and  the  other  officers  once  in  four  years,  and  all 
by  a  vote  of  the  people. 

The  first  election  was  held  under  the  new 
corporation  May  4,  1857,  resulting  in  the 
election  of  the  following  officers:  For  Presi- . 
dent,  Joseph  Naper  ;  Trustees,  Hiram  H. 
Cody,  George  Martin,  XavierEgerman,  Mich- 
ael Hiens;  for  Clerk,  C.  M.  Castle;  Treasurer 
A.  W.  Colt;  Police  Magistrate,  H.  F.  Val- 
lette; Police  Constable,  A.  C.  Graves. 


At  this  election,  174  votes  were  polled;  at 
the  election  in  1860,  230  votes;  in  1865,  199 
votes;  in  1870,  253  votes;  in  1874,389  votes. 
(Returns  wanting  in  1875.)  In  1881, 420  votes 
were  polled. 

In  March  previous  to  this  election,  the 
most  disastrous  flood  ever  known  on  the  Du 
Page  River  occurred.  It  carried  away  the 
dam  above  the  town,  and  the  accumulated 
waters  it  held  back  thus  suddenly  released 
rose  into  the  streets  of  the  low  grounds  and 
gave  the  inmates  of  the  houses  barely  time 
to  escape.  The  damage  caused  by  the  flood 
was  over  $  15,000.  M.  Hines,  J.  T.  Green, 
R.  "Willard,  C.  W.  Keith  and  J.  Naper  were 
the  principal  losers. 

The  original  town  lies  in  the  southeast 
quarter  of  Section  13,  in  the  town  of  Naper- 
ville, as  it  is  now  named,  which  civil  division 
was  given  to  the  Government  township  de- 
scribed as  Township  38,  Range  9  east,  but, 
by  subsequent  additions  made  to  it,  the  vil- 
lage extends  eastwardly  into  Range  10,  Sec- 
tions 7  and  18,  in  Lisle  Township.  The 
elevation  at  the  railroad  track  above  Lake 
Michigan  is  146  feet 

The  present  public  square  of  Naperville  is 
the  ground  occupied  by  the  old  court  house, 
about  half  of  the  grounds  laid  out  in  the  town 
of  Lisle,  and  was  conveyed  gratis  to  Naper- 
ville March  30,  1877. 

Much  the  largest  portion  of  the  village  lies 
on  the  northeast  bank  of  the  Du  Page  River, 
which  naturally  inclines  its  surface  toward 
the  south  and  southwest,  thereby  giving  veg- 
etation an  early  start  in  the  spring.  The 
ground  graduates  upward  from  the  river  on 
both  sides  into  a  great  variety  of  oval  eleva- 
tions. One  of  them,  on  which  the  house  of 
Mr.  Ellsworth  stands,  was  the  spot  on  which 
Fort  Paine  was  built  in  1832,  it  being  con- 
siderably higher  than  any  other  rise  of  ground 
near  by,  but  the  broad  plateau  in  the  back- 


NAPERVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 


217 


ground  beyond  the  erosion  and  bank  drainage 
of  the  river  is  still  a  little  above  any  portion 
of  the  village  of  Naperville.  The  town  is 
well  supplied  with  springs  of  very  pure  wa- 
ter, which  rises  several  feet  above  the  sur- 
face, and  is  qaade  to  flow  into  tanks  for  con- 
venience to  the  citizens. 

The  following  description  of  the  town, 
given  by  C.  W.  Richmond  and  H.  F.  Val- 
lette,  in  their  History  of  Du  Page  County, 
published  in  1857,  will  show  what  it  then 
was,  only  the  next  year  after  it  had  been  in- 
corporated: 

"The  mercantile  business,  aside  from  agri- 
culture, is  the  chief  business  of  the  town. 
The  principal  stores  employ  capitals  of  be- 
tween $6,000  and  $8,000  annually.  They 
sell  large  amounts  of  goods,  not  only  to  the  in- 
habitants of  this,  but  to  those  of  surrounding 
towns.  Integrity  is  the  marked  characteristic 
of  the  dealings  of  the  merchants  of  Naper- 
ville. This,  in  connection  with  the  uniformly 
low  prices  at  which  they  sell  their  goods,  has 
secured  to  them  a  liberal  and  extended  pat- 
ronage. 

"  There  are  two  large  nurseries  near  the  vil- 
lage, from  which  trees  and  shrubs  are  sent  to 
all  parts  of  the  Northwest.  We  have  been 
furnished  some  account  of  the  business  of 
these  nurseries,  which  we  give  below:  The 
Du  Page  Eclectic  Nurseries  were  established 
in  1853,  by  B.  W.  and  R.  B.  Hunt.  During 
the  four  years  past,  these  nurseries  have  prop- 
agated, in  each  year,  from  fifty  to  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  thousand  fruit  trees.  Orna- 
mental trees  and  shrubbery  have  been  propor- 
tionately increased,  and  some  thousands  of 
foreign  trees  and  shrubs  have  been  added  by 
importation,  as  the  business  has  justified. 
The  Du  Page  County  Nurseries  of  Lewis 
Ellsworth  &  Co.  were  established  in  1849. 
These  nurseries  cover  at  present  some  fifty 
acres  of  ground,  embracing  in  their  collec- 


tion the  most  extensive  stock  and  assortment 

'  of  varieties  of  fruit  and  ornamental  trees, 
shrubs  and  plants,  to  be  found  in  the  North- 
west. The  yearly  increase  of  trees  and  shrubs 
by  propagation  is  truly  astonishing.  The 
proprietors  have  imported,  during  the  present 
season  (1857),  from  Europe,  more  than  thirty 
thousand  young  evergreens  and  other  plants. 

i  Attached  to  the  establishment  is  a  plant- 
house,  arranged  for  propagating  plants  dur- 
ing the  winter  season.  The  establishment 

i  gives  employment  to  a  large  number  of  work- 
men, some  ten  or  twelve  families  deriving 
their  entire  support  from  it.  Some  fifteen 
or  twenty  men  are  employed,  at  an  expense 
of  over  16,000  per  annum." 

The  foregoing  account  of  a  business  so  es- 
sential to  the  comfort  and  beauty  of  newly 
made  prairie  homes  serves  to  show  from 
whence  came  the  horticultural  development 
of  the  country  around,  or  at  least  how  a 
branch  of  industry  took  its  start  that  has  mul- 
tiplied trees  and  other  plants  till  every 
hamlet  and  every  farm  is  supplied  with 
them. 

Subsequently,  C.  W.  Richmond  established 
a  nursery  here,  and  continued  the  business 
for  some  years,  thereby  lending  a  hand  to  the 

!  arduous  and  useful  work  of  supplying  the 
country  with  trees. 

Ernst  Van  Oren  also  established  a  nursery 
about  the  same  time  as  Mr.  Richmond,  and 
still  continues  the  business. 

The  Du  Page  County  Nursery,  the  first  one 

1  established  here,  is  still  supplying  orders  for 
trees  and  other  plants,  but  is  not  increasing 
its 'stock,  or  propagating,  Mr.  Ellsworth,  the 
proprietor,  wishing  to  relieve  himself  of  its 
active  work  and  responsibilities. 

The  present  nursery  stock  here  is  not  as 
large  as  it  formerly  was,  but  the  growing  of 
trees  is  constantly  on  the  increase  in  the 
country. 


218 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Of  other  manufacturing  establishments  in 
Naperville,  at  the  same  time,  says  Richmond 
and  Vallette,  in  their  history: 

"  The  plow  and  wagon  shops  of  Messrs. 
Vaughan  &  Peck.  It  was  originally  estab- 
lished by  A.  S.  Jones,  who  is  entitled  to  the 
credit  of  originating  the  steel  plow  now  so 
much  in  use.  The  manufactory  of  this  plow 
commenced  in  1840.  They  possess  many  supe- 
rior qualities,  for  which  they  have  become  ex- 
tensively noted  throughout  the  West.  From 
its  circular  we  learn  that  this  establishment  is 
the  oldest  in  the  Western  States,  having  manu- 
factured the  steel  scouring  plow  for  eighteen 
or  twenty  years,  and  always  winning  first 
premiums  at  State  and  county  fairs.  The 
establishment  is  capable  of  making  fifteen 
plows  per  day." 

Say  Richmond  and  Vallette,  in  1857: 
Subsequently,  this  establishment  passed  into 
the  hands  of  Mr.  N.  Boughton,  who  carried 
it  on  under  the  name  of  the  Naperville  Agri- 
cultural Works,  who,  having  enlarged  its  ca- 
pacity, employed  about  sixty  hands.  These 
workmen,  with  others  employed  by  manufact- 
uring establishments  here,  on  public  days 
made  the  streets  of  Naperville  lively,  espe- 
cially on  one  4th  of  July,  1870,  when  a  dis- 
pute arose  between  some  of  them  and  the 
German  citizens  of  the  place  about  some 
trifling  matter  of  no  vital  interest,  which  re- 
quired the  utmost  efforts  of  Mr.  J.  J.  Hunt, 
then  Police  Magistrate,  to  settle,  or  rather  to 
prevent  violence  from  growing  out  of,  for  he 
made  no  attempt  to  investigate  the  "  true  in- 
wardness "  of  it,  which  undoubtedly  had  been 
bottled  up  and  escaped  from  such  confine- 
ments down  the  throats  and  thence  into  the 
brains  of  a  few  otherwise  "  real  good  fel- 
lows." Mr.  Hunt  interposed  between  the 
unctuous  aggressors  and  the  objects  of  their 
resentment,  when  they  reconsidered  their  res- 
olution and  retreated,  muttering,  as  they 


went,  something  about  the  —    —  Dutchman, 

i  and  peace  was  restored. 

Mr.  Boughton,  not  long  after  this,  removed 
the  establishment  to  Chicago,  and  took  these 
"  real  good  fellows  "  along  with  him.  Hence 
they  did  not  make  "real good  plows,"  but  an 
inferior  article,  and  his  business  ran  down, 
but,  after  a  brief  cessation,  the  business  was 

i  resumed  again  in  Naperville. 

Messrs.  Strauss  &  Getsch,  who  now  turn  out 

I  plows  after  the  first  perfect  mold,  invented 

by  Mr.  A.  S.  Jones,  the  original  proprietor. 

There  were  two  breweries  in  Naperville  in 

i  1857,  where  the  famous  beverage  of  lager 
beer  was  made.  Their  annual  consumption 
of  barley  was  then  15,000  bushels,  and  of 
hops  11,000  pounds.  Their  capacity  of 
manufacture  was  then  186,000  gallons  annu- 
ally, which  brought  in  to  the  manufacturers 

j  about  $150,000  per  year. 

There  is  now  (1882)  but  one  brewery  in 
operation  here,  which  was  established  by  John 

'  Senger  in  1850.  It  consumes  annually  10,- 
000  bushels  of  barley  and  from  6.000  to  7,- 
000  pounds  of  hops.  It  makes  about  five 
thousand  barrels  of  beer  annually,  which  is 

•  sold  at  Chicago  and  through  the  country 
around. 

From  the  Naperville  Clarion  of  July  25, 

;  1877,  we  take  the  following,  to  show  the  con- 
dition of  the  town  at  that  time: 

"Naperville  of  to-day  is  an  enterprising 
city  of  about  two  thousand  inhabitants,  the 
largest  and  most  important  in  the  county. 
It  is  situated  in  the  heart  of  one  of  the  finest 
agricultural  districts  of  Northern  Illinois, 
and  the  fertile  acres  and  healthful  climate 
have  contributed  to  make  up  Du  Page  County 

!  one  of  the  wealthiest  sections  of  the  State. 
The  city  is  located  on  a  series  of  elevations 
overlooking  the  surrounding  landscape  of  hill 
and  dale  which,  with  the  glistening  waters  of 
Du  Page  River,  seen  here  and  there  as  they 


NAPERVILI.E  TOWNSHIP. 


219 


roll  through  the  valleys,  form  a  pleasant  view 
to  the  beholder. 

The  streets,  which  are  fringed  with  shade 
trees,  are  regularly  laid  out,  and  mostly 
graded  and  provided  with  sidewalks.  Upon 
the  business  thoroughfares  are  many  two  and 
three  story  blocks,  mostly  of  brick  or  stone, 
comprising  stores  and  business  houses,  con- 
structed in  modern  style  of  architecture,  and 
presenting  a  front  scarcely  inferior  to  the 
business  streets  of  our  larger  cities. 

The  writer  of  the  above,  in  his  further  de- 
scription of  the  place,  speaks  of  the  follow- 
ing material  interests  and  business  firms  then 
prominently  known  here.  Eight  churches 
are  noted,  a  district  school,  the  Northwestern 
College,  and  hotels,  among  which  the  Pre- 
emption House  was  named  as  an  old  land- 
mark. The  tile  and  brick  works  of  Messrs. 
Martin  &  King;  the  stone  quarries  of  Mr.  J. 
Salfisberg;  the  cheese  factory  of  George  H. 
Hunt;  the  Du  Page  Valley  Mills,  under  the 
management  of  L.  Rosen treter,  the  one  orig- 
inally built  by  Joseph  Naper;  Mr.  William 
Shimps.  carriage  factory ;  the  drug  store  of 
Mr.  F.  Morse;  Mr.  Th,eo  German's  merchant 
tailoring  house;  Willard  Scott  &  Co.'s  dry 
goods  store;  Messrs.  Collins  &  Naper's  store; 
Mr.  P.  Beckman's  leather  and  shoe  findings 
store;  Messrs.  Rickert  &  Vance's  blacksmith  - 
ing  business;  Mr.  Fred  Long's  furniture 
house;  Mr.  C.  Scherer's  hardware  store ;  Mr.  D. 
Strubler's  carriage  factory ;  Messrs.  Escher  & 
Drisler's  grocery;  Mr.  M.  Weismantel's  jew-  • 
elry  store;  Willard  Scott,  Sr.,  &  Co.'s  Bank;  ; 
Mr.  L.  S.  Shafer's  planing-mill ;  Mr.  J.  Hil- 
terbrand's  carriage  factory;  Mr.  Martin  Fest's 
boot  and  shoe  factory;  Messrs.  Reuss&  Diet- 
er's clothing  store;  Mr.  P.  Marlin's  flour  and 

O  ' 

feed  store;  Mr.  M.  Brown's  store;  Messrs. 
Ditzler  &  Hosier's  store;  Messrs.  Dunlap  & 
Co.'s  grocery;  Mr.  R.  H.  Wagner's  saddlery 
establishment;  Mr.  W.  S.  Latsuaw's  grocery;  \ 


Mr.  John  Pf ister's  hardware  store;  Dr.  H.  C. 
Daniels'  paint,  oil  and  drug  store;  Mr.  P. 
Strubler's  grocery  store;  Messrs.  Ehrhardt  & 
Bros.'  boot  and  shoe  store  ;  Mr.  George 
Strubler's  livery  stable;  Mrs.  Lindeman's  toy 
store;  Mr.  L.  G.  Kent's  grocery;  Mr.  P. 
Schmelzer's  bakery;  Mr.  M.  B.  Powell's  drugs 
store;  Messrs.  J.  Ehrhardt  &  Co.'s  boot  and 
shoe  store;  Mr.  C.  Schultz's  cigar  store;  Mr. 
A.  Scott's  grocery;  Mr.  M.  Hemmer's  furni- 
ture store;  Mr.  B.  J.  Slicks'  grocery;  Mr.  H. 
L.  Peasley's  dry  goods  store;  Messrs.  W.  H. 
Hillegar  &  Co.'s  hardware  store;  and  Mr.  C. 
H.  Finley's  photograph  gallery;  Mr.  C.  Ken- 
dig's  dental  rooms  and  photograph  gallery; 
Mr.  Jacob  Saylor's  lumberyard;  Messrs.  Hart- 
runf  &  Son's  lumberyard;  Mr.  C.  Boettger's 
meat  market;  Mr.  D.  Garst's  meat  market; 
Thomas  Saylor's  ice  cream  and  confectionery 
store.  Also  shoemakers  as  follows:  J.  Con- 
grave,  -  -  Compte,  G.  Friess,  G.  Fosha,  J. 
Fehlman,  Mr.  Knetzger,  J.  Stubeurauch  and 
Jacob  Zimmerman;  Mr.  Obermayer's  cigar 
factory;  Mr.  F.  Strahecker's  blacksmith  shop; 
Mr.W.  Lent's  blacksmith  shop;  Messrs.  Strausz 
&  Getsch,  proprietors  of  the  plow  factory; 
Messrs.  Bauer  Bros.,  blacksmith  shop,  and  Mr. 
A.  Hartrunf  s  blacksmith  shop  ;  Mr.  J.  J. 

;  Hunt's  hardware  store;  Alfred  Shafer's  car- 
penter shop;  Mat  Stevens'  carpenter  shop; 
R.  Swarz's  blacksmith  shop;  John  Herbert's 
harness  shop;  Walter  Good's  paint  shop; 

i  Francis  Saylor's  carriage   factory;  Mr.  Arm- 

•  bruster's    and   Mr.    Mueller's    wagon   shops; 

;  Fred  Miller's  taxidermist  and  painting  estab- 
lishment; Mr.  Brussel's  livery  stable;  Fred 
Kaylor's  clothing  store ;  Mr.  Schloessler's 
cigar  factory;  and  Mr.  Michael  Hines'  shoe 
shop. 

NORTHWESTERN      COLLEGE. 

The  Northwestern  College,  under  the  aus- 
pices and  patronage  of  the  Evangelical  Asso- 
ciation, is  located  at  Naperville.  The  college 


220 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


building  is  an  elegant,  substantial  and  com- 
modious structure  of  stone,  containing  spa- 
cious recitation  rooms,  a  large  chapel,  society 
halls,  reading  room,  laboratory,  and  other 
rooms  for  special  college  purposes.  The  sit- 
uation of  the  building  and  grounds  is  in  the 
finest  part  of  the  village,  on  a  moderate  eleva- 
tion, affording  a  commanding  view  of  the 
rich  and  beautiful  country  all  around  to  a 
distance  of  many  miles. 

The  college  was  instituted  at  Plainfield, 
Will  Co.,  111.,  in  the  fall  of  1861.  Prior  to 
this  time,  there  had  been  no  college  institu- 
tion under  the  support  and  patronage  of  the 
Evangelical  Association.  With  the  exception 
of  several  seminaries  in  the  east,  no  higher 
schools  of  learning  had  been  sustained  by  the 
denomination.  Indeed,  it  may  be  said'  that 
the  organization  of  Northwestern  College  is 
the  mark  of  a  new  departure  iu  the  history 
of  the  enterprises  of  this  young  and  growing 
church.  It  had  long  been  verified  that  de- 
nominational schools  inured  greatly  to  the 
benefit  of  the  churches  which  they  represent- 
ed. Leading  men,  ministers  and  la'ymen, 
believing  that  the  means  to  support  and  ma- 
terial to  furnish  a  college  were  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  church,  strongly  advocated  the 
establishment  of  such  an  institution.  The 
Illinois  and  Wisconsin  Conferences  of  the 
church  were  the  leaders  in  this  movement. 
Accordingly,  a  deputation  of  citizens  of  Plain- 
field  was  sent  to  the  sessions  of  the  confer- 
ences in  the  spring  of  1851,  with  overtures  for 
the  location  of  the  school  in  that  village.  An 
agreement  was  effected.  There  was  at  this  time 
a  township  high  school  building  in  process 
of  erection  at  Plainfield.  This  was  conveyed 
to  the  Trustees  of  the  college,  and  in  the  fall, 
when  the  building  was  completed,  the  school 
was  opened  under  the  name  of  Plainfield  Col- 
lege. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  college 


opened  its  doors  to  the  public  during  the  dark 
and  lowering  days  of  the  first  years  of  the 
war  of  the  rebellion,  when  public  thought 
and  interest  was  intent  upon  the  question  of 
the  safety  of  the  greater  institution — our 
united  country;  when  thousands  of  young 
men,  the  flower  of  the  land,  went  forth  to  the 
tented  camp  and  the  battle-field — notwith 
standing  these  discouraging  circumstances, 
the  institution  had  an  auspicious  beginning. 
At  the  end  of  the  first  year,  the  Indiana  and 
Iowa  Conferences  added  their  support  to  the 
undertaking.  There  was  a  fair  attendance  of 
students  during  the  first  year,  with  an  in- 
crease from  abroad  from  term  to  term.  The 
institution  received  its  regular  collegiate 
i  chater  in  1865.  With  the  growth  of  the 
i  number  of  regular  college  classes,  the  num 
i  ber  of  instructors  was  increased.  The  first 
!  class  of  graduates  went  out  in  1866,  since 
which  time  the  college  has  annually  sent  out 
from  her  halls  a  greater  or  less  number  of 
graduates  into  the  active  arena  of  practical 
life. 

In  1864,  the  name  of  the  institution  was 
changed  to  Northwestern  College.  While 
public  interest  in  the  school  was  widening 
and  manifesting  itself  in  an  increase  of  pat- 
ronage from  a  distance,  it  soon  became  ap- 
parent that  certain  circumstances  essential  to 
1  the  permanent  growth  of  the  college  had  not 
been  practically  anticipated  when  Plainfield 
was  chosen  for  its  location.  The  building 
|  soon  proved  insufficient  for  the  purposes  of 
the  school.  Moreover,  the  fact  that  Plain- 
j  field  was  "off  the  road,"  eight  miles  distant 
from  the  nearest  railroad  station,  was  found 
to  be  increasingly  prejudicial  as  the  stage 
coach  as  a  traveling  conveyance  became  more 
and  more  unpopular.  This  naturally  led  to 
the  agitation  of  the  question  of  removal  to 
some  location  more  easily  accessible.  While 
the  citizens  of  Plainfield,  as  might  be  ex- 


NAPERVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 


221 


pectod,  strenuously  opposed  the  proposition, 
facts  and  circumstances  seemed,  from  year  to 
year,  to  strengthen  the  warrant  to  adopt  such 
a  measure.  Various  places  held  out  induce- 
ments to  the  Trustees  to  be  chosen  as  a  new 
location.  Among  these,  Naperville,  awake  to 
the  fact  that  Northwestern  College  would 
prove  a  valuable  acquisition,  proposed  to  give 
$25. (XX)  toward  the  erection  of  the  buildings, 
provided  that  town  were  chosen.  In  the 
spring  of  1870,  nine  years  after  the  college 
was  opened  at  Plainfield,  after  a  long  and 
animated  debate,  first  on  the  question  of 
making  the  change,  and  second  as  to  the  pref- 
erence between  proposed  places,  the  Board  of 
Trustees  decided  on  a  removal  to  Naperville. 

The  fall  term  of  1870  was  opened  in  the 
new  building.  The  citizens  of  Naperville 
manifested  a  fair  appreciation  of  their  newly 
acquired  privileges.  The  facilities  of  the 
school  were,  in  many  particulars,  consider- 
ably enlarged,  and  Northwestern  College  en- 
tered upon  a  new  career  of  growth  and  pros- 
perity. The  history  of  its  development  will 
best  appear  in  the  following  reference  to  its 
various  interests. 

Endowment. — From  the  opening  of  the 
school,  scholarships  of  various  prices  and  of 
different  periods  of  validity  were  sold,  with  a 
view  to  the  establishment  of  an  endowment 
fund.  By  the  addition  of  direct  donations, 
this  fund  increased  from  year  to  year  with 
varying  degrees  of  rapidity,  so  that  at  the 
present  time  (1882),  it  has  reached  the  sum 
of  $90,000. 

Faculty. — When  the  school  was  opened, 
the  faculty  consisted  of  five  teachers,  viz., 
Profs.  J.  E.  Rhodes,  John  E.  Miller,  S.  W. 
Marston,  Mrs.  Emily  Huntington  Miller  and 
Miss  C.  M.  Harlacher.  Eev.  A.  A.  Smith, 
A.  M.,  was  elected  President  of  the  college  in 
1861,  but  did  not  assume  the  position  until 
the  fall  of  1862.  At  the  same  time,  H.  C. 


Smith,  A.  M.,  was  appointed  Professor  of 
Music.  In  1863,  Eev.  F.  W.  Heidner,  A. 
M.,  was  elected  to  the  Professorship  of  the 
German  Language  and  Literature.  In  1864, 
upon  the  resignation  of  Prof.  J.  E.  Miller, 
Rev.  John  H.  Leas,  A.  M.,  was  made  Profes- 
sor of  Ancient  Languages.  In  1868,  upon 
the  resignation  of  Prof.  J.  E.  Rhodes,  H.  H. 
Rassweiler,  A.  M.,  was  appointed  Professor 
of  Mathematics  and  Natural  Science.  In 
1869,  Prof.  J.  H.  Leas  having  resigned,  H. 
C.  Smith,  A.  M.,  was  made  Professor  of  An- 
cient Languages  and  Literature,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded in  the  Department  ot  Instrumental 
Music  by  Miss  Emma  M.  Corbin.  Upon  the 
removal  of  the  college  to  Naperville  in  1870, 
the  faculty  was  materially  increased  by  the 
appointment  of  Rev.  A.  Huelster,  A.  M.,  as 
Professor  of  Greek  (Prof.  Smith  remaining 
in  charge  of  the  Latin) ;  C.  F.  Rassweiler,  A. 
M.,  as  Tutor;  Miss  Nancy  J.  Cunningham  as 
Preceptress  and  Teacher  of  Drawing;  Rev.  J. 
G.  Cross,  A.  M.,  Principal  of  Commercial 
Department;  and  Miss  Minnie  P.  Cody  as 
Teacher  of  Instrumental  Music.  In  1871,  J. 
L.  Rockey  was  added  as  assistant  teacher  in 
the  Commercial  Department.  In  1875)  C. 
F.  Rassweiler  was  promoted  as  Adjunct  Pro- 
fessor of  Mathematics.  In  1876,  G.  W.  Sind- 
linger,  A.  M.,  was  appointed  Assistant 
Teacher  of  Greek,  and,  three  years  later,  he 
succeeded  Prof.  A.  Huelster  as  Professor  of 
that  department.  In  1878,  Miss  Cunning- 
ham resigned  as  Preceptress,  and  was  suc- 
j  ceeded  by  Miss  Lizzie  E.  Baker,  who  served 
I  one  year,  after  which  Mrs.  N.  J.  Knicker- 
backer,  nee  Cunningham,  was  re-appointed 
Preceptress  and  Professor  of  History  and 
English  Literature.  In  1879,  Prof.  Cross, 
of  the  Commercial  Department,  was  succeed- 
ed by  F.  W.  Streets.  In  1881,  the  Professor 
|  of  Mathematics  and  Natural  Science  resigned 
1  the  first-named  department,  and  C.  F.  Rass- 


222 


HISTORY  OF  ])U  PAGE  COUNTY. 


weiler  was  made  Professor  of  Mathematics. 
In  1877,  Miss  Minnie  P.  Cody  was  succeeded 
by  Miss  Rose  M.  Cody  as  Teacher  of  Instru- 
mental Music,  and  in  1878,  Prof.  H.  C.  Smith 
was  placed  in  charge  of  this  department. 

At  the  present  date,  the  faculty  of  North- 
western College  is  constituted  as  follows: 

Rev.    A.   A.  Smith,  A.  M.,  President,  Pro- 
fessor of  Mental  and  Moral  Science. 

Rev.  F.  W.  Heidner,  A.  M.,  B.  D.,  Profes- 
sor of  the  German  Language  and  Literature. 

H.  C.  Smith,  A.  M.,  Professor  of  the  Latin 
Language  and  Literature. 

H.  H.  Rassweiler,  A.  M.,  Professor  of  Nat- 
ural Science. 

C.  F.  Rassweiler,  A.  M.,  Professor  of  Math- 
ematics. 

G.  W.  Sindlinger,  A.  M.,  Professor  of  the 
Greek  Language  and  Literature. 

Mrs.    N.    J.  Knickerbacker,    Preceptress, 
Professor  of  History  and  English  Literature. 

H.  F.  Kletzing,  A.  M..  Assistant  Teacher 
of  Mathematics. 

J.  L.  Nichols,  A.  M.,  Teacher  of  Commer- 
cial Studies  and  Penmanship. 

H.  C.  Smith,  Professor  of  Music. 

Mrs.  Jennie  E.  Nauman,  Assistant  Teacher 
of  Piano  and  Organ. 

Miss  Sadie  Schutt,   Teacher  of  Painting 
and  Drawing. 

Students. — The  attendance  of  students 
from  the  beginning  has  been  encouraging. 
Notwithstanding  the  fact  that,  during  the 
history  of  the  institution  to  this  time,  the  j 
country  has  passed  through  at  least  two  seri- 
ous financial  crises,  and  while  others  more 
local  and  temporary  circumstances  have 
affected  the  attendance  of  students  at  the 
higher  schools  generally,  the  annual  enroll- 
ment at  Northwestern  College  has  not  been 
remarkably  fluctuating.  The  attendance  j 
during  the  last  collegiate  year  (1881-82)  was 
about  three  hundred* 


Graduates. — The  graduates  of  the  college, 
now  precisely  100  in  number,  are  distributed 
over  the  whole  country.  These,  with  the 
hundreds  who  did  not  fully  complete  a  course 
of  study,  represent  most  of  the  professional 
and  industrial  pursuits  of  life.  As  a  class, 
they  are  successful  men  and  women,  who,  by 
their  integrity  and  industry,  are  reciprocat- 
ing the  honor  bestowed  on  them  by  their 
Alma  Mater. 

Departments  and  Courses  of  Study. — Be- 
sides the  regular  collegiate  or  literary  de- 
partment, the  college  maintains  a  commercial, 
a  German,  a  music  and  an  art  department. 
To  meet  all  demands  in  different  lines  of 
study,  there  are  nine  courses  of  study  pro- 
vided, viz.,  classical,  Latin  scientific,  Greek 
scientific,  English  scientific,  pure  German, 
English  German,  commercial,  music  and  art. 

Patronage. — At  first  the  patronage  of  the 
college  was  limited  to  the  territory  of  the 
Illinois  and  Wisconsin  Conferences.  Now 
the  Illinois,  Wiscoasin,  Iowa,  Indiana,  Ohio, 
Michigan,  New  York,  Canada,  South  Indiana, 
Des  Moines  and  Kansas — eleven  conferences, 
are  pledged  to  its  support,  and  are  represented 
in  the  Board  of  Trustees.  In  the  attendance 
of  students,  all  these  territorial  divisions,  be 
sides  other  States,  are  annually  represented 

Auxiliary  Features. — As  indicating  the 
general  activity  and  practical  spirit  which 
pervades  the  institution,  mention  may  be 
made  of  various  organizations  maintained  un- 
der the  auspices  of  the  faculty,  but  conducted 
chiefly  by  the  students.  Among  these  are 
four  literary  societies,  for  practice  in  public 
speaking,  debate  and  general  parliamentary 
procedure;  a  scientific  association,  for  the 
maintenance  of  a  lively  interest  in  the  pur- 
suit of  scientific  knowledge,  building  up  the 
college  museum  and  providing  occasional 
lectures;  two  religious  societies,  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  and  the  Young 


NAPERVILLE  TOAVNSII1P 


223 


Ladies'  Christian  Association,  holding  regu- 
lar meetings  for  conference  and  prayer,  fur- 
nishing a  reading  room,  and  exerting  a  salu- 
tary religious  influence  over  the  whole  school. 

Union  Biblical  Institute.  — In  the  year  1875, 
a  theological  school,  under  the  name  of  Union 
Biblical  Institute,  was  opened  in  connection 
with  the  college.  Rev.  R.  Yeakel,  formerly 
one  of  the  Bishops  of  the  church,  is  Princi- 
pal. This  school  provides  a  course  of  study 
suitable  for  those  who  contemplate  entering 
the  profession  of  the  Christian  ministry. 

Church. — In  1870,  a  new  congregation  or 
society,  consisting  of  teachers,  students  and 
citizens,  was  organized.  Their  Sabbath  serv- 
ices and  Sabbath  school  have,  from  the  begin- 
ning, been  held  in  the  chapel  of  the  college. 
The  Sabbath  school  of  this  congregation  is 
one  of  the  largest  and  most  interesting  in  the 
whole  denomination.  The  pastor  is  appoint- 
ed annually  by  the  Illinois  Conference.  The 
pastors  up  to  this  time  have  been  Rev.  E.  E. 
Condo,  Rev.  W.  W.  Shuler,  Rev.  H.  Messner, 
Rev.  W.  H.  Bucks  and  Rev.  C.  Schmucker. 

Object  and  Outlook. — The  object  of  the  col- 
lege is  to  provide  for  the  young  men  and 
women  who  are  intrusted  to  its  care  and  in- 
struction the  advantages  of  a  thorough,  lib- 
eral education,  under  such  moral  and  relig- 
ious influences  as  to  associate  in  its  culture  a 
high  degree  of  mental  and  moral  develop- 
ment, and  the  inculcation  of  such  principles 
and  habits  of  thought  as  will  best  fit  the 
student  not  only  for  extensive  usefulness  in 
life,  but  to  meet  successfully  life's  inevitable 
vicissitudes,  whether  of  prosperity  or  adversity. 
The  prospects  for  the  future  of  the  institution 
are  bright.  With  an  increasing  sentiment  in 
its  favor  among  the  people  of  the  church  under 
whose  immediate  patronage  it  exists,  and  a 
growing  appreciation  on  the  part  of  the  gen- 
eral public,  Northwestern  College  is  destined 
to  take  a  prominent  place  among  the  educa- 


tional institutions  of  the  West. — H.  H  RASS- 
WEILEB. 

CONGREGATIONAL   CHURCH. 

This,  with  one  exception,  is  the  oldest 
Congregational  Church  organized  in  the  State. 
The  first  organization  of  this  character  was 
the  church  at  Mendon,  formed  in  February, 
1833,  and,  on  the  13th  day  of  July  follow- 
ing, ' '  By  a  request  of  a  number  of  persons 
at  Du  Page  to  be  organized  into  a  Church  of 
Christ,  the  Rev.  Jonathan  Porter  and  Rev. 
N.  C.  Clark,  missionaries  for  this  county,  and 
Rev.  C.  W.  Babbitt,  of  Tazewell  County,  met, 
and,  after  prayer  and  some  appropriate  re- 
marks, proceeded  to  examine  the  credentials 
of  applicants."  So  reads  the  old  record  of 
the  first  Congregational  Church,  but  one,  in 
Illinois. 

On  this  examination,  the  following  mem- 
bers were  received:  Israel  P.  Blodgett,  Avice 
Blodgett,  Robert  Strong,  Caroline  W.  Strong, 
Constant  Abbott,  Isaac  Clark,  Clarissa  A. 
Clark,  Leister  Peet,  Henry  H.  Goodrich, 
Eliza  S.  Goodrich,  Samuel  Goodrich,  Lydia 
Goodrich,  Pomeroy  Goodrich,  Lucy  M.  Good- 
rich. 

With  these  sixteen  persons  as  members,  the 
organization  was  completed,  and  Isaac  Clark, 
Pomeroy  Goodrich  and  Leister  Peet  were 
chosen  the  Elders  of  the  church.  The  form 
of  organization  was  at  first  Presbyterian,  but 
soon  after,  it  was,  by  a  unanimous  vote, 
changed  to  the  Congregational,  and  the  title 
of  Deacon  substituted  for  that  of  Elder. 

The  record  of  the  acts  of  these  Christian 
pioneers  is  exceedingly  interesting.  Their 
earliest  recorded  resolutions  provide  for  the 
thorough  distribution  of  tracts;  the  visitation 
I  by  the  pastor  and  some  member  of  the  church 
of  all  accessible  families;  and  the  imperative 
necessity  of  attending  all  the  stated  meetings 
of  the  church.  It  being  declared  the  duty  of 
the  Moderator  to  note  all  absentees  and  call 


224 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


for  satisfactory  explanation  at  the  first  meet- 
ing which  they  attended  after  the  delin- 
quency. 

These  resolutions  well  exhibit,  the  deter- 
mined spirit  of  loyalty  to  their  principles 
which  distinguished  these  early  Christians, 
who  thus  "builded  better  than  they  knew." 
The  spark  they  lighted  has  become  a  flame, 
burning  brightly  to-day  upon  the  altar  they 
erected  so  many  years  ago.  They  built  the 
first  steeple  upon  these  prairies,  and,  from 
year  to  year,  have  not  only  increased  their 
membership,  but  have  sent  out  to  many  later 
organizations  members  who  have  carried  the 
same  spirit.  It  may  well  be  styled  the  parent 
church  of  this  whole  region.  Rev.  N.  C. 
Clark,  one  of  the  organizers,  was  the  first 
pastor.  The  meetings  were  for  some  time 
held  in  his  house,  and  afterward,  sometimes 
in  the  "  schoolhouse  near  Samuel  Goodrich's," 
in  the  "schoolhouse  in  Naperville,"  and  in 
the  houses  or  barns  of  different  members. 

The  first  money  raised  for  the  support  of 
the  Gospel  is  spoken  of  in  the  minutes  of  a 
meeting  held  early  in  1834,  when  it  was  voted 
to  raise  $100  for  that  purpose.  At  this  time, 
and  for  some  years  afterward,  the  church  was 
materially  aided  by  the  American  Home  Mis- 
sionary Society. 

Mr.  Clark  served  as  pastor  until  July,  1836, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  E.  Strong, 
who  remained  about  a  year.  After  his  de- 
parture, Rev.  Jeremiah  Porter  was  regularly 
installed  as  pastor,  and  served  in  that  capac- 
ity until  July,  1840. 

On  November  5,  1841,  at  a  church  meeting, 
it  was  resolved  "that  the  church  deem  it  ex- 
pedient and  proper  to  revive  the  ancient  cus- 
tom of  annual  thanksgivings;  and  that  we 
will  observe  a  day  of  thanksgiving  and  praise 
during  the  present  autumn,  which  is  here- 
after to  be  appointed."  No  record  is  made  of 
services  held,  but  in  the  following  year,  1842, 


on  December  2,  it  was  resolved  "  that,  as  a 
church,  we  observe  Thursday,  the  8th  of  De- 
cember inst,  as  a  day  of  thanksgiving,  and 
this  community  be  invited  to  unite  with  us  in 
the  public  exercises  of  the  day.  This  was 
probably  the  first  public  celebration  of  this 
custom  in  the  county. 

From  1840  to  1845,  Rev.  O.  Lyman,  Rev 
J.  H.  Prentiss  and  Rev.  E.  W.  Champlaia 
successively  served  as  pastors.  Rev.  J.  H. 
Prentiss,  was  installed  on  the  12th  of  July, 
1842. 

On  January  28,  1843,  it  was  resolved 
"  That  the  style  of  this  church  hereafter  be 
'  The  First  Congregational  Church  of  Naper- 
ville,' "  and  later,  in  1845,  amongst  some 
changes  made  with  a  view  of  according  more 
fully  with  the  statute  in  regard  to  church  or- 
ganization, the  name  of  the  society  was  de- 
clared to  be  "The  First  Congregational 
Church  and  Society  of  Naperville,"  by  which 
name  it  is  known  to-day. 

In  September,  Josiah  Strong,  John  J.  Fra- 
zier,  Pomeroy  Goodrich,  George  Blackman 
and  Hiram  Branch  were  elected  Trustees. 

As  early  as  1838,  a  resolution  was  adopted 
to  build  a  house  of  worship,  and  a  committee 
appointed  to  select  a  location.  Naperville 
was  chosen  as  the  place  to  build  the  church, 
and  the  building  used  by  the  society  at  pres- 
ent was  erected  in  1846,  and,  on  the  27th  day 
of  January,  1847,  dedicated  to  the  worship 
and  service  of  Almighty  God.  The  land  was 
donated  by  Capt.  Morris  Sleight,  on  condi- 
tion that  no  part  of  it  ever  be  used  as  a  bury- 
ing-ground,  and  that  upon  the  contemplated 
house  of  worship  a  cupola  for  a  bell  be  erected. 

For  eleven  years  the  pulpit  was  filled  by 
Rev.  Hope  Brown,  who  was  installed  Novem- 
ber 11,  1845,  and  resigned  his  pastorate  in 
October,  1856. 

Since  that  time,  the  following  ministers 
have  successively  served  the  people  as  pastors : 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


NAPERVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 


227 


Bev.  E.  Barber,  1856-59;  Eev.  C.  P.  Felch, 
1859-64;  Rev.  E.  I.  Alden,  1864-66;  Eev.  J. 
C.  Beekman,  1866-68;  Eev.  J.  W.  Cunning- 
ham, 1868-74;  Eev.  C.  P.  Eeed,  1874-76; 
Eev.  J.  W.  Hartshorn,  1876-78  ;  and  the 
Eev.  J.  H.  Dixon,  from  1879,  and  who  is 
still,  at  the  present  date,  pastor. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  organization  to 
the  present  time,  the  society  has  had,  alto- 
gether, 846  members.  The  present  actual 
membership  of  the  church  is  ninety- nine 
members. 

The  present  Deacons  of  the  church  are 
Pomeroy  Goodrich,  one  of  the  original  six- 
teen members;  E.  E.  Loomis,  H.  W.  Knick- 
erbacker  and  C.  H.  Goodrich.  There  has 
been  a  Sabbath  school  connected  with  the 
church  from  a  very  early  day.  The  present 
Superintendent,  H.  H.  Cody,  has  filled  that 
position  for  twenty-two  years,  having  first 
been  elected  April  7,  1860.  The  Sabbath 
school  services  are  held  directly  after  the  Sab- 
bath morning  services,  and  are  attended  by 
about  one  hundred  persons.  The  school  is 
supplied  with  a  fine  library,  comprising  sev- 
eral hundred  volumes.  Mr.  Eli  Ditzler,  the 
Librarian,  has  served  in  that  capacity  for 
about  ten  years.  There  are  held  two  regular 
Sabbath  services,  and,  during  the  week,  two 
prayer  meetings — the  young  people's  meeting 
on  Tuesday  evening,  and  the  regular  church 
meeting  on  Wednesday  evening.  For  fifty 
years,  this  beacon  light  has  shed  its  rays  over 
this  people.  Its  power  has  been  felt  not 
alone  within  the  limits  of  Du  Page  County. 
There  are  churches  in  Western  States  that 
owe  much  to  its  early  influences.  In  North- 
ern Dakota,  in  Southern  Texas,  in  Western 
wilds  and  in  Eastern  cities,  are  influences 
working  which  can  be  traced  directly  to  this 
church.  Yes,  farther  than  this  have  its 
teachings  been  carried,  for  in  far-off  Japan 
the  "  old,  old  story "  has  been  told  to  many 


an  eager  listener  by  one  who  grew  up  within 
the  shadow  of  its  walls,  and  sat,  Sabbath  after 
Sabbath,  in  its  pews,  drinking  in  the  blessed 
truths  which  she  has  since  carried  across  the 
waters  to  the  joy  and  salvation  of  many 
precious  souls. 

No  one  can  estimate  the  extent  of  the  work 
which  has  been  done,  but  the  results  which 
can  be  plainly  seen  are  enough  to  encourage 
its  present  supporters  to  put  forth  the  most 
earnest  efforts  in  the  future. — A.  B.  CODY. 

EPISCOPAL    CHURCH. 

The  Episcopalians  in  this  village  have  a 
very  beautiful  house  for  public  worship, 
which  has  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
brethren  of  surrounding  parishes  as  being  a 
model  in  beauty  and  style.  They  likewise 
have  a  rectory  on  an  adjoining  lot,  built  in  a 
atyle  corresponding  with  the  church.  The 
lots  on  which  these  buildings  stand  are  or- 
namented with  shrubs  and  trees,  imparting 
to  the  exterior  a  pleasing  effect,  to  which  the 
interior  of  the  church,  in  style,  completeness 
and  furniture,  fully  corresponds. 

Every  organized  church  or  society  has  a 
history,  but  every  one  has  not  instituted  con- 
tinued and  preserved  records  from  which  the 
historian  can  write  it.  Not  so  with  this 
church.  Its  rectors  aud  officers  have,  from 
time  to  time,  furnished  material  from  which 
the  following  sketch  is  taken.  The  first  serv- 
ice of  the  Episcopal  Church  held  in  this  vil- 
lage was  by  the  Eev.  Andrew  H.  Cornish, 
missionary  of  Joliette,  November  16,  1838. 
In  the  years  1839,  1840  and  1841,  Mr.  Cor- 
nish officiated  at  irregular  intervals.  The 
Right  Eev.  Philander  Chase,  D.  D.,  first 
Bishop  of  Illinois,  made  his  first  visitation 
and  officiated  in  public  service  May  27, 1839. 
Previous  to  this  and  for  several  subsequent 
years,  there  being  no  organization  sufficient 
to  hold  church  people  together,  they  sought 


22S 


HISTORY  OF  I>U  PAGE  COUNTY. 


fellowship  and  worshiped  with  those  de- 
nominations having  houses  of  worship  till 
June  4,  1850,  when  a  parochial  association 
was  organized  by  some  thirty  persons  asso- 
ciating themselves  together  by  the  name  and 
title  of  the  Parish  of  St.  John's  Church,  Na- 
perville.  In  accordance  with  the  purpose  of 
this  association,  July  22,  1850,  a  parish  or- 
ganization was  accomplished.  At  this  meet- 
ing, the  Rev.  Daniel  Brown,  rector  of  St. 
John's  Church,  Lockport,  in  this  diocese, 
presided,  and  Mr.  James  D.  Wright  was 
chosen  Secretary.  Messrs.  S.  P.  Sherwood 
and  Charles  Earl  were  elected  Wardens,  and 
Messrs.  James  F.  Wight,  Charles  J.  Sellen 
and  Delcar  Sleight,  chosen  Vestrymen.  This 
organization  may  be  considered  a  kind  of 
starting  point,  though  it  effected  very  little 
in  the  establishment  of  a  living  church;  it 
acted  as  an  incentive  to  more  frequent  serv- 
ices than  would  have  been  held  had  it  not 
been  made.  Meantime,  worship  was  still 
held  with  other  denominations  up  to  the  year 
1858,  except  occasionally,  when  some  neigh- 
boring rector  or  the  Bishop  of  the  diocese 
visited  this  place  and  held  service. 

In  the  year  1858,  some  church  ladies  of 
this  village  feeling  deeply  the  deprivation  of 
the  mode  of  worship  to  which  they  had  been 
accustomed  in  their  beloved  church,  visited 
Aurora  and  solicited  Bev.  V.  Spalding,  officiat- 
ing rector  there,  to  give  the  friends  of  the 
church  in  this  village  service  at  stated  times. 
Mr.  Spalding  consented,  and  continued  to  do 
so  until  he  left  Aurora,  and  here  it  should 
not  be  omitted  that  the  ladies  in  this  church, 
from  its  first  organization,  have  been  most 
zealous  and  effic  ient  workers.  Without  their 
aid,  the  church  and  rectory  could  not  have 
been  built,  at  least  so  soon,  and  the  church 
could  not  have  prospered  at  it  has.  For  this 
reason,  one  of  the  rectors  who  has  had  charge 
of  this  parish,  remarked  that  the  church 


ought  to  have  been  named  St.  Mary's  Church, 
instead  of  St.  John's  Church,  of  Naperville. 

During  the  year  1858,  the  Eev.  T.  N.  Mor- 
rison, of  Aurora,  officiated  occasionally. 
During  the  years  1861  and  1862,  Bev.  Messrs. 
Wilkinson  and  Gilbert,  of  Joliet,  were  en- 
gaged to  hold  service  at  stated  times. 

The  Eev.  S.  T.  Allen,  of  Aurora,  held  serv 
ice  once  every  Sunday,  from  1861  to  1865,  in 
houses  of  worship  belonging  to  other  denomi- 
nations or  in  Mr.  Sleight's  hall.  Mr.  Allen 
may  be  said  to  be  the  first  rector  of  St. 
John's  Church,  of  Naperville,  and  during  his 
rectorship  the  church  had  prospered  to  such 
an  extent  as  to  be  troublesome  to  those  de- 
nominations which  had  generously  granted  to 
churchmen  the  privilege  of  holding  service  in 
the  churches  belonging  to  the  denominations, 
consequently  they  began  to  estimate  the  cost 
of  building  a  church  of  their  own. 

In  1864,  Mr.  Sleight  presented  to  the 
church  the  lot  for  the  church  building,  and, 
June  1,  of  the  same  year,  the  corner-stone 
was  laid  by  the  Bight  Bev.  H.  J.  Whitehouse, 
Bishop  of  the  diocese  of  Illinois. 

January  1,  1865,  the  church  was  open  for 
the  first  service,  the  Bev.  Mr.  Allen  officiat- 
ing, and,  April  24,  of  the  same  year,  the 
church  was  solemnly  consecrated  by  Bishop 
Whitehouse,  assisted  by  the  Bevs.  S.  J.  Allen, 
Clinton  Lock,  of  Chicago,  and  C.  A.  Gilbert., 
of  Joliet.  Mr.  Allen  closed  his  labor  here 
by  resignation.  He  was  highly  esteemed 
and  beloved  by  the  members  of  the  parish, 
and  zealously  aided  and  encouraged  them  in 
the  building  of  the  church,  and  he  possessed 
the  business  talent  necessary  to  insure  suc- 
cess. The  consecration  service  was  the  last 
service  in  which  he  participated  in  this  vil- 
lage, and  the  members  of  the  parish  parted 
with  him  with  sincere  regret. 

June  14,  1865,  an  invitation  was  extended 
to  the  Bev.  J.  H.  Knowles  to  take  charge  of 


NAPERVILLE   TOWNSHIP. 


229 


the  parish,  which  he  accepted.  Under  his 
charge,  the  church  continued  to  prosper. 
April  17,  1867,  Mrs.  D.  Sleight  presented  to 
the  church  a  deed  of  the  lot  adjoining,  on 
which  to  erect  a  rectory.  June  23,  Mr. 
Knowles  tendered  his  resignation,  which  was 
accepted  with  regret. 

November  17,  1867,  Rev.  J.  T.  Chambers 
received  a  call  to  the  rectorship,  which  he 
accepted,  and  held  his  first  service  on  the 
twenty-second  Sunday  after  Trinity.  During 
his  rectorship,  the  rectory  was  built,  and  oc- 
cupied by  the  rector  August  29,  1870.  May 
31,  1872,  Mr.  Chambers  resigned.  He  was  a 
hard  worker  in  the  vineyard  and  a  good  man. 

August  14,  Rev.  James  Cornell  was  called 
to  the  rectorship,  and  served  as  rector  one 
year  and  seven  months,  when  he  resigned. 
Mr.  Cornell  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Wal- 
ter F.  Lloyd,  who  commenced  his  duties  as 
rector  May  3,  1874,  and  resigned  May  20, 
1875. 

July  1,  1876,  Rev.  William  Allen  Fisk, 
having  accepted  of  a  call,  entered  upon  his 
duties  as  rector,  it  being  the  third  Sunday 
after  Trinity.  During  his  rectorship,  the 
church  was  enlarged  so  as  to  nearly  double 
its  seating  capacity.  Work  was  commenced 
on  the  enlargement  of  the  church  in  June, 
1878.  It  was  finished  and  re-opened  with 
solemn  service  by  the  Bishop  of  the  diocese, 
on  the  26th  of  November,  1878.  Mr.  Fisk 
resigned  on  the  1st  of  November,  1880,  and 
was  succeeded  by  the  present  rector,  Ruv. 
Martin  V.  Averill,  who  accepted  of  a  call  and 
officiated  the  first  time  July  31,  1881. 

The  church  is  out  of  debt,  and  the  present 
rector  is  highly  esteemed  by  his  parishion- 
ers. 

No  history  of  this  church  would  do  justice 
which  did  not  speak  of  Miss  Alethea  Gibbs, 
who  may  properly  be  called  the  Patron  Saint 
of  St.  John's  Church  of  Naperville.  She 


not  only  contributed  largely  toward  building 
the  church,  and  when  the  building  and  its 
surroundings  were  complete,  paid  the  last 
few  hundred  dollars  yet  due,  and,  through 
her  generosity,  the  church  was  out  of  debt. 
This  made  the  amount  paid  into  the  building 
fund  by  Miss  Gibbs,  $868.  Miss  Gibbs  had 
frequently  expressed  a  desire  to  live  to  see  a 
church  of  her  own  faith  built  in  Naperville. 
She  watched  the  progress  of  the  building  to- 
ward completion  with  great  interest,  and 
finally  enjoyed  the  satisfaction  of  witnessing 
the  consecration  of  the  church  by  her  be- 
loved and  now  departed  Bishop.  Soon  after, 
this  Miss  Gibbs  was  called  to  her  final  rest 

The  number  of  baptisms  in  the  church  rec- 
ord is  150;  confirmations,  78;  present  com- 
municants, 92;  burials,  46;  marriages,  19. 

The  cost  of  the  rectory  as  first  built  was 
$3,000;  the  cost  of  the  addition,  $2,200;  the 
cost  of  the  rectory,  $2,500.  —  SELINUS  M.  SKIN- 


NER. 


TEMPEKANCE    WORK. 


The  loss  of  records  and  the  death  or  re- 
moval from  the  place  of  those  engaged  in  the 
early  temperance  work  in  Naperville  make  it 
impossible  to  give  more  than  a  very  general 
outline  of  that  work. 

The  first  temperance  organization,  so  far 
as  we  have  been  able  to  learn,  was  known  as 
"Tho  Sons  of  Temperance."  It  was  formed 
some  time  during  the  fall  of  1850.  For  sev- 
eral years  it  prospered  greatly.  At  one  time 
it  numbered  over  thr.ee  hundred  members, 
and  included  among  the  number  every  promi- 
nent business  and  professional  man  of  the 
town. 

The  Daughters  of  Temperance  also  had  a 
lodge,  organized  about  the  same  time,  and 
published  for  some  time  a  weekly  paper  de- 
voted to  the  interests  of  the  order.  Who 
the  first  officers  of  these  two  organizations 
were,  how  long  they  flourished,  how  lasting 


230 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


the  effects  of  their  labors,  and  what  was  the 
cause  of  their  decay,  we  have  been  unable  to 
discover.  The  Good  Templars  were  the"next 
to  take  up  the  work  in  the  temperance  cause. 
The  lodge  was  first  organized  some  time 
during  the  war  of  the  rebellion,  the  exact 
date  we  have  been  unable  to  learn.  Their 
lodge  has  been  in  existence  for  nearly  twenty 
years,  and  has  had  a  checkered  experience; 
seasons  of  great  prosperity  have  been  followed 
by  long  periods  of  rest,  during  which  its  life 
seemed  extinct,  but  after  a  time  it  would  re- 
vive and  again  prosper.  March  31,  1873, 
this  lodge  suspended,  and  no  meetings  were 
again  held  until  March  1,  1878,  when  J.  Q. 
Detwile  re-organized  it,  with  C.  Kendig,  Fred 
Long,  David  Frost,  W.  M.  Hillegas,  George 
Porter,  J.  K.  Lutz  and  several  others  as  char- 
ter members.  Regular  weekly  meetings  were 
held  by  the  lodge  from  this  re-organization 
until  recently,  when,  owing  to  lack  of  inter- 
est, it  suspended  active  work,  and  is  now  en- 
joying a  season  of  rest.  Dr.  Ross,  a  lecturer 
of  some  repute,  delivered  a  series  of  lectures 
on  temperance  during  the  winter  of  1872-73, 
and  organized  what  was  then  called  a  Tem- 
perance Alliance.  The  work  of  this  organi- 
zation consisted  in  securing  signers  to  its 
pledge  by  personal  solicitation.  Its  exist- 
ence, however,  did  not  exceed  two  years,  and 
the  effect  of  its  work  is  not  now  apparent. 

The  Blue  Ribbon  Club  was  one  of  the 
strongest  organizations  ever  formed  in  Na- 
perville.  About  the  1st  of  December,  1878, 
Liberty  Jones,  a  disciple  of  Francis  Murphy, 
commenced  to  labor  in  Naperville.  His 
efforts,  however,  were  but  poorly  repaid  for 
some  time.  He  finally  succeeded,  however, 
in  interesting  in  his  work  Hiram  S.  Cody,  a 
talented  young  lawyer  of  Naperville,  and  the 
two  together  succeeded  in  organizing  a  club, 
about  January  1,  1879.  Mr  Cody  was  its  first 
President,  and  continued  to  hold  the  office 


until  his  death,  March  3,  1879.  Mr.  S.  W. 
Smith  was  elected  to  succeed  him,  and  held 
the  office  until  March  9,  1880,  when  he  re- 
tired in  favor  of  D.  B.  Givler.  June  '26, 
1880,  the  club  adjourned  for  the  summer, 
and,  notwithstanding  some  well-directed  ef- 
forts at  resuscitation,  it  has  never  been  re- 
vived. The  club  held  weekly  meetings  for 
more  than  two  years,  and  at  one  time  had 
710  members.  The  effects  of  its  work  have 

'  been  lasting.  September  13,  1881,  the  Na- 
perville Temperance  Alliance  was  organized, 
Prof.  H.  H.  Rassweiler  being  its  first  Presi- 

•  dent,  and  A.   B.    Cody,    its  Secretary.     The 

;  object  of  the  Alliance  was  to  combine  for 
united  action  all  other  temperance  bodies  of 
the  place.  It  has  a  woman's  section,  a  chil- 
dren's sections  and  a  voter's  section,  and  is 
to  be  a  branch  of  a  county  organization  of 
the  same  general  plan,  which  in  turn  is  to 

'  be  an  auxilliary  of  a  State  association.  The 
Alliance  has  held  monthly  meetings  since  its 
organization,  and,  at  the  municipal  elec- 

j  tion,  in  May,  1882,  secured  sixty-nine  votes 

'  for  its  ticket,  which  was  run  on  a  prohibition 

1  platform. — H.  H.  GOODRICH. 

METHODIST    EPISCOPAL    CHURCH. 

As  early  as  1835,  a  Methodist  Circuit, 
where  stated  preaching  was  held  as  often  as 
once  a  month  at  appointed  places,  was  formed, 
including  the  whole  of  Du  Page  County  as 
now  located.  Rev.  Wilder  B.  Mark  was  Pre- 
siding Elder.  The  next  year.  Rev.  John 
Clark  succeeded  him.  Preaching  was  now 
sustained  at  Naperville,  at  intervals  of  two 
weeks,  till  1847,  where  a  church  was  built  on 
land  donated  to  the  society  by  Morris  Sleight. 

:  Rev.  O.  Lyman  was  first  pastor,  who  was  suc- 

1  ceeded  by  Rev.  Hope  Brown,  who  remained 
with  them  till  1856,  when  he  was  succeeded 

i  by  Rev.   E.   Barber.      In   1857,   the  church 

1  membership  was  sixty-two. 


NAPEUVILLE   TOAVNSHIP. 


231 


BAPTIST    CHURCH. 

In  1843,  there  being  a  few  Baptists  at  this 
place,  Rev.  Morgan  Edwards  made  an  effort 
to  organize  a  church  of  that  faith,  which  was 
crowned  with  success.  A  society  was  formed, 
and,  though  their  numbers  were  small,  they 
began  to  build  a  house  for  worship  on  some 
lots  of  ground  of  which  they  had  not  yet  ob- 
tained a  deed.  But  before  they  had  proceed- 
ed far  in  their  work,  a  personal  difficulty 
arose  between  the  owner  of  the  lots  and  one 
of  the  members  of  the  new  church  to  be 
erected  on  them,  and  he  refused  to  give  the 
expected  deed.  Meanwhile,  the  foundation  : 
had  been  partly  laid,  and  the  work  in  a  good 
state  of  progress.  The  builders  now  proposed 
to  remove  their  materials  already  on  the 
ground  to  another  locality,  but  the  captious 
lot  owner  forbade. 

This  eccentric  conduct  on  his  part  de- 
manded prompt  action  on  the  part  of  the  so- 
ciety, and  they,  with  the  assistance  of  some 
worthy  citizens  who  made  common  cause 
with  them  (despite  threats  of  violence),  trans- 
planted the  foundation  ston«  and  other  ma- 
terials on  the  ground  to  a  lot  which  Lewis 
Ellsworth  donated  to  the  society,  and  here 
the  church  was  erected  and  nearly  finished 
the  next  year.  The  Congregational  society 
occupied  it  on  each  alternate  Sabbath  for  a 
few  months,  Rev.  R.  B.  Ashley,  their  first 
pastor,  preaching  on  the  day  unoccupied  by 
the  Congregationalists.  He  was  their  pastor 
till  1846,  and  during  his  term  the  church  in- 
creased in  numbers  from  nine  members  at 
its  commencement  to  thirty-six.  Rev.  Allen 
Glos  became  their  next  pastor,  remaining 
with  them  till  July,  1848,  at  the  expiration 
of  whose  term  the  church  numbered  fifty  six 
members.  Rev.  S.  Tucker,  D.  D.,  succeeding 
him,  held  the  charge  till  October,  1855,  when 
he  left  the  church,  which  now  numbered 
ninety  six  members.  Rev.  Ira  E.  Kenney 


was  the  next  pastor,  whose  term  lasted  but 
eight  months.  The  church  was  now  in  the 
zenith  of  her  prosperity.  Their  Sabbath 
school  numbered  about  fifty  scholars.  They 
had  enlarged  and  beautified  their  church,  and 
ornamented  it  with  a  belfry,  in  which  a  bell 
was  hung — the  first  that  ever  tolled  the  tid- 
ings of  the  Gospel  in  "these  valleys  and 
hills." 

The  doctrines  of  Spiritualism  now  subtly 
crept  into  the  church.  Some  members  with- 
drew, and  held  spiritual  services  elsewhere; 
others  dropped  out  silently  as  a  flake  of  snow 
falls  from  heaven.  But  still  the  main  body 
of  the  society  held  on  and  carried  the  burden, 
with  exemplary  resolution,  till  all  but  a  very 
few  had  "  stood  from  under. " 

Rev.  George  B.  Simenson  and  Rev.  E.  W. 
Hicks  were  the  two  last  regular  pastors,  both  of 
whom  were  estimable  men,  but  causes  beyond 
their  control  had  contributed  to  reduce  the 
chiirch  in  numbers.  Students  and  temporary 
supplies  have  preached  to  their  congregation 
from  time  to  time  since,  till  the  winter  of 
1879,  since  which  time  the  bell  has  hung  in 
silence  on  its  pivots,  and  the  path  to  the 
church  door  has  been  overgrown  with  green 
grasses. 

OEKMAN  EVANGELICAL  CHURCH. 

This  is  one  of  the  largest  and  oldest  con- 
gregations of  the  Evangelical  association  in 
the  State  of  Illinois.  The  first  two  families 
of  this  society  emigrated  from  Pennsylvania 
to  Illinois,  and  settled  in  Naperville  in  the 
year  1836.  They  were  those  of  Conrad 
Gross,  the  father  of  Daniel  Gross,  a  promi- 
nent resident  of  Naporville  now,  and  Jacob 
Schnaebli,  of  whose  family  there  are  also 
representatives  living  in  this  county.  In 
1837,  another  group  of  four  families,  those 
of  Martin  Escher,  the  father  of  George  Esch- 
er,  John  Rehm,  who  is  still  living  in  Naper- 
ville, Adam  Knopp  and  George  Strubler, 


232 


HISTORY   OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


whose  sons  are  now  leading  citizens  of  Na- 
perville  and  vicinity,  followed,  when  the  first 
class  was  organized,  by  the  Eev.  Jacob  Boos. 
The  meetings  were  held  in  the  houses  of  Con- 
rad Gross  and  John  Rehm.  In  connection 
with  this,  there  was  another  class  organized 
at  Desplaines,  in  Cook  County,  which  consti- 
tuted the  first  two  Evangelical  preaching 
places  in  the  State  of  Illinois.  In  1838,  sev- 
eral other  families  arrived  from  Pennsylvania, 
and  the  Rev.  Jacob  Boos  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  Einsel,  who  organized  a  class  in  Chicago 
and  preached  in  German  in  the  City  Hotel, 
where  the  present  Sherman  House  stands. 

In  Naperville  ser/ices  were  still  held  in 
private  houses  and  partly  in  the  schoolhouse, 
on  Scott's  Hill.  In  1839,  the  Revs.  Stroh 
and  Lintner  were  in  charge  of  the  now  con- 
siderably increased  congregation,  who  resid- 
ed in  Naperville  and  in  the  surrounding 
country,  on  their  farms,  which  studded  the 
most  beautiful  prairies  in  Northern  Illinois. 
The  meetings  were  still  held  in  private 
houses  and  in  the  above-named  schoolhouse. 
In  1840,  four  more  families  arrived — Schroei- 
gert,  Youngheim,  Bishop  and  Garlach.  Up 
to  this  time,  all  the  families  were  European 
Germans,  except  the  last  three  named,  who 
were  Pennsylvanians.  This  accession  added 
materially  to  the  strength  of  the  society,  so 
that  the  private  houses  and  schoolhouse  be- 
came too  small  to  accommodate  the  attendants 
at  the  public  services.  This  induced  the 
Revs.  Hoffert  and  Kern  to  commence  the 
erection  of  the  small  frame  church  in  the 
western  part  of  Naperville  (now  occupied  by 
the  German  Lutheran  congregation  of  this 
place)  in  1840.  This  comfortable  meeting- 
house, as  it  was  then  regarded,  was  completed 
in  1841,  to  the  great  joy  of  the  earnest  and 
devoted  membership.  The  Presiding  Elder, 
Father  -Zinser,  who  recently  died  at  an  ad- 
vanced age,  added  much  to  the  prosperity  of 


this  and  other  societies  that  had  now  been  or- 
ganized. 

In  1844,  there  was  a  remarkably  large  in- 
crease of  this  society  of  Pennsylvania  Ger- 
mans from  Pennsylvania.  On  the  1  st  of  May, 
there  arrived  fourteen  families,  among  whom 
were  those  of  David  Brown,  father  of  Martin 
Brown,  now  a  prominent  merchant  and  es- 
teemed citizen  of  Naperville,  of  Adam  Hart- 
man,  Joseph  Bessler  and  Benjamin  Frahlick. 
Two  weeks  after,  sixteen  additional  families 
arrived,  among  whom  were  those  of  Sam 
Rickert,  Sam  Tobias  and  Benjamin  Hassler. 
and  thirteen  others,  all  of  whom  settled  in 
and  near  Naperville.  The  little  frame  church 
now  becoming  too  small,  was  enlarged  by  an 
addition,  in  1845,  so  as  to  accommodate  the 
faithful  worshipers. 

During  the  next  thirteen  years,  many  other 
families  followed  their  friends  to  the  "  beauti- 
ful West "  from  Pennsylvania  and  Germany, 
and  the  society  increased  numerically  to  such 
an  extent  that  even  the  enlarged  frame  church 
became  again  too  small;  hence,  the  energetic 
Rev.  C.  Augenstein  and  the  zealous  and  elo- 
quent Presiding  Elder,  Sam  Baumgaertner, 
induced  the  now  numerous  and  prosperous 
congregation  to  build  the  present  substantial 
and  commodious  brick  church,  at  a  cost  of 
about  $6,000. 

During  the  winter  of  1858-59,  while  the 
meetings  were  yet  held  in  the  incompleted 
new  church,  the  society  enjoyed  a  glorious 
revival,  under  the  labors  of  Rev.  Sam  Dick- 
over,  assisted  by  Rev.  G.  Kleinknecht,  when 
manv  were  converted  and  added  to  the 
church,  who  are  still  useful  members  of  the 
same. 

From  that  time  to  the  present,  the  society 
has  enjoyed  several  marked  revivals,  as  under 
the  ministry  of  the  Revs.  William  Goessele 
and  Henry  Rohland. 

In    the    year  1870.  by  the  removal  of  the 


NAPERVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 


233 


Northwestern  College  to  Naperville,  the  so- 
ciety gained  several  families  from  the  Ger- 
man members  of  the  college  faculty  and  valu- 
able working  force  in  the  students  and  teach- 
ers, especially  in  the  Sabbath  school,  so  that 
the  latter  had  for  several  years  about  four 
hundred  members.  With  the  opening  of  the 
college,  in  the  fall  of  1850,  itn  English  con- 
gregation was  organized  in  the  college 
chapel,  which  has  drawn  largely  on  the  mem- 
bership of  the  parent  society.  But  while  the 
members  of  the  mother  church  have  been 
somewhat  diminished  in  numbers,  the  daugh- 
ter has  remarkably  prospered,  so  that  her 
membership,  up  to  date  (1882),  is  about  two 
hundred. 

During  the  revival  under  the  Rev.  H.  Roh- 
land,  in  1877,  the  membership  rose  to  over 
four  hundred,  but  through  the  death  of  aged 
members,  removals,  and  through  the  division 
of  the  Sabbath  schools  and  the  passing  over  to 
the  English  congregation  of  those  who  prefer 
to  worship  in  English,  the  membership  of 
the  German  and  parent  church  has  been 
somewhat,  diminished,  while,  however,  in 
reality,  the  Evangelical  Church  membership 
in  Naperville,  as  a  whole,  has  gained  materi- 
ally, numbering  in  all  about  550. 

The  German  congregation  to  which  this 
sketch  is  dovoted  is  in  a  prosperous  condition, 
and  is  at  present  under  the  faithful  pastorate 
of  the  Rev.  J.  G.  Kleinknecht;  but  it  has  in 
its  ranks  a  large  number  of  veterans  of  the 
cross.  A  few  years  more  will  remove  most 
of  them  from  the  church  militant  to  the 
church  triumphant,  but  those  who  will  pass 
away  and  those  that  remain  have  the  pleasure 
to  know  that  their  church,  as  one  of  the  old- 
est and  largest,  has,  for  many  years,  been  a 
blessing  to  a  large  portion  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Du  Page  County  by  preaching  and  prac- 
ticing the  true  religion  of  Jesus  Christ. — F. 
W.  WEIDNER. 


NAPERVILLE    PRESS. 

The  newspapers  of  Naperville  have  been 
published  under  circumstances  adverse  to 
success.  The  earlier  inhabitants  of  the  vil- 
lage and  immediate  vicinity,  being  largely 
composed  of  Germans,  were  not  interested  in 
the  success  of  an  English  paper  for  the  rea- 
son that  they  could  read  it  with  difficulty  and 
understood  less  than  they  could  read.  Their 
denominational  paper  was  the  source  from 
which  they  gleaned  all  the  news  they  desired 
to  hear  pertaining  to  this  world  or  that  to 
come.  The  pioneer  custom  of  exchanging 
commodities  of  various  kinds  was  practical  to 
an  extent  that  took  in  the  local  newspaper,  so 
that  one  copy  would  go  the  rounds  of  an  en- 
tire school  district,  doing  a  great  deal  of  good 
to  all  readers,  but  impoverishing  the  pub- 
lisher. Notwithstanding  this  custom  has  be- 
come nearly  obsolete,  cases  occur  even  in  this 
advanced  day  of  civilization,  independence 
and  prosperity.  Then,  again,  being  so  near 
the  city  of  Chicago,  the  newspapers  of  Na- 
perville, as  well  as  those  of  other  suburban 
towns,  have  been  compelled  to  eke  out  an 
existence  in  the  shadow  of  the  metropolitan 
press,  circumscribing  their  patronage,  belit- 
tleing  their  importance  and  reducing  their 
source  of  revenue  to  a  very  limited  circle. 
The  failures  of  earlier  years  may  have  been 
partially  the  result  of  a  lack  of  business  tact 
on  the  part  of  publishers,  but  undoubtebly 
the  foregoing  were  the  chief  causes  that  re- 
sulted in  so  many  wrecka 

In  December,  1849,  Charles  J.  Sellen  is 
sued  the  first  paper  published  in  Naperville, 
or  in  the  county,  called  the  Du  Paqe  County 
Recorder,  and  for  nine  months  it  had  a  flour- 
ishing existence.  The  name  was  then 
changed  to  the  Democratic  Plaindealer,  and, 
in  connection  therewith,  a  small  weekly  sheet, 
called  the  Daughter  af  Temperance,  both  of 
which  soon  followed  in  the  wake  of  their 


234 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


predecessors,  and  were  numbered  with  things 
past. 

The  printing  material,  however,  remained 
in  the  village,  and,  in  January,  1851,  the  Du 
Page  County  Observer  appeared  under  the 
management  of  Barnes,  Humphrey  &  Keith. 
But,  notwithstanding  the  paper  met  the  de- 
mand of  that  early  day,  the  former  failures 
had  so  weakened  the  confidence  of  the  people 
in  the  enterprise  that  the  subscription  list 
never  grew  to  paying  proportions.  In  April, 
1852,  Mr.  Gershom  Matin  purchased  Mr. 
Humphrey's  interest  in  the  paper,  and  con- 
tinued it  two  years  longer,  in  connection 
with  Barnes  &  Keith,  when  it,  too,  perma- 
nently suspended  publication. 

With  increased  facilities,  the  Du  Page 
County  Journal  was  started,  in  the  fall  of 
1854,  by  Mr.  Charles  W.  Keith,  and  was  a 
marked  improvement  on  all  that  had  gone 
before.  It  changed  hands  rapidly,  however, 
from  C.  W.  Keith  to  Keith,  Edson  &  Co., 
from  that  firm  to  J.  M  Edson,  and  then  to 
E.  M.  Day,  under  whose  proprietorship  the 
Journal  oifice,  press,  paper,  type,  materials, 
furniture  and  all  appurtenances  and  heredita- 
ments thereunto  belonging  were  swept  down 
the  Du  Page  River  by  the  freshet  of  Febru- 
ary, 1857.  Portions  of  the  wood  type,  cases 
and  wooden  furniture  were  carried  scores  of 
miles  on  the  cakes  of  ice  and  picked  up  by 
astonished  citizens  who  went  to  see  the  river 
on  a  rampage.  It  was  decidedly  the  most 
disastrous  "pi"  that  ever  occurred  in  any 
printing  office  in  Du  Page  County. 

The  News  Letter,  published  by  E.  H.  Eyer, 
came  into  existence  shortly  after  the  Journal 
ceased  to  appear,  but  it,  too,  was  destined  to 
failure  after  a  prief  career. 

Next  in  order  came  the  Sentinel,  published 
by  D.  B.  Birdsall.  Its  existence  terminated 
some  time  during  the  year  1862,  and  was 
succeeded,  in  August,  1863,  by  the  Press, 


under  the  management  of  R.  K.  Potter,  Jr., 
who,  in  February,  1868,  sold  the  outfit  to  D. 
B.  Givler. 

Mr.  Givler,  shortly  after  taking  charge  of 
the  paper,  changed  its  name  from  the  Du 
Page  County  Press  to  the  Naperville  Clarion, 
so  that  the  town  in  which  it  was  established 
would  be  represented  in  the  title.  In  the 
course  of  time  the  old  type  was  exchanged 
for  tiew;  the  hand-press  gave  way  to  the  cyl- 
inder; improved  jobbers  were  purchased,  and 
the  entire  apparatus  of  the  original  office 
supplanted  by  new  and  improved  material,  so 
that  npw  it  is  safe  to  say  there  are  few  su- 
perior printing  offices  in  any  suburban  town 
in  this  State.  The  Clarion  is  in  every  way 
worthy  of  liberal  support,  the  length  of  time 
it  has  been  successfully  published  being  an 
assurance  of  its  permanency  and  a  fixed  in- 
stitution of  the  town. — D.  B.  GIVLER. 

NAPERVILLE    SCHOOLS. 

The  first  school  ever  taught  here  was  in 
the  autumn  of  1831,  Leister  Peet  being  teach- 
er, and  probably  every  child  in  the  settle- 
ment, which  then  comprised  also  the  Scott 
settlement  at  the  fork,  were  the  pupils  — 
twenty-two  in  number,  full  details  of  which 
have  already  been  given  in  preceding  pages. 

The  Sauk  war  broke  up  this  school,  but 
after  the  return  of  the  settlers  from  their 
temporary  absence  on  account  of  the  war, 
Mrs.  Hines  and  Mr.  Hiram  Standish  both 
taught  in  the  same  old  log  schoolhouse,  built 
before  the  war  on  a  rise  of  ground,  about 
thirty  rods  west  of  Naper's  log  store.  R. 
N.  Murray  says  he  graduated  at  this  school. 
By  the  year  1835,  the  settlement  had  attained 
proportions  sufficient  to  warrant  the  erection 
of  a  permanent  frame  building  for  school 
purposes,  and  Joseph  Naper  circulated  a  sub- 
scription paper  to  raise  the  means  to  pay  for 
it.  Settlers  had  abundance  of  everything 


NAPERVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 


235 


but  money,  but  this  was  wanting  in  sufficient 
quantities  to  bring  the  enterprise  to  a  suc- 
cessful result,  and  in  this  emergency  some  of 
the  friends  of  the  scheme  contributed  labor 
or  materials  which  was  just  as  good  as  money, 
for  in  those  days  when  a  public  improvement 
was  to  be  made,  there  was  no  private  pecu- 
lation or  friction  or  any  subtle  methods  of 
depleting  the  public  treasury  out  of  special 
funds  for  special  objects. 

Col.  Warren  informs  the  writer  that  he 
\vas  then  hauling  salt  from  Chicago,  and,  the 
subscription  paper  being  presented  to  him, 
on  his  arrival  with  a  load  of  it,  he  rolled  off 
a  barrel  as  his  contribution  to  the  desired  ob- 
ject. Its  value  was  then  $6.  The  building 
was  erected  the  next  year,  1836,  and  was  put 
to  immediate  use;  not  for  a  school  only,  but 
the  early  Gospel  was  dispensed  from  the  ros- 
trum in  it  designed  for  the  pedagogue,  and 
it  was,  moreover,  honored  with  judicial  er- 
mine, for  here  the  Circuit  Court  held  two  or 
three  sessions.  Its  location  was  near  the 
present  Congregational  Church. 

For  some  cause  not  known  to  the  writer, 
this  schoolhouse  was  sold  by  the  district,  and 
the  school  had  to  depend  on  such  rooms  as 
were  available  in  which  to  hold  their  ses- 
sions. This  unsystematic  way  of  conducting 
them  was  neither  creditable  to  the  educational 
enterprise  of  the  town,  nor  profitable  to  the 
scholars,  but  ample  amends  in  due  time  were 
made  for  this,  what  might,  with  no  misnomer, 
be  called  a  hiatus  in  Naperville  schools,  by 
erecting  an  academy  building,  which  was  in- 
corporated in  1851,  where  the  higher  branches 
of  science  were  taught  by  competent  teachers. 
Mr.  N.  F.  Atkins  was  its  first  preceptor,  who 
was  succeeded  the  next  year  by  C.  \V.  Rich- 
mond, from  the  academy  at  Great  Barrington, 
Mass.  Besides  common  branches  of  educa- 
tion, the  classical  course  of  the  best  Eastern 
academies  were  taiight  here,  including,  also, 


music,  drawing  and  painting.  The  attend- 
ance was  good,  and  the  progress  of  the  pupils 
all  that  could  be  desired.  Up  to  1863,  this 
academy,  together  with  the  public  schools 
and  a  select  school,  in  which  the  higher 
branches  were  taught  by  Miss  S.  B.  Skinner, 

i  fully  answered  the  requirements  of  the  place. 
But  now  the  time  had  come  when  a  public 
graded  school  was  a  necessity  as  an  advance 
system  of  education  within  the  means  of  every 
one  who  felt  ambitious  to  pursue  the  higher 
branches  of  English  education.  No  general 
law  of  the  State  had  yet  been  passed  for  the 
organization  of  graded  schools,  which  made 

|  it  necessary  to  get  a  charter  for  one  ere  it 
could  get  its  due  proportion  of  the  public 
funds  for  its  support.  In  1863,  Messrs.  Val- 
lette  and  Cody  and  R.  N.  Murray  drew  up 

|  the  required  instrument  which  was  sent  to  the 
Legislature  of  the  State,  and  received  its  le- 
galized authority  to  act.  The  incorporate 
act  was  known  by  the  following  style:  The 
Directors  of  the  Naperville  Graded  School. 
The  school  district  had  already  bought  the 
academy  building,  which  had  been  erected  in 
1851.  J.  L.  Nichols  was  Principal  in  1881 
-82,  and  W.  Knickerbocker,  C.  Wise  and  Peter 
Thompson,  Directors.  Mr.  Knickerbocker 
was  succeeded,  July  3,  by  Casper  L.  Dilley. 
Mr.  Nichols  having  resigned  for  a  professor- 
ship in  the  Northwestern  College,  his  place 
was  supplied,  in  1882,  by  Levi  M.  Umbach. 
The  Principal,  with  four  assistant  teachers, 
gives  instruction  in  botany,  history,  Latin, 
philosophy,  geometry,  algebra,  physiology, 
chemistry,  civil  government  and  the  usual  fun- 
damental branches  taught  in  normal  schools. 
The  school  justifies  the  expectations  of  the 
parents  and  pupils,  and  is  a  model  worthy  of 
imitation.  It  enrolls  302  pupils  from  a  cen- 
sus enrollment  of  572  children  and  youths  in 
its  district,  which  is  No  7  in  Naperville 

1  Township. 


230 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


FIRE    DEPARTMENT. 

The  Village  Council,  after  the  fire  in  July, 

1874,  deemed  it  expedient  to  organize  a  fire 
department,  and,  in  September,  1874,  ordered 
the  purchase  of  a  hand- engine,  hose  cart  and 
hose.     The  committee  purchased  one  Dutton 
No.  3   hand-engine,    one  hose-cart  and  700 
feet  of  two  and  a  half  inch  rubber  hose. 

Companies  were  organized  to  run  and  man- 
age the  same.  On  the  2d  day  of  January, 

1875,  the  Council  passed  an  ordinance  to 
govern  the  fire  department,  and  purchased  a 
hook  and  ladder  truck,  with  twenty- four  pails, 
in  September,  ]  875,  and  300  feet  more  hose. 
Total  cost  of  apparatus,  12,800;  fixing  build- 
ing to  store  apparatus,   $300;  expenses  for 
repairs  and   running  the  department,  from 
September,  1874,  to  July,  1882,  about  $550; 
amount  of  property  saved  by  reason  of  organ- 
ized fire  department  during  that  time  about 
$20,000. 

The  following- named  citizens  have  served 
as  Fire  Marshal  and  assistant: 

Marshals — Willard  Scott,  Jr.,  two  terms; 
B.  B.  Boecker,  one  and  a  half  terms;  J.  J. 
Hunt,  two  terms;  A.  McS.  S.  Eiddler,  two 
terms. 

Assistant  Marshals — B.  B.  Boecker,  three 
terms;  A.  McS.  S.  Eiddler,  M.  Weismantel, 
M."B.  Hasler,  J.  Egermann. 

The  Joe  Naper  Engine  Company  No.  1 
was  organized  September  17,  1874.  Number 
of  men  allowed,  80;  number  of  men  in  com- 
pany (average),  35. 

Foreman — Daniel  Garst;  J.  Egermann, 
two  terms ;  M.  Weismantel,  two  terms ; 
Xavier  Kreyder,  two  terms;  Jacob  Heim,  two 
terms. 

Assistant  Foremen — Nicholas  Yack,  five 
terms;  Alois  Schwartz;  Joseph  Yender,  two 
terms. 

Second  Assistant  Foremen — R.  W.  Shel- 
don, Sebastian  Baun,  seven  terms. 


Secretaries — W.  Scott,  Jr. ;  M.  Weisman- 
tel, two  terms;  B.  Beidelman,  two  terms;  C. 
Bast,  three  terms. 

Treasurers — Reuss,  six   terms;    X.  Krey- 
den.  two  terms. 

Naperville  Hose  Company  No.  1  was  organ- 
ized September  17,  1874.  Number  of  men 
allowed,  20;  average  number  of  men  in  com- 
pany, 18.  Officers  of  said  company  were  as 
follows : 

Foremen — A.  McS.  S.  Riddler,  four  terms; 
Peter  Babst,  Hoi  Seiber;  Martin  Becker,  two 
terms;  Henry  Seiber,  Albert  Yost. 

Assistant  Foremen— Peter  Nicholas,  Peter 
Babst,  Hoi  Seiber,  Samuel  Ney,  Martin 
Becker,  S.  S.  Strouse,  Charlos  Naper,  George 
Ehrhardt,  B.  J.  Slick. 

Secretaries — O.  J.  Wright,  C.  D.  Kendig, 
S.  S.  Strouse,  A.  McS.  S.  Riddler. 

Treasurers — -George  Potter,  Albert  Yost, 
Hoi  Seiber. 

Rescue  Hook  and  Ladder  Company  No.  1 
was  organized  on  the  29th  day  of  September, 
1875.  Number  of  men  allowed,  20;  average 
number  of  men  in  company,  17.  Officered  as 
follows: 

Foremen — William  Naper,  two  terms;  V. 
A.  Dieter,  T.  W.  Saylor,  Charles  Boettger, 
Edward  Stover,  three  terms. 

Assistant  Foreman — V.  A.  Dieter,  two 
terms;  T.  W.  Saylor,  Charles  Boettger,  Ed- 
ward Stover,  William  P.  Wright,  three 
terms. 

Secretaries — J.   H.  Alexander,  two  terms; 
J.  H.  Chew,  M.  D.,  three  terms;  T.  W.  Say 
lor,  Eli  H.  Ditzler,  W.  W.  Wickel. 

Treasurer — -M.  B.  Hastier,  eight  terms. 

A  new  company  called  the  Joe  Naper 
Engine  Company  was  organized  in  May 
or  June,  1881,  and  discharged  in  May, 
1882.  John  Ehrhardt,  Foreman;  John  F. 
Strohecker,  Assistant  Foreman. — A.  McS.  S. 
RIDDLER. 


NAPERVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 


237 


THE    NAPERVILLE    GUARDS. 

A  company  of  State  militia  was  organized 
at  Naperville  August  15,  1877,  under  the 
general  military  law  of  the  State.  Samuel 
W.  Smith  and  "William  J.  Laird,  by  direction 
of  H.  H.  Hilliard,  Adjutant  General  of  the 
State,  took  the  initiatory  steps  to  form  the 
company  out  of  the  abundant  material  at 
hand — the  stalwart  young  men  of  Naper- 
ville. 

Mr.  Smith  was  its  Captain;  Willard  Scott, 
Jr.,  First  Lieutenant,  and  William  J.  Laird, 
Second  Lieutenant.  Subsequently,  Messrs. 
Smith  and  Scott  having  resigned,  a  new  elec- 
tion was  held,  June  26,  1878,  when  William 
J.  Laird  was  elected  Captain;  E.  Ingals, 
First  Lieutenant,  and  William  P.  Combs, 
Second  Lieutenant.  Mr.  Ingals  next  having 
resigned,  Mr.  Combs  was  promoted  to  the 
office  of  First  Lieutenant,  and  Charles  F. 
Hfggins  from  Sergeant  to  Second  Lieutenant 
early  in  1880.  The  succeeding  July  he  died, 
much  regretted  by  the  members  of  the  com- 
pany to  which  he  belonged,  and  mourned  by 
his  many  personal  friends  and  relatives. 
Sergt.  George  Ehrhardt  was  then  promoted 
to  fill  his  place,  but  was  discharged,  June  22, 
1882.  The  company  now  numbers,  sixty- 
nine  men,  all  muscular  and  young,  well  armed 
with  breech-loaders,  peaceable  as  citizens, 
but  formidable  as  foes  whenever  the  State 
demands  their  service.  They  drill  four  times 
a  year,  preserving  good  order  and  good  dis- 
cipline, as  reported  by  the  Adjutant  Inspector 
of  the  State. 

SOCIETIES. 

Guttenburg  Lodge,  No.  331,  I.  O.  O,  F.— 
Was  organized  at  Naperville  October  9,  1860. 
Charter  members  :  Charles  Schultz,  Martin 
Straube,  Daniel  Garst,  Joseph  Eggerman, 
Charles  Boetiger,  Jacob  Hein,  Xavier  Kreyter, 
Simeon  Schupp.  The  lodge  had  forty  mem- 
bers at  the  end  of  its  first  year,  since  which 


time  its  meetings  have  been  held  once  a  week. 
Its  present  officers  are :  Fred  Fochs,  O.  M. ; 
Adam  Armbruster,  U.  M. ;  Otto  Siber,  Schm; 
John  Oestereich,  Schr. 

Naperville  Lodge,  No,  81,  I.  O.  O.  F.— 
Was  organized  October  17, 1851.  The  names 
of  the  charter  members  were  James  D. 
Wright,  A.  S.  Sabin,  William  C.  Mclntosh, 
Sol  W.  Sonendecker,  S.  O.  Vaughn.  It  has 
been  iri  successful  operation  ever  since  to  the 
present  time,  meeting  once  a  week,  except  for 
about  three  years  during  the  war,  at  which 
time  the  greater  portion  of  the  members  were 
in  the  field.  Since  peace  was  restored,  the 
lodge  resumed  its  meetings,  which  are  now 
regularly  held.  Present  officers :  John  Frost, 
N.  G.;  Charles  Hunt,  V.  G.;  A.  McKillips, 
R.  S. ;  D.  Strubler,  Treasurer;  W.  Marvin, 
P.  S. 

Euclid  Chapter  of  Royal  Arch  Masons,  No. 
13,  was  chartered  October  3,  1851.  The  names 
of  the  charter  members  were  Aylmer  Keith, 
H.  P. ;  John  Eddy,  K. ;  Harry  T.  Wilson, 
Scribe.  Present  H.  P. :  J.  J.  Hunt. 

Euclid  Lodge,  No.  65,  A.,F.&  A.  M.,  was 
organized  October  2,  A.  D.  1849,  under  the 
dispensation  of  the  Most  Worshipful  Master 
William  Lavely,  Grand  Master  of  the  Most 
Honorable  Society  of  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons  in  the  State  of  Illinois.  Charter 
members:  Lewis  Ellsworth,  John  Kimball, 
Nathan  Loring,  C.  C.  Barns.  Officers:  Ayl- 
roer  Keith,  W.  M.;  Joseph  Naper,  Senior 
Warden;  Nathan  Allen,  Junior  Warden. 
Attested:  William  Mitchell,  Grand  Secre- 
tary; W.  Lavely,  Grand  Master;  T.  C.  Ket- 
cham,  S.  G.  W.;  W.  C.  Tobbe,  J.  G.  W. 
Present  officers:  J.  B.  Frost,  W.  M. ;  S.  A. 
Ballou,  Senior  Warden;  W.  W.  Wickel,  Jun- 
ior Warden;  J.  J.  Hunt,  Senior  Deacon;  J. 
Soltisberg,  Junior  Deacon;  J.  Horn,  Treas- 
urer; C.  P.  Dorn,  Secretary;  S.  Balliman, 
Tiler. 


238 


HISTORY   OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


BANKING. 

Willard  Scott,  Sr.,  and  his  son  Thaddeus 
opened  a  banking  and  exchange  office,  in  con- 
nection with  their  general  store,  in  1854, 
and  continued  in  said  business  until  1866. 
Thaddeus  died  in  1866,  and  W.  Scott,  Sr., 
retired  for  a  short  time.  Willard  Scott  Jr., 
carried  on  the  business  with  C.  M.  Castle 
from  1866  to  1870.  Then  Willard  Scott, 
Sr. ,  again  assumed  the  banking  and  exchange 
office  (which  was  removed  to  another  building 
and  entirely  disconnected  from  the  store) 
with  C.  M.  Castle  until  October  1,  1872. 
Then  A.  McS.  S.  Biddler  was  associated  with 
him  as  Cashier  until  October  1,  1873,  when 
Mr.  Jonathan  Eoyce  entered  the  firm,  and 
retired  October  1, 1875,  since  which  time  Mr. 
Scott  has  continued  in  the  business  until  the 
present  time,  with  A.  McS.  S.  Riddler  as 
Cashier.  During  all  these  years  they  have 
had  the  confidence  of  the  people,  and  not  an 
obligation  has  been  presented  that  was  not 
paid  promptly,  nor  have  they  ever  had  a 
check  or  draft  protested. 

TILE  AND  BRICK  MANUFACTURING. 

The  Naperville  Drain-Tile  and  Brick  Fac- 
tory was  established  in  1871  by  George  Mar- 
tin. It  started  with  two  hand  machines, 
there  being  but  little  demand  for  tile  at  that 
time.  Its  utility  has  since  been  sufficiently 
demonstrated  and  the  demand  for  it  has  war- 
ranted the  introduction  of  machinery  pro- 
pelled by  steam  power  to  supply  the  increas- 
ing orders  which  come  in  for  it  from  the 
country  all  around.  Two  steam  tile  and 
brick  machines  are  now  kept  running,  with  a 
capacity  of  producing  from  eight  to  ten 
thousand  linear  feet  of  tile  per  day,  varying 
in  diameter  from  eight  to  fifteen  inches.  The 
style  of  the  firm  is  now  Martin  &  Vanoven. 

A  quarry  of  magnesian  limestone  crops 
out  to  the  surface  on  the  southwestern  bank 


of  the  river.  It  was  first  worked  by  George 
Martin,  but  is  now  worked  by  Joseph  Sals- 
bury.  The  stone  has  been  tested  as  to  ex- 
posure to  frost  and  atmospheric  changes,  and 
found  to  be  equal  in  durability,  if  not  super- 
ior, to  any  in  the  country.  It  is  soft  when 
quarried  and  hardens  by  exposure.  The  an- 
nual production  of  the  quarry  is  from  five  to 
six  hundred  cords  per  annum. 

BUSINESS  AND  PROFESSIONAL    REGISTER. 

Agricultural  implement  dealers — W.  H. 
Hillegas  &  Co.,  J.  J.  Hunt,  Andrew  Ory,  D. 
B.  Hartronft. 

Attorneys — Hiram  H.  Cody,  John  H.  Bat- 
ton,  Jr.,  M.  C.  Dudley,  H.  H.  Goodrich, 
John  Haight. 

Bankers— Willard  Scott  &  Co. 

Bakers — Joseph  Bapst,  C.  A.  Nadelhafer. 

Barbers  —  William  McCauly,  George 
Knoch,  Wert  Bros.,  Andrew  Kreyder. 

Blacksmiths — Bauer  Bros.,  Charles  Hunt, 
Abraham  Hartronft,  Heim  &  Stoner,  Norman 
Lent,  Richard  Swartz,  Strausz  &  Getsch, 
Daniel  Strubler,  J.  F.  Stroheker,  David 
Vance. 

Brewers — John  Stenger. 

Butchers — William  Hartronft,  L.  Halber- 
stadt,  Becker  &  McCain. 

Boot  and  shoe  dealers — Collins  &  Durran, 
W.  R.  Steward. 

Butter  and  cheese — Naperville  has  two 
butter  and  cheese  factories.  The  oldest  one 
is  run  by  Mr.  George  H.  Hunt.  He  came  to 
Naperville  in  1877,  and  made  butter  and 
cheese  in  Mr.  John  Stenger's  building,  from 
1877  to  1880;  then  he  bought  the  grounds 
and  put  up  the  factory  he  is  now  occupying. 
In  1881,  he  paid  to  his  patrons  about  $50,000 
for  milk,  averaging  §1.18  per  100  pounds. 
The  other  butter  and  cheese  factory  is  carried 
on  in  Mr.  John  Stenger's  building,  by  Messrs. 
Eggerman  &  Bauer.  They  started  October 


NAPERVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 


239 


1,  1881,  and  receive  about  6,000  pounds  of 
milk  now  per  day. 

City  Officers — President,  Peter  Thompson; 
Trustees,  Valentine  A.  Dieter,  Michael 
Schwartz,  H.  J.  Durran,  Louis  Keiche; 
Treasurer,  Oliver  Stutenroth;  Clerk,  S.  M. 
Skinner;  City  Marshal,  William  J.  Laird; 
Police  Magistrate,  David  B.  Givler;  City 
"Weigher,  Philip  Beckman. 

Carriage-makers — F.  A.  Saylor,  Joseph 
Hildenbrandt,  William  Shimp. 

Carpenters — Alfred  Shafer,  Mathias  Stev- 
ens, Levi  S.  Shafer  (proprietor  of  planing- 
mill). 

Carpet  weavers — Nicholaus  Fons.  Jacob 
Stroheker,  John  Fuss. 

Cigar  makers  and  dealers — Hiram  Ebright, 
Henry  Obermeyer,  John  Schloessler,  Kline  & 
Bard,  Charles  Schulz. 

County  Judge — Robert  N.  Murray. 

Dentists— C.  P.  Dorn,  L.  Eberhardt. 

Druggists — H.  C.  Daniels,  M.  B.  Powell, 
Strayer,  Wickel  &  Co. 

Furniture  dealers — Chas.  Bapst,  F.  Long. 

General  stores — Martin  Brown,  Ditzler  &' 
Hosier,  H.  H.  Peasly,  Willard  Scott  &  Co. 

Gents'  furnishing  goods — Fred  Kaylor. 

Grocers — Joseph  Bapst,  Valentine  Dieter, 
Saul  Drissler,  John  Drissler,  John  Marlin, 
David  Frost,  Wm.  Latshaw,  Mrs.  Linderman. 

Grain  and  coal  dealers — B.  B.  Boecker, 
Elias  Mnsselman. 

Hardware  dealers — J.  J.  Hunt,  W.  H. 
Hillegas  &  Co.,  John  Pfister,  Sherer  &  Yost. 

Harness -makers — John  Herbert,  R.  H. 
Wagner,  Philip  Beckman  (dealer  in  hides 
and  leather). 

Hotels — American  House,  B.  F.  Russell, 
proprietor;  Pre-emption  House,  Jefferson 
Bush,  proprietor;  Washington  House,  Jacob 
Keller,  proprietor. 

Jewelers — M.  Weismantel,  Collins  &  Dur- 
ran. 


Justices  of  the  Peace — David  B.  Givler, 
W.  R.  Steward,  J.  Haight,  E.  Musselman. 

Livery  stable  keepers  — •  B.  F.  Russell, 
George  Strubler. 

Lumber  dealers— E.  F.  Hartronft,  Michael 
Schwartz. 

Marble  works— Charles  H.  Kayler. 

Merchant  tailors  —  Theodore  German, 
George  Reuss. 

Milliners — Mrs.  Butler,  Mrs.  Strebel,  Mrs. 
Scott,  Mrs.  Blake. 

Newspaper — Naperville  Clarion,  David  B. 
Givler,  proprietor. 

Notaries  public — John  H.  Batten,  Jr.,  M. 
C.  Dudley,  Jasper  L.  Dille,  Arthur  Cody, 
H.  H.  Goodrich,  J.  J.  Hunt,  J.  M.  Vallette. 

Nursery  proprietors  —  Lewis  Ellsworth, 
Ernst  Von  Oven. 

Painters — Walter  Good,  Fred  Miller,  Mar- 
tin Straube. 

Photographers — A.  C.  Kendig,  L.  Luplau. 

Physicians — Bell  &  Nauman,  H.  C.  Dan- 
iels, M.  R.  Cullison,  A.  L.  Freund,  T.  J. 
Sprague,  S.  S.  Stayer. 

Postmaster — Philip  Strubler. 

Real  estate  agent — A,  McS.  S.  Riddler. 

Restaurants — Ed  Clemens,  T.  W.  Saylor. 

Saloon  keepers — Adam  Conrad,  Thomas 
Costello,  J.  Eggerman,  Fred  Fuchs,  Jacob 
Keller,  Samuel  Kreyder,  John  Ruchty,  Xavier 
Swein,  O.  A.  Siebert,  John  Krieger. 

Shoemakers  —  John  Congrave,  Xavier 
Compte,  George  Ehrhardt  &  Bro.,  John 
Ehrhardt  &  Co.,  George  Friess,  Martin,  Fest, 
Martin  Scherff,  Jacob  Zimmerman. 

Stone  Quarries  —  Jacob  Solfisberg,  Mel  - 
chior  Braun,  Harry  Norbury. 

Tile  and  brick  works — Martin  &  Von  Oven. 

Toys  and  notions — -Mrs.  Lindeman. 

Undertakers — Charles  Bapst,  Fred  Long, 
Philip  Orcutt. 

Wagon-makers — A.  Armbruster,  Ferdinand 
Mueller. 


240 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


CHAPTEK   XI. 


LISI.E  TOWNSHIP— THE  FIRST  SETTLER— HIS  HARDIHOOD— THANKSGIVING— A  FEMALE  POW-WOW 
—THE  OLD  GRIST-MILL— THE  CHRONIC  PIONEER— HIS  GENEROSITY. 


AS  early  as  1834,  as  the  autumn  hunter 
crept  along  the  fringe  of  the  groves  that 
grew  in  patches  on  the  east  side  of  the  East 
Branch  of  the  Du  Page  Kiver,  just  above 
the  fork,  if  of  a  contemplative  mind,  he 
could  hardly  help  forgetting  his  search  for 
game  to  gaze  on  and  admire  the  scene.  An 
even  surface,  graduating  upward  from  the 
stream,  unbroken  except  in  a  few  places  by  a 
spring  of  living  water  or  the  channel  of  a 
rivulet,  dry,  alluvial  and  fertile.  Here  were 
patches  of  oak,  hickory,  black  walnut  and 
other  trees  unscarred  by  the  woodman's  axe, 
and  here  was  a  wealth  in  the  soil  waiting  the 
touch  of  the  plow  to  yield  "  thirty,  sixty  or  an 
hundred  fold." 

All  this  had  been  abandoned  by  a  people 
who  knew  not  how  to  utilize  it.  and  here  it  lay 
spread  out  before  the  first  one  who  chose  to 
take  it  for  a  consideration  so  small  that  it 
might  be  counted  as  nothing.  He  passes  on — 
the  squirrels  are  busy  at  their  nut  harvest,  the 
wild  ducks  probe  the  bottom  of  the  river  with 
their  flat  bills,  the  prairie  chickens  whirl  past 
him  through  the  air,  the  sand-hill  cranes  are 
seen  in  flocks  at  a  long  distance,  and  the  deer 
startle  from  the  thickets  of  hazel  brush  before 
his  approach.  Far  beyond  all  these  he  sees  a 
new  sight  as  he  pursues  his  trackless  way. 
There  is  a  log  cabin,  men  and  women,  children 
hop-skipping  around  as  if  a  section  of  New 
England  had  been  cut  out  and  planted  here  as 
an  experiment  to  see  if  it  would  grow.  He 
approaches  nearer  and  he  hears  the  convivial 
shouts  of  the  youngsters  as  they  chase  each 
other  around.  Surfeited  with — with — with — 


Thanksgiving  turkey  ?  Yes,  why  not  !  It's 
Deacon  Pomeroy  Goodrich's,  and  hadn't  he  a 
right  among  other  Yankee  notions  he  brought 
from  New  Hampshire  to  bring  the  institution 
of  Thanksgiving  with  him  ?  And  who  could 
do  it  with  more  dignity  than  a  deacon?  Besides, 
it  was  a  kind  of  a  relief  to  throw  off  the 
deacon  at  least  once  in  a  while,  and  have  a 
good  jovial  time,  and  anybody  who  knew 
Deacon  Goodrich  knew  that  he  could  put  it  on 
again  at  a  minute's  notice  if  it  was  necessary  to 
apply  the  brakes  to  those  within  his  moral  at- 
mosphere at  least  by  example.  He  kept  up  this 
anniversary  as  the  years  rolled  along,  and  kin- 
dred neighbors  partook  in  his  hospitalities.  He 
planted  the  institutions  of  New  England  here 
.  first,  and  in  his  labor  he  was  soon  reinforced 
by  detachment  after  detachment  from  the 
parent  stem,  among  whom  was  Henry  Good- 
rich, his  brother.  But  before  we  proceed 
farther  in  this  direction,  let  us  first  return  to 
the  actual  settler  who  drove  the  first  stake  into 
the  soil  of  what  is  now  Lisle,  whose  name  was 
Bailey  Hobson. 

This  intrepid  pioneer,  in  May,  1830,  left  his 
home  in  Orange  County,  Ind.,  on  horseback, 
bound  for  the  prairie  country  in  Illinois,  of 
which  he  had  heard  reports.  He  wended  his 
way  through  the  forest  path  in  an  almost  west- 
erly course,  till  Fort  Clark  was  reached,  the 
original  French  name  of  which  was  Opa.  It 
is  now  Peoria.  At  the  time  of  Mr.  Hobson's 
arrival  at  the  place,  it  was  a  county  seat,  where 
courts  were  held.  From  thence  he  bent  his 
course  northeastwardly  to  Halderman's  Grove, 
where  a  small  settlement  had  been  begun.  Next, 


LISLE  TOWXSHIP. 


241 


after  taking  a  look  at  the  Fox  River  country, 
he  turned  away  from  it,  and  made  a  claim  a 
few  miles  from  the  village  of  the  Pottawato- 
mies,  which  would  be  south  of  the  present  site 
of  Aurora.  He  then  returned  to  his  home  by 
the  way  he  had  come,  reaching  his  destination 
early  in  July.  He  had  passed  many  nights  in 
his  blanket  on  the  ground,  his  faithful  horse 
hobbled  and  turned  out  to  browse ;  but  this 
was  mere  pastime  to  the  trials  in  store  for  him. 
On  the  1st  of  September  following,  everything 
was  in  readiness,  and  he  started  with  his  family 
for  the  prairie  home  that  he  had  laid  claim  to. 
His  means  of  travel  was  an  ox  team  hitched 
to  a  lumber  wagon,  which  by  day  was  a  vehicle 
of  locomotion,  and  at  night  a  domicile  for  his 
family,  consisting  of  three  young  children,  one 
of  whom  was  a  baby.  Besides  these  was  a 
hired  man — -Mr.  L.  Stewart.  After  twenty-one 
days  of  toiling  through  the  wilderness  path, 
they  reached  Halderman's  Grove,  near  where 
Mr.  Hobson  had  made  a  claim  a  few  weeks  be- 
fore. Next  a  cabin  was  to  be  built  for  shelter 
during  the  ensuing  winter.  Hay  was  to  be  cut 
for  his  cattle,  of  which  Mr.  Hobson  had  thir- 
teen head,  besides  a  horse,  the  same  on  whose 
back  Mrs.  Hobson  had  crossed  several  rivers 
on  the  way,  with  her  babe  in  her  arms.  Mr. 
Hobson,  with  the  aid  of  Mr.  Stewart,  after  ac- 
complishing all  this,  broke  a  few  acres  of  prai- 
rie and  sowed  winter  wheat  in  it,  to  provide 
food  for  the  ensuing  year.  But  his  supplies  for 
the  winter  were  getting  low,  and  something 
must  be  done  immediately  to  replenish  them. 
There  were  sparse  settlements  to  the  east,  and 
Mr.  Hobson  started  for  them,  and  after  many 
wanderings  found  some  pork  for  sale.  This  he 
engaged,  and  returned  to  his  family  to  get  his 
ox-team  to  transport  it.  He  accordingly  again 
started  on  this  mission,  but  after  a  few  days' 
absence  the  snow  fell  to  such  a  depth  that  it 
was  impossible  to  travel,  and  after  many  vain 
attempts  to  reach  home  with  his  team,  he  finally, 
after  nineteen  days'  absence,  made  the  tour  on 


foot,  but  not  without  a  strain  of  muscle  that 
would  have  overtaxed  the  powers  even  of  the 
average  pioueer,  with  all  his  hardihood.  At 
home  again,  but  not  to  rest,  for  there  was  noth- 
ing there  to  winter  on  but  some  dry  corn,  and 
a  scanty  supply  of  that.  In  this  emergency, 
he  again  started,  through  the  deep  snows,  for 
the  pork  he  had  bought,  taking  Mr.  Stewart 
with  him.  Before  leaving,  a  good  supply  of 
fuel  was  provided  and  brought  into  the  house. 
This  done,  the  two  men  took  their  departure. 
Two  days  after  they  had  left,  another  snow- 
storm came,  more  terrific  than  the  first.  The 
cattle  dared  not  venture  from  the  grove,  except 
one  cow,  who  naturally  sought  protection  from 
her  friendly  mistress,  Mrs.  Hobson,  and  coming 
to  her  door  pressed  to  come  in.  This  could 
not  be  allowed,  and  the  poor  brute  laid  down 
in  the  snow,  and  died  in  a  short  time  on  the 
spot.  Mrs.  Hobson  covered  her  deep  with  snow, 
lest  she  should  bait  the  wolves  to  the  place. 
The  spring  was  a  few  rods  from  the  house,  but 
to  this  all  egress  was  cut  off.  and  Mrs.  Hobson 
melted  snow  for  water,  boiled  her  corn,  and  ate 
the  untempting  food,  with  her  little  ones,  in 
solitude,  day  after  day,  till  the  return  of  her 
husband.  After  the  lapse  of  fourteen  days,  he 
came  with  relief.  He  had  passed  through  dan- 
gers and  trials  that  had  well  nigh  reached  the 
limits  of  human  endurance,  in  his  desperate 
but  vain  attempts  to  contend  against  the  forces 
of  nature,  for  the  protection  of  his  family. 

We  have  now  followed  the  adventures  of  this 
heroic  pioneer  to  where  they  were  begun  in  a 
previous  chapter,  which  tells  of  his  coming  to 
Du  Page  County,  and  here  we  will  leave  him 
to  note  the  progress  of  events. 

The  arrival  of  Deacon  Goodrich  at  the 
place  was  November  6,  1832.  Bailey  Hobson 
was  his  nearest  neighbor,  but  across  the  pres- 
ent line  of  Will  County  was  the  Scott  Settle- 
ment, the  nearest  resident  of  which  was  Harry 
Boardman,  at  whose  home  Mr.  Goodrich  and 
family  boarded  the  ensuing  winter  after  their 


242 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


arrival.  Theron  Parsons  had  just  come  to  the 
place  and  made  claims  to  land  where  Mr. 
Goodrich  now  lives,  which  he  relinqished 
gratis  to  him,  as  he  had  seen  other  lands  that 
suited  him  better,  to  which  he  immediately  laid  I 
claim  after  having  relinquished  his  first  one. 

In  June,  1833,  Luther  and  James  C.  Hatch  : 
came  to  the  present  site  of  Lisle  Station  and 
made  claims.  James  C.  is  still  living  on  the 
same  at  the  present  time,  where  he  is  enjoying 
a  green  old  age.  They  were  from  Cheshire 
County,  N.  H.  Sherman  King  had  preceded 
them  a  few  months,  and  was  then  living  on  his 
claim  near  by.  Benjamin  Tapper  and  Mr. 
Madison  came  the  same  year.  Mr.  Stout,  from 
Tennessee,  was  also  here  with  his  family.  He 
belonged  to  that  race  of  chronic  pioneers  who 
live  and  thrive  best  on  the  broad  face  of  nature 
"  untarnished  "  to  them  by  progressive  society 
with  its  infinitude  of  wants  and  refinements. 
The  limit  of  the  Stouts'  ambition  was  a  log 
cabin  to  live  in,  corn  bread  to  eat  and  home- 
spun clothes  to  wear.  •  Of  his  worldly  goods, 
he  was  generous,  and  his  heart  was  full  of  love 
for  mankind,  and  everybody  respected  him  for 
his  sterling  integrity  as  well  as  his  generosity  ; 
but  as  the  means  of  a  better  style  of  living  in- 
creased among  the  settlers,  and  wants  kept  j 
pace  with  these  accumulating  means,  Mr.  Stout 
saw  himself  a  kind  of  speckled  bird  of  the 
flock,  and  took  his  leave  pleasantly  and  uncom- 
plainingly for  a  newer  county,  where  conditions 
were  on  his  plane.  Allusion  has  already  been 
made  to  him  in  a  chapter  of  pioneer  history, 
with  a  feeling  more  kind  even  than  charity,  for 
the  writer  does  not  forget  the  hospitalities  of 
just  such  people  extended  to  himself  while  in 
his  teens  on  the  frontier. 

In  1834,  A.  D.  Chatfield  and  Thomas  Gates 
came  to  the  place.  The  former  still  lives  at 
Lisle  Station  where  he  first  settled. 

The  Indians   frequently  visited  these  early  i 
settlers    in   a   friendly   spirit,   but   sometimes 
made  themselves  offensive  through  their  total  ; 


ignorance  of  the  proprieties  of  civilized  life. 
In  the  spring  of  1834,  when  the  wet  ground,  as 
well  as  the  damp  winds,  made  camping  uncom- 
fortable, a  squad  of  squaws  came  to  Mr.  Good- 
rich's  door  just  at  night.  They  did  not  ask 
permission  to  stay,  but  planted  themselves  on 
the  floor  of  his  house  before  the  comfortable 
fire  and  seemed  quite  contented.  Mr.  Good- 
rich could  not  turn  the  wretches  out  in  the  cold, 
and  he  and  his  wife  went  to  bed,  but  not  to 
sleep,  for,  says  Mr.  Goodrich,  "  they  kept  up 
such  a  pow-wowing  all  night  as  to  set  sleep  at 
defiance." 

In  1834,  a  log  schoolhouse  was  built,  by 
subscription,  near  where  Lisle  Station  now  is. 
It,  like  many  others  of  its  kind,  was  also  used 
for  a  church,  and  Rev.  N.  Catlin  Clark,  a  Con- 
gregationalist  minister,  preached  in  it.  Rev. 
Jeremiah  Porter,  that  venerable  old  pioneer 
preacher  who  is  still  living,  also  preached  occa- 
sionally at  the  place.  Soon  afterward,  a  church 
was  built  one  and  one-half  miles  east  of  the 
present  station,  in  which  services  were  held  by 
Rev.  Orange  Lyman.  But  subsequently  this 
church  was  sold  to  the  Lutherans,  about  the 
time  the  railroad  was  laid  out,  who  moved  it 
half  a  mile  south  of  where  it  first  stood.  Serv- 
ices were  then  held  in  a  new  schoolhouse,  built 
in  1837,  till  the  Congregationalists  built  the 
large  church  that  now  stands  at  the  Station. 

On  March  14,  1835,  Daniel  M.  Green  and 
Venelia,  his  wife,  came  to  Section  26,  with  their 
own  team,  from  Ogden,  Monroe  Co.,  N.  Y. 
They  arrived  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Strong,  a 
resident  of  the  place,  at  midnight.  The  wolves 
had  followed  them  along  the  lonesome  prairie 
for  the  last  three  hours  of  their  ride,  and  kept 
up  a  yelping  on  either  side,  as  if  they  were 
hungry  for  their  blood. 

Besides  those  already  mentioned,  Mr.  Green 
reports  the  following  residents  at  the  place  on 
the  arrival  of  himself  and  family  :  Jeduthan 
Hatch,  John  Thompson,  from  New  Hampshire  ; 
John  Graves,  who  kept  tavern,  and  now  lives 


LIBR^KY 

OF  TiiE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


UPt-       ' 

OF    I..E 
UNIVtRSIU  OF  UIINOR; 


LISLE  TOWNSHIP. 


345 


in  Lisle ;  Martin  and  Stephen  Pierce ;  Thomas 
Gates,  from  Ohio  ;  George  and  Charles  Parmely, 
from  Vermont ;  John  Dudley,  from  Ogden,  N. 
Y. ;  Russell  Webster ;  Isaac  Clark ;  Huchins 
Crocker — a  pretty  old  man,  sociable  when 
he  had  plenty  of  tobacco,  but  in  the  slough 
of  despond  without  it ;  Harmon  and  James 
Carman,  from  New  York,  and  Amasa  Moore, 
whose  wife  was  sister  to  Miss  Daphine  P. 
Ball,  the  first  schoolmistress  at  the  place. 
She  taught  in  a  small  log  cabin  built  by 
Deacon  Goodrich  near  his  own  house,  and 
was  paid  by  subscription  from  the  neigh- 
bors who  patronized  it,  which  meant  everybody 
near  by.  She  subsequently  taught  in  Naper- 
ville.  and  to  her  are  many  men  and  women, 
now  in  their  maturity,  indebted  for  their  first 
lessons,  not  only  in  scholastic  science,  but  in 
those  courtesies  which  grace  the  social  circle. 
She  is  now  the  wife  of  Mr.  Skinner,  of  Naper- 
ville. 

In  1836,  a  Sunday  school  was  established  at 
the  house  of  Mr.  Green — Deacon  Goodrich, 
Superintendent. 

Among  others  who  came  to  the  place  that 
year  was  Thomas  Jellies,  from  England.  The 
next  year,  he  built  a  schoolhouse  at  what  is 
now  the  village  of  Lisle,  the  best  one  in  the 
country  at  that  time,  and  the  same  already 
alluded  to  as  a  place  of  worship,  as  well  as  for 
a  school. 

The  very  first  preaching  in  what  is  now  Lisle 
was  by  Rev.  Isaac  Scarritt,  who  had  settled  in 
the  Scott  settlement.  It  was  of  the  Methodist 
itinerant  kind  ;  but  Rev.  C.  Clark,  already  al- 
luded to,  a  Congregationalist,  soon  after  began 
to  preach  at  his  own  house,  on  the  West  Fork 
of  the  Du  Page,  about  a  mile  below  Hobson's 
Mill. 

This  old  mill  was  far-famed,  and  thither  came 
people  to  it  like  pilgrims  to  Mecca,  except  that 
they  did  not  bow  down  before  it  on  bended 


knees.  There  was  no  mill  north  of  it,  not  even 
at  Galena,  which  was  then  a  good-sized  town, 
but  obtained  their  meal  and  flour  from  St. 
Louis,  and  Chicago  received  such  supplies 
from  Detroit ;  but  the  whole  intervening  inte- 
rior had  to  pound  their  corn  in  mortars,  grind 
it  in  a  coffee  mill  or  bring  it  to  Hobson's  Mill. 
Mr.  Daniel  Green  ran  the  mill  on  shares  dur- 
ing the  years  1836  and  1837,  and  the  cash 
receipts  for  meal  sold  were  over  $4,000  per 
annum.  Mr.  Hobson  could  neither  read  nor 
figure,  but  was  good  at  mental  reckoning.  No 
accounts  were  kept,  not  even  a  scratch  to  prove 
the  terms  of  their  contract.  There  were  the 
receipts  in  cash,  which  would  show  for  them- 
selves, and  it  was  as  easy  to  divide  them  as  to 
divide  a  pint  of  peas.  Mr.  Hobson  took  three 
parts,  Mr.  Green  one.  No  expense  for  clerk 
hire,  paper,  pens  or  ink.  Subsequently,  when 
Mr.  Green  became  County  Sheriff,  Mr.  Hobson, 
his  quondam  friend,  was  the  first  to  volunteer 
to  sign  his  bail  bond,  and  it  surprised  the  court 
to  see  how  prettily  he  wrote  his  name. 

The  name  of  Lisle  was  suggested  by  A.  B. 
Chatfield.  It  has  nine  schoolhouses  and  576 
persons  between  the  ages  of  six  and  twenty- 
one. 

The  village  of  Lisle  is  a  station  on  the  C., 
B.  &  Q.  R,  R.,  in  the  midst  of  a  region  not  sur- 
passed in  fertility  in  the  county.  A  combina- 
tion of  circumstances  as  to  land  ownership 
and  other  causes  have  thus  far  stood  in  the 
way  of  its  growth  up  to  the  present  time. 
There  is  more  milk  shipped  from  this  than  any 
other  station  on  the  road,  and  the  place  is  li- 
able at  any  time  to  rally  and  become  a  thriving 
village.  Robert  Dixon  keeps  a  general  store 
here,  J.  R.  McMillen  is  Station  Agent  and 
Postmaster  and  Hart,  Nagle  &  Long  carry  on 
the  blacksmith  and  wagon-making  business. 

The  elevation  of  the  railroad  track  at  the 
place  is  115  feet  above  Lake  Michigan. 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER    XII. 


YORK  TOWNSHIP  — ORIGIN  OF  ITS  NAME  — ITS  EARLY  SETTLERS  — THE  DESPLAINES  BRIDGED- 
SUNDAY  SERVICE  ON  SLAB  SEATS— THE  PIONEER  SCHOOL  MISTRESS— THE  WIDOWER'S 
CABIN— PRAYING  MATCHES— SUICIDE— BURSTING  FORTH  OF  A  SPRING— 
ELMHURST— GERMAN  EVANGELICAL  SEMINARY— LOMBARD. 


IT  took  its  name  from  the  State  of  New 
York  because  its  first  settlers  came  from 
there  and  planted  its  institutions  in  the  new 
prairie  soil  of  the  land  of  their  adoption, 
there  to  live  and  grow,  which  expectation  has 
been  verified,  perhaps,  sooner  than  was  ex- 
pected, for  they  have  lived  to  see  villages  and 
railroads,  schools  and  churches  and  farms  with 
luxurious  houses  on  them  and  all  the  machin- 
ery of  old  States  in  working  order. 

Elisha  Fish  was  the  first.  He  came  in  the 
spring  of  1833,  and  settled  in  what  is  now  Sec- 
tion 26. 

In  the  spring  of  1834,  Winslow  Churchill, 
Jr.,  settled  where  Lombard  now  is. 

Jesse  Atwater  and  John  Talmadge  came  in 
1834,  and  it  is  probable  that  some  other  set- 
tlers came  in  during  the  same  year,  among 
whom  were  German  settlers,  spoken  of  under 
the  head  of  Addison.  Of  these  the  Graue 
family  who  settled  around  Grane's  Grove,  close 
to  the  line  of  Addison,  might  be  mentioned. 
In  1835,  Jacob  W.  Fuller  came  to  this  settle- 
ment from  Broome  County,  N.  Y.,  and  settled 
on  what  is  now  Section  27.  He  had  five  sons 
— Benjamin,  the  oldest,  Daniel,  the  third  son, 
and  Morell  and  Lewis;  the  two  youngest  came 
with  him.  The  next  year,  1836,  George,  the 
second  son  of  Mr.  Fuller,  came  and  settled  on 
Section  27,  where  he  still  lives.  The  youngest 
brothers,  Morell  and  Lewis,  also  now  live  in 
York.  Nicholas  Torode,  Sr.,  and  Philander 
Torode  came  and  settled  in  Section  24  in  1835, 
and  John  Bolander  came  about  the  same  time, 


and  settled  a  few  miles  to  the  north  of  themr 
Henry  Reider  came  the  same  year. 

The  next  year,  Nicholas  Torode,  Jr.,  Peter 
R.,  C.  W.  and  David  H.  Torode,  came  to  the 
place,  all  these  from  Mount  Vernon,  Ohio,  and, 
Orientc  Grant,  from  the  Eastern  States.  Luther 
Morton,  David  Talmadge,  Edward  Eldredge 
and  Sherman  King,  all  came  in  1836.  The  lat- 
ter built  a  saw-mill  the  next  year  in  the  south 
part  of  the  present  town,  on  Salt  Creek.  The 
same  year  (1837),  a  settlement  was  begun  at 
what  is  now  Elmhurst,  by  the  arrival  of  John 
Glos,  Sr.,  with  two  other  German  families,  the 
fathers  of  whom  had  married  his  daughters. 
His  son,  John  Gloss,  Jr.,  who  is  now  a  resident 
of  St.  Charles,  brought  them  to  the  place. 

About  this  time,  the  farmers  had  begun  to 
raise  something  to  sell.  Chicago  was  their 
only  market,  and,  insignificant  as  it  then  ap- 
peared, there  were  wholesale  dealers  there  in 
wheat,  pork,  hides  and  every  substantial  kind 
of  produce,  and  how  to  make  the  roads  toler- 
able to  transport  them  thither  was  the  problem 
In  this  direction,  the  first  thing  to  be  done  was 
to  build  a  bridge  over  the  Desplaines  River, 
which  was  promptly  done  by  the  united  efforts 
of  the  settlers  of  York  and  Milton.  It  was 
situated  about  where  the  present  bridge  at 
Maywood  now  is ;  and,  let  it  not  be  forgotten 
that  the  early  settlers  of  Du  Page  County  had 
the  honor  of  first  bridging  this  turbulent  stream. 

The  settlement  thus  begun,  the  next  thing 
was  to  have  preaching  on  Sundays.  Without 
this  consolation,  their  minds  might  wander,  and 


YORK   TOWNSHIP. 


247 


their  thoughts  vanish  into  mystery,  like  their 
vision,  as  they  looked  over  the  lonesome  re- 
moteness of  the  green  below,  and  the  blue  above 
losing  themselves  in  each  other's  embrace  in 
the  dim  distance  of  the  prairies  !  Besides,  the 
Sunday  exercises  would  help  to  keep  the  young 
hearts  of  the  boys  and  girls  from  getting  home- 
sick in  thinking  of  youthful  associations  left 
behind  !  The  old  folks  had  less  need  for  diver- 
sion, for  they  had  family  cares  ;  but  the  young 
were  looking  forward  to  them  with  pleasing 
anticipations  and  felt  the  need  of  instruction. 

The  Methodists  appear  to  have  understood 
this  principle,  and  were  generally  the  first  to 
supply  the  demand.  To  this  end.  Rev.  David 
Colson,  an  itinerant  of  this  circuit,  visited  the 
place,  and  was  invited  to  preach  at  the  house 
of  John  Talmadge.  The  date  of  his  first  advent 
has  not  been  preserved  ;  but  it  must  have  been 
as  late  or  later  than  1837,  as  the  seats  provided 
for  the  occasion  were  made  of  slabs  sawed  at 
Mr.  King's  mill,  just  spoken  of. 

A  schoolhouse  was  built  in  1839,  which  was 
considered  as  essential  a  piece  of  machinery 
as  the  church,  when  everything  has  to  be  built 
new,  and  the  timber  taken  from  the  stumps. 
Both  go  hand  in  hand,  at  least  they  did  in  the 
early  day,  for  the  schoolhouse  then  was  always 
used  on  Sunday  for  a  church,  and  this  was,  there- 
by affording  relief  to  the  then  scanty  private 
houses,  where  meetings  were  held.  Miss  C. 
Barnes  taught  school  in  this  house,  but  she  was 
not  the  first  schoolma'am  in  the  place.  Miss 
Man-  Fuller  has  that  distinction.  Her  school 
was  established  in  a  private  house,  made  vacant 
by  the  suicide  of  an  eccentric  man  named  Elias 
Brown.  Yes,  even  in  that  primitive  day  there 
was  one  moody  sentimentalist  wrought  up  to 
the  frenzy  of  self-destruction.  He  had  come 
to  the  place  alone,  made  a  claim  and  built  a 
comfortable  cabin  to  receive  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren, who  were  to  follow  as  soon  as  suitable 
preparation  had  been  made  to  secure  a  home 
for  them. 


Mr.  Brown  was  a  good  worker  and  a  zealous 
man  in  prayer  meetings.  Often  held  them  at 
his  lonesome  cabin,  which,  though  it  lacked  the 
magic  touch  of  the  female  hand  to  give  it  an 
air  of  comfort,  was  nevertheless  visited  by  the 
neighbors  in  goodly  numbers  to  hear  Mr. 
Brown's  unctions  prayers,  as  well  as  those  of 
others.  Brown  called  these  meetings  praying 
matches.  Finally  his  face  of  nonchalance  was 
missed  in  the  neighborhood,  and  on  going  to 
his  cabin  to  see  what  was  the '  matter,  he  was 
found  dead  with  the  cup  of  laudanum  on  the 
table,  from  which  he  had  taken  the  fatal 
draught  to  relieve  himself  from  some  incubus 
that  had  laid  across  his  path,  intolerable  to  him- 
self, but  unknown  to  the  world.  His  sons  soon 
came  to  settle  his  small  estate  and  returned. 
The  more  common  diseases  that  afflict  new  set- 
tlements are  fevers  and  chills,  and  in  justice 
to  this  country  it  is  fair  to  assume  that 
the  disease  or  the  cause  of  it  which  terminated 
fatally  in  Mr.  Brown's  case  was  contracted  in 
the  East,  through  some  social  grievance  not 
common  to  pioneer  settlements. 

A  small  portion  of  Babcock's  Grove  lies  in 
York,  around  which  the  Churchills  and  the  Bab- 
cocks  had  settled  in  1833  and  1834,  but,  from 
the  most  authentic  accounts,  their  claims  were 
almost,  if  not  entirely,  made  within  the  present 
limits  of  Milton  Township,  and  their  history 
has  been  given  under  that  head. 

In  the  spring  of  1861,  a  copious  spring  of 
water  burst  out  of  the  ground,  with  a  concus- 
sion that  made  the  ground  tremble.  It  was 
near  the  house  of  Robert  Reed.  The  spring 
empties  into  Salt  Creek,  about  three  miles 
above  Mr.  Graues'  grist-mill. 

Walker's  Grove,  in  the  southwest  part  of 
York,  occupies  land  enough  to  make  a  full 
section.  John  Walker  settled  here  in  1835. 

The  large  grove  in  the  southeast  part  of 
York,  with  one  on  its  east  line,  a  little  to  the 
north  of  it,  would  make  at  least  four  sections 
of  land,  which  would,  with  the  other  groves, 


248 


HISTORY  OF   DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


give  one-sixth  as  the  proportion  of  prairie  to 
the  timber  in  York. 

Sections  25,  35,  36  and  the  diagonal  halves 
of  Sections  24,  26  and  34  lie  within  the  limits 
of  the  Indian  boundary  lines,  and  were  sur- 
veyed at  an  early  date  and  brought  into  market 
in  June,  1835. 

It  is  impossible  to  give  the  dates  of  the  early 
roads  of  the  country.  Most  of  them  had  their 
origin  in  a  trail  that  marked  the  prairie  by 
travel  between  the  most  prominent  points 
known  at  the  time. 

According  to  a  map  of  Cook  and  Du  Page 
Counties,  drawn  by  James  H.  Rees,  of  Chicago, 
in  1850,  a  road  passed  through  this  township 
leading  from  Chicago  to  St.  Charles  ;  another 
from  a  steam  mill  where  May  wood,  on  the  Des- 
plaines,  now  is,  to  Warrenville,  on  the  West  Fork 
of  the  Du  Page  ;  another  from  the  house  of  H. 
Fischer,  on  Section  35,  in  Addison,  to  the  saw- 
mill on  Salt  Creek,  in  Section  36,  thence  to 
Brush  Hill ;  and  a  short  one  leading  from  the 
intersection  of  the  St.  Charles  road  with  Salt 
Creek  down  the  stream  to  the  Warrenville  road, 
at  the  junction  with  which  Eldridge  Post  Office 
is  put  down,  Bingham's  tavern  on  the  St. 
Charles  road,  on  Section  12,  and  Cottage  Hill 
and  Bates,  on  Section  2.  These  are  all  the 
roads  and  names  on  Mr.  Rees'  map  of  1 850. 

The  surface  of  the  township  is  sufficiently 
rolling  for  good  drainage,  but  not  as  uneven  as 
some  other  townships  in  the  county. 

The  dairy  business  is  a  prominent  interest  in 
the  township,  but  the  raising  of  vegetables,  es- 
pecially potatoes,  for  the  Chicago  market,  is  an 
increasing  interest. 

York  has  nine  school  districts  and  875  per- 
sons between  the  ages  of  six  and  twenty-one ; 
$23  is  reported  as  the  value  of  her  school  li- 
braries. 

The  old  saw-mill  on  Salt  Creek  was  burnt 
down  in  1848,  and  in  1852  a  grist-mill  was 
built  in  its  place  by  Fred  Graue,  or  Gray  (to 
anglicize  it),  and  W.  Arche.  It  has  recently 


been  remodeled  by  Mr.  Gray  by  putting  in  a 
Jonathan  mill,  with  a  capacity  of  125  barrels 
superfine  flour  per  day.  It  runs  by  steam  and 
water  power  both.  Mr.  Gray  was  one  of  the 
I  pioneer  settlers  of  Addison,  who  came  to  the 
place  in  1834.  He  has  been,  for  the  sake  of 
convenience,  compelled,  though  reluctantly,  to 
change  his  name  from  its  pure  German  (Graue) 
to  Gray,  on  account  of  the  faltering  manner 
with  which  Americans  write  or  attempt  to 
spell  it. 

DRAIN  TILE    AND   BRICK    WORKS. 

This  establishment,  owned  by  William  Ham- 
merschmit,  is  situated  a  mile  south  of  Lom- 
bard. It  employs  from  ten  to  fifteen  men,  and 
turns  out  from  60,000  to  70,000  feet  of  from 
two  to  ten  inches  tile  per  month,  with  ma- 
chine capacity  for  turning  out  from  125,000  to 
150,000  feet  per  month.  Capital  invested, 
$11,000.  The  steam  power  is  furnished  by  a 
25-horse-power  engine. 

ELMHURST. 

This  village  or  rather  tavern  stand,  as  it  first 
was,  went  by  the  name  of  Hill  Cottage,  a  mis- 
nomer one  would  say  who  came  from  a  mount- 
ainous or  even  a  hilly  region,  yet  it  was  really 
a  hill  compared  to  any  intervening  lands  be- 
tween it  and  Chicago,  being  106  feet  above  the 
lake,  the  ground  graduating  upward  all  the 
way  till  the  place  is  reached. 

Mr.  J.  L.  Hovey  came  from  Painesville,  Ohio, 
here  and  opened  a  taven  in  1843.  His  place 
soon  presented  attractions  to  the  lonesome 
inhabitants  of  the  prairie  around  in  those 
days,  and  a  request  was  made  that  he  should 
petition  for  a  post  office  at  his  tavern  stand, 
which  soon  became  the  nucleus  of  a  village. 

John  Wentworth  then  represented  the  dis- 
trict in  Congress,  and  to  him  the  petition  was 
sent.  The  Postmaster  General  objected  to  the 
name  on  the  ground  that  already  many  names 
of  post  offices  began  with  hill,  and  suggested  a 
transposition  of  the  name,  making  it  Cottage 


YORK    TOWNSHIP. 


349 


Hill  instead  of  Hill  Cottage.  This  satisfied 
the  petitioners,  and  the  village  was  "  baptized  " 
accordingly.  Not  long  afterward,  Dedrick 
Mong  also  opened  a  tavern,  and  soon  afterward 
a  general  store,  the  first  ever  established  at 
the  place.  It  stood  where  the  store  now  occu- 
pied by  Henry  A.  Glos  stands. 

The  Chicago  &  North- Western  Railroad  came 
through  the  place  in  1849,  and  Mr.  Mong  was 
employed  by  the  company  to  tend  the  station. 

The  place  now  began  to  increase  in  numbers, 
and  another  store  was  opened  by  Gerry  Bates 
on  the  spot  now  occupied  by  the  post  office. 
Soon  after  this,  wealthy  men  came  from  Chi- 
cago, and  the  building  of  those  palatial  resi- 
dences, for  which  the  place  is  remarkable,  was 
begun.  These  beautiful  homes  are  now  shadowed 
by  an  artificial  forest  of  elm,  maple,  pine, 
cedar  and  other  trees,  surrounded  by  ramparts 
of  arbor-vitse  hedges,  trimmed  with  linear  pre- 
cision, and  during  the  sultr}'  days  of  midsum- 
mer these  tree-clad  recesses  are  as  inviting  as 
they  are  ornate. 

They  are  also  glad  retreats  during  the  nip- 
ping blasts  of  winter,  toning  down  its  severity 
and  taking  off  its  keen  edge.  But  their  crown- 
ing glory  is  at  flood-tide  during  the  full  moons 
of  autumn,  when  the  glitter  of  her  rays  mottles 
the  ground  with  radiance  beneath  the  foliage  of 
the  trees.  These  suburban  delights  cannot  be 
purchased  at  any  price  in  large  cities,  and  the 
wonder  is  that  more  do  not  embrace  the  first 
opportunity  to  secure  them. 

The  railroad  company  named  their  station  at 
the  place  after  the  name  of  the  post  office — 
Cottage  Hill,  but  this  was  changed  to  Elm- 
hurst,  its  present  name,  in  1869. 

The  place  has  a  good  public  school  where 
both  German  and  English  are  taught,  but  no 
pupil  receives  instruction  in  German  till  first 
taught  to  read  and  write  English.  Algebra  and 
other  high  branches  of  scholastic  education  are 
also  taught,  besides  the  common  routine  of  the 
institution. 


The  town  was  platted  May  25,  1854,  by 
Anson  Bates,  situated  on  the  east  half  of  the 
northeast  quarter  of  Section  2,  Town  39,  Range 
11.  Its  elevation  above  Lake  Michigan  is  106 
feet. 

COLLEGE    AT    ELMHURST. 

This  institution  is  called  the  Elmhurst 
Troseminar  of  the  German  Evangelical  Synod 
of  North  America.  It  was  established  by  the 
German  Evangelical  Synod  of  the  Northwest 
in  1869,  and  two  years  later  was  transferred  to 
the  Synod  of  North  America  upon  the  union  of 
the  two  Synods  in  1871. 

The  Troseminar  is  a  •  preparatory  school  for 
the  Theological  Seminary  of  Missouri,  and,  be- 
sides preparing  theological  students  for  said 
institute,  it  fits  teachers  for  parochial  schools 
of  the  denomination,  and  admits  a  limited 
number  of  pupils  to  a  selected  course. 

When  the  school  was  founded  in  1869,  the 
instructors  and  twelve  pupils  occupied  the  resi- 
dence which  was  on  the  property  at  the  time  of 
purchase.  Two  years  later,  a  brick  building 
was  erected,  75x40,  and  three  stories  high.  The 
number  of  pupils  was  increased  threefold,  and 
the  growth  of  the  institution  was  so  rapid  that 
five  years  afterward  it  was  found  necessary  to 
build  again.  A  handsome  structure,  costing 
$25,000  was  then  built,  which  proved  no  more 
than  sufficient  to  contain  the  increased  number 
that  sought  admittance,  and  since  then  the 
growth  of  the  school  has  increased  steadily. 

About  130  pupils  can  be  accommodated,  and 
all  the  modern  conveniences  known  to  the  best 
architects  have  been  adopted  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  recitation,  study  rooms  and  dormi- 
tories, and  the  methods  of  heating,  lighting  and 
ventilation  were  carefullly  considered. 

In  addition  to  the  theological  studies,  there 
are  a  classical  course  and  complete  courses  in 
the  German  and  English  languages.  Music  is 
not  neglected  ;  all  are  trained  in  vocal  music, 
and  the  theological  students,  as  well  as  those 
who  are  preparing  to  teach,  are  taught  to  play 


850 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


on  the  organ  and  piano  ;  the  teacher  pupils,  in 
addition,  are  instructed  in  playing  the  violin. 

The  grounds  cover  about  thirty  acres,  twenty 
acres  of  which  are  devoted  to  a  garden,  where 
the  students  find  healthful  and  useful  employ- 
ment. Except  the  cooking  and  laundry  work, 
all  the  labor  is  performed  by  the  pupils,  who 
are  thereby  kept  from  idleness  and  mischief. 

The  School  Board  consists  of  a  sub-commit- 
tee called  Overseers,  who  report  to  the  Direct- 
ors, a  committee  who  are  responsible  -to  the 
Synod.  The  school  has  no  endowment,  depend- 
ing mainly  on  free-will  offerings  for  mainte- 
nance. 

The  Inspector,  or  President,  in  addition  to 
the  usual  duties  of  such  an  office,  exercises  a 
general  supervision  over  all  the  interests  of  the 
institution,  for  which  he  is  personally  responsi- 
ble. The  present  Inspector,  Rev.  P.  Goebel, 
succeeded  the  late  Rev.  Philipp  Meusch  in 
1880.  The  remaining  members  of  the  Faculty 
are  :  J.  Lueder,  Professor  of  Latin,  Greek  and 
History  ;  W.  J.  A.  Hogan,  Professor  in  charge 
of  the  English  Department ;  H.  Brodt,  Profes- 
sor of  German  and  Pedagogy  ;  F.  Berchtold, 
Professor  of  Mathematics,  Chemistry  and 
Physics  ;  G.  Rosche,  Professor  of  Music. — J. 
LUEDER. 

ST.  PETER'S  CHURCH. 

This  belongs  to  the  German  Evangelical 
Synod  of  North  America  in  Elmhurst,  and  was 
founded  May  21,  1876.  At  this  time  the  num- 
ber of  pupils  in  the  college  had  increased  to 
an  extent  sufficient  to  warrant  the  building  of 
a  church,  to  enlarge  the  sphere  of  its  useful- 
ness and  turn  its  teachings  in  the  minds  of  its 
pupils  in  a  proper  direction.  The  first  mem- 
bers and  founders  of  this  church  were  those 

• 

who  were  residents  of  Elmhurst  but  had  previ- 
ously attended  Immanuel  Church  at  Addison. 
During  the  first  year  of  its  existence,  the  profes- 
sors in  the  college  acted  as  pastors.  Rev.  Chris- 
tian Beck  was  the  first  ordained  pastor,  holding 
the  position  from  April  till  October,  1877.  Rev. 


Frederick  Boeber  succeeded  him  till  March, 
1882,  when  Rev.  Emil  Keuchen,  the  present 
pastor  took  the  charge.  A  parsonage  and 
schoolhouse  has  been  built  adjoining  the  church, 
and  a  parochial  school  is  taught  under  its  pat- 
ronage. Fifty-four  families  constitute  its  mem- 
bership, the  younger  children  of  whom  attend 
the  school. 

BUSINESS   REGISTER   OF   ELMHURST. 

Lumber,   coal,   grain,   flour  and   feed,   etc. 
Brownell  &  Strange. 

Dry  goods  and  groceries  (general  store), 
Henry  L.  Glos,  Charles  Most,  August  Grave. 

Hardware  and  agricultural  implements, 
Adam  S.  Glos. 

Hardware,  stoves  and  tin  shop,  William 
Most,  Carl  Bauer. 

Blacksmiths  and  wagon-makers,  Louis  Bal- 
geman  and  Louis  Rakow;  William  Geise, 
blacksmith;  Henry  Moeller,  wagon-maker. 

Elmhurst  Manufacturing  Company,  manu- 
facturer of  patent  spoke  driver  and  wagon 
fixtures. 

Elmhurst  Creamery,  Arthur  Robinson,  les- 
see. 

Harness-maker  and  saddler,  Peter  A.  Wolf. 

Boots  and  shoes  and  shoe-maker,  Nick 
Peter;  D.  Benjamin  Miche,  shoe-maker. 

Butchers,  Rudolph  Kraemer,  Edward  Dul- 
berg. 

Tailors,  John  Barge,  Henry  Gehrke,  Albert 
T.  Schultz. 

Painters  and  paper  hangers,  Jacob  Witten- 
burg,  Frank  Blau,  Julius  Heegard. 

Carpenters  and  joiners,  Ernst  Balgemann] 
Henry  Battermann,  William  Hanabeth,  — — 
Baker,  Arthur  Silvers,  Hermann  Warnecke, 
Hermann  Conrad,  John  Hahn. 

Masons,  Henry  Boettcher,  Henry  Morwitzer, 
William  Weigrafe. 

Hotel  and  saloon,  William  Ohlerich. 

Saloons.  Christian  Blieveruicht,  Franz  Boed- 
er, Christian  Bell. 


YORK    TOWNSHIP. 


251 


Methodist  Episcopal,  Rev.  J.  A.  Potter. 

Evangelical  Lutheran,  Rev.  E.  Kenchen. 

Roman  Catholic,  Rev.  C.  J.  Neiderberger. 

Physicians  and  surgeons,  F.  J.  T.  Fischer, 
George  F.  Heidemann. 

Postmaster,  Jacob  Glos. 

Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railway  and  Ameri- 
can Express,  Albert  S.  Brownell,  Agent. 

VILLAGE  GOVERNMENT. 

Trustees,  Henry  L.  Glos,  George  Sawin,  Chris- 
tian Blievernicht,  Peter  A  Wolf,  Ernst  Balge- 
mann,  Henry  Hohman,  Sr. 

President,  Henry  L.  Glos. 

Clerk,  William  H.  Litchfield. 

Treasurer,  George  F.  Heidemann. 

Street  Commissioner,  Henry  C.  Holman. 

EVANGELICAL  SEMINARY  AT  ELMHURST,  ILL. 

President,  Rev.  Peter  Goebel. 
Professor,  Rev.  John  Lueder. 
Professor  of  English,  W.  J.  H.  Hogan. 
Professor  of  Music,  George  F.  Rosche. 
Teachers,  H.  Brodt,  Fred  Berchtold. 

CHURCHES. 

Trinity  Church. — This  is  located  at  York 
Center,  and  was  organized  in  1868,  when  the 
church  was  built.  It  was  first  a  private  school 
— a  branch  of  the  Addison  congregation. 

Rev.  Theodore  Martens  was  the  first  pastor, 
who  was  succeeded,  in  1871,  by  Rev.  C.  A.  T. 
Selle,  Professor  in  the  Addison  Seminary,  till 
1872,  when  Rev.  G.  T.  H.  Gotsch  became  pastor, 
who  holds  the  position  to  the  present  time. 
Sixty  families  are  connected  with  this  church. 
It  has  a  parish  school,  numbering  about  fifty 
scholars  ;  is  connected  with  the  church,  in  which 
German  and  English  are  taught. 

The  York  Center  Metliodist  Church  was  orga- 
nized in  1857.  A  church  was  built  in  1859, 
and  dedicated  June  5,  the  same  year.  It  num- 
bered about  twenty-five  members,  at  first  com- 
posed of  Americans  only.  The  German  Lu- 


therans bought  a  half  interest  in  it  in  1879,  since 
which  time  the  Germans  have  increased  in 
numbers,  while  the  Americans  have  diminished. 

The  Catholic  Church  at  Elmhurst. — This  was 
built  in  the  year  1862,  by  Rev.  P.  Meinrad,  a 
Benedictine  Father,  and  about  twelve  Catholic 
families. 

In  1864,  the  Redemptorist  Fathers  attended 
this  mission  every  second  Sunday  from  Chicago 
until  1876,  when  Right  Rev.  Bishop  Foley  ele- 
vated it  to  a  parish,  appointing  Rev.  Charles 
Becker  as  the  first  stationary  pastor. 

He  was  succeeded,  in  1877,  by  Rev.  M.  Wolly, 
and,  in  1 880,  by  the  present  pastor,  Rev.  C.  J. 
Niederberger,  who  has,  by  his  clerical  bearing 
in  the  execution  of  his  duties  as  pastor,  wou 
the  esteem  not  only  of  his  own  flock,  but  of  the 
citizens  of  Elmhurst,  who  have  verified  this  by 
their  contributions  to  improve  the  grounds  of 
the  church  and  parsonage,  with  hedge  rows  and 
trees  and  flowers,  nor  did  the  friends  of  the 
church  stop  here.  Two  fine  oil  paintings,  one 
on  each  side  of  the  altar,  have  also  been  con- 
tributed by  them.  The  subjects  are  the  "  Ma- 
dona  and  the  Infant  Jesus,"  which  is  on  the 
left,  and  the  other,  "  St.  Joseph  and  the  In- 
fant Jesus,"  which  is  on  the  right.  They  were 
painted  by  H.  Kaiser,  a  pupil  of  the  celebrated 
M.  P.  Von  Deschwandore,  of  Switzerland.  Pict- 
ures of  the  fourteen  stations  ornament  the  sides 
of  the  church,  and  the  recess,  in  which  is  the 
altar,  is  tastefully  adorned  with  sacred  devices 
appropriate  to  the  place,  and  well  calculated  to 
inspire  the  conscientious  one  who  kneels  be- 
fore it  with  good  resolutions.  The  number  of 
parishioners  has  now  increased  to  sixty  families, 
one-third  of  whom  are  Irish  and  the  other  Ger- 
man. 

LOMBARD. 

This  is  a  pleasantly  located  village  on  the 
eastern  boundary  of  Babcock's  Grove,  which 
name  was  first  given  to  the  place.  Luther 
Morton  and  Winslow  Churchill,  Jr.,  made 
claims  in  1834,  where  this  village  now  stands, 


252 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUXTY. 


and  built  a  log  house.  Mr.  Morton  bought  his 
land  of  the  Government  when  it  came  into 
market,  and  assigned  his  certificate  to  his 
brother,  Nathaniel  B.,  in  1843,  who  sold  out  to 
Reuben  Mink  in  1846,  May  14,  who  in  turn 
sold  out  to  Josiah  Lombard,  in  1867,  who 
changed  the  name  to  that  which  it  now  has. 

John  Rumble  came  to  the  place  in  1843,  and 
Hiram  Whittemore  and  Levi  Ballou  in  1846. 
J.  B.  Hull  came  to  the  place  and  built  a  house 
and  store  in  1848.  He  was  also  first  Postmas- 
ter, and  when  the  railroad  came  through  the 
next  year  he  was  the  station  agent.  Chauncey 
Harmon  was  section  boss  on  the  road. 

For  many  years  previous  to  the  completion 
of  the  railroad,  Babcock's  Grove  enjoyed  a  wide 
reputation  as  a  kind  of  center  for  a  future  vil- 
lage when  the  country  should  become  sufficient- 
ly settled  to  require  one.  In  1851,  there  were 
five  frame  houses  and  one  store  at  the  place, 
besides  the  building  owned  by  the  railroad 
company,  which  was  a  depot  and  hotel  and 
kept  by  Mr.  Parsons. 

It  was  platted  by  J.  S.  Lombard  and  others 
April  28,  1868.  Situated  on  parts  of  Sections 
5,  6,  7,  8,  and  18,  Township  39.  Range  11.  Its 
elevation  above  Lake  Michigan  is  127  feet. 

Daniel  Shehan  came  to  the  place  in  1848, 
and  succeeded  Mr.  Hull  as  station  agent,  re- 
taining the  post  till  it  was  occupied  by  the 
present  agent. 

CHURCH   HISTORY   OF   LOMBARD. 

The  first  church  organization  which  made 
the  village  of  Babcock's  Grove  (now  Lombard) 
its  center,  was  inaugurated  on  November  28, 
1851.  Rev.  E.  E.  Wells,  agent  of  the  "West- 
ern Home  and  Foreign  Missionary  Association," 
was  present  to  give  form  to  the  enterprise.  The 
following  nine  persons  were  the  original  mem- 
bers :  Rev.  Charles  Boswell  and  wife,  Mr.  Will- 
iam Emerson  and  wife,  Mr.  Phineas  Ames  and 
wife  (Mrs.  Ames  was  a  daughter  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Emerson),  Mrs.  Pamela  Filer,  Mrs.  Marga- 


ret Dodge  (wife  of  Mr.  Pardon  Dodge)  and  Mr. 
Ebenezer  Landers. 

The  Congregational  Church  of  Babcock's 
Grove,  thus  organized,  stood  firm  and  square, 
not  only  upon  the  ancient  foundations,  but  also 
upon  the  live  issues  of  the  day.  It  opened  its 
fellowship  to  "all  who  love  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  in  sincerity,  who  have  witnessed  a  good 
profession  before  men  and  practically  honor 
their  Master  ;"  but  in  welcoming  to  the  Lord's 
Supper  all  such  believers,  it  said  also  :  "  Per- 
sons engaged  in  the  manufacture,  sale  or  use  of 
intoxicating  liquors  as  a  beverage,  slaveholders 
and  apologists  for  slavery  are  not  included  iu 
this  invitation." 

For  several  years,  the  Sabbath  worship  and 
the  Sabbath  school,  which  was  a  year  older  than 
the  church,  were  held  in  the  village  schoolhouse, 
a  building  about  half-a-mile  east  of  the  present 
Lombard  Station,  and  now  used  as  the  dwelling 
of  Mr.  D.  Klussmeyer. 

In  1852,  the  little  company  was  increased  by 
the  addition  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  Neff  and 
Mrs.  Mary  Miller  (first  wife  of  Mr.  Thomas 
Miller).  Rev.  James  McChesney  and  wife,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Charles  Mather  and  Mrs.  Sarah  E. 
Somers  (a  daughter  of  Mr.  William  Emerson) 
were  added  to  it  in  February,  1855.  In  the 
same  month,  the  church  at  Danby  (now  Pros- 
pect Park),  which  had  been  organized  in  Jan- 
uary, 1850,  was  dissolved,  and  of  its  members, 
Mr.  Stephen  Van  Tassel  and  wife,  Mr.  Alfred 
Standish  and  wife,  Mrs.  R.  Rudock,  Mrs.  Mar- 
tha Dean,  Mrs.  Fidelia  Ober  (wife  of  Mr.  David 
Ober),  Mrs.  Mercy  Churchill,  Mrs.  Cornelia 
Brooks  and  Mrs.  H.  Ackerman  immediately 
joined  the  church  of  Babcock's  Grove. 

In  the  autumn  of  1856,  the  meetings  began 
to  be  held  in  the  Baptist  Church  at  Du  Page 
Center  (now  Stacy's  Corners),  in  the  township 
of  Milton,  that  point  being  more  central  for 
the  congregation  as  changed  by  the  recent  ad- 
ditions. The  church,  however,  still  kept  as  a 
preaching  station  its  old  place  at  "  The  Grove." 


YORK  TOWNSHIP. 


253 


The  body  had  become  strong  enough  in  1860 
to  consider  the  matter  of  "  building  meeting- 
houses at  Danb}'  and  Babcock's  Grove."  A  re- 
sult of  this  movement  was  the  organization,  in 
February  of  that  year,  of  the  "  Congregational 
Society  of  Danby,"  for  the  purpose  of  erecting 
a  building  and  caring  for  the  financial  affairs  of 
the  church.  No  corresponding  work  was  ef- 
fected at  Babcock's  Grove. 

April  27, 1861,  the  church  unanimously  "re- 
solved that  this  church  shall  hereafter  be 
known  as  the  '  First  Congregational  Church  of 
Danby,'  and  its  regular  place  of  worship  shall 
be  in  that  village." 

Of  the  church  whose  history  is  here  dropped, 
Rev.  Charles  Boswell  was  the  first  pastor  and 
clerk.  He  died,  in  the  pastorate,  in  1852  or 
1853.  Kev.  Harry  Jones  seems  to  have  been 
a  preacher  here,  as  well  as  at  Danby,  in  1853. 
But  Rev.  James  McChesney  was  pastor  of  the 
church  during  the  greater  part  of  its  existence, 
remaining  with  it  after  its  location  at  Danby. 
He  acted  also  as  Clerk,  and  the  public  is  in- 
debted to  him  for  the  preservation  of  his  faith- 
ful records  of  the  early  times.  The  first  Deacon 
of  the  church  was  Mr.  William  Emerson,  who 
held  that  office  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
about  1856. 

From  1861  to  1866,  no  church  organization 
existed  in  the  village.  The  death  or  removal 
of  early  supporters  and  the  confusions  incident 
to  the  war  conspired  to  prevent  such  work  ;  but 
preaching  was  sustained  pretty  regularly  and 
the  Sunday  school  was  frequently  in  a  vigorous 
condition.  Among  its  early  Superintendents 
were  successively  Rev.  Mr.  Boswell,  Mr.  W.  Em- 
erson, Mr.  Phineas  Ames,  Mr.  Adam  Hatfield, 
Mr.  Seth  Churchill,  Mr.  —  -  Davis  and  various 
men  who  had  acted  as  temporary  preachers. 

In  1859,  the  schoolhouse  now  in  use  was 
built,  and  the  congregation  removed  thither. 

In  the  autumn  of  1864 — since  which  time 
the  writer  has  been  familiar  with  the  town  his- 
tory— and  the  succeeding  winter,  Rev.  Mr.  Wa- 


teman  was  Superintendent.  J.  T.  Reade  served 
from  March,  1865,  to  the  close  of  1866.  This 
brings  the  school  inside  the  time  when  a  more 
permanent  church  force  began  to  be  operant. 

During  the  years  1865-69,  the  population  of 
the  village  was  increased  by  the  coming  of 
many  familes  specially  interested  in  Christian 
institutions  and  public-spirited  in  giving  freely 
for  their  support. 

In  the  summer  of  1866,  Mr.  (now  Rev.) 
James  Tompkins,  then  a  student  of  Chicago 
Theological  Seminary,  had  been  preaching  to 
the  congregation  for  several  months,  the  meet- 
ings being  held  in  the  schoolhouse.  On  the 
26th  of  July  of  that  year  was  formed 

The  First  Church  of  Christ,  Babcock's  Grove, 
and  on  August  2,  a  council  of  the  neighboring 
churches  and  clergymen  met  and  gave  it  a 
brotherly  recognition.  Six  denominations 
were  represented  in  the  original  membership  of 
fourteen.  It  was,  as  it  is  claimed  to  be,  a 
Union  Church  of  Evangelical  Christians,  and 
at  first  kept  free  from  all  ecclesiastical  connec- 
tions. The  persons  thus  allying  themselves 
were  : 

Joseph  B.  Hull  and  Fanny  E.,  his  wife;  Isaac 
Claflinand  Mary  W.,  his  wife;  Josiah  T.  Reade 
and  Christia  (now  deceased),  his  wife;  Allen 
B.  Wrisley  and  Lucy,  his  wife;  Mrs.  Clarissa 
Frisbie  (now  deceased);  Mrs.  Margaret  A.  Mil- 
ler (now  deceased),  second  wife  of  Mr.  Thomas 
Miller;  Mrs.  Emily  Fish  ;  Miss  Lydia  M.  Hull 
(now  deceased);  Miss  M.  Albina  Harris  (now 
Mrs.  Frank  Hull);  and  R.  Franklin  Claflin. 

The  meetings  continued  to  be  held  mostly  in 
the  schoolhouse.  But,  in  about  two  years  from 
its  organization,  the  church  having  increased 
well  in  numbers  and  means,  a  beautiful  chapel 
was  erected  on  the  lot  at  the  northeast  corner 
of  Main  and  Maple  streets,  the  spot  now  oc- 
cupied by  the  residence  of  Mrs.  John  Bracken. 
It  was  dedicated  on  December  3,  1868.  This 
building  was  destroyed  by  an  incendiary 
fire  on  the  night  of  August  27,  1869. 


254 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Up  to  this  time  the  church  property  had  been 
owned  by  the  church  itself,  an  incorporated 
body.  Immediately  after  the  loss  of  its  edi- 
fice an  "  ecclesiastical  society  "  was  formed  to 
manage  financial  affairs.  This  body  thought 
best  to  change  the  church  location,  and  there- 
fore built  its  new  house  on  North  Main  street. 
This  was  used  for  worship  till  1873. 

The  pastors  of  this  church  were:  Rev.  James 
Tompkins,  from  its  origin  to  May,  1869;  Rev. 
Osmar  W.  Fay,  from  June,  1869.  to  November 
2,  1869;  Rev.  Henry  T.  Rose,  from  May,  1870, 
to  October,  1871;  and  after  this  Rev.  Josiah  A. 
Mack,  for  a  time  not  recorded  exactly.  The 
first  Deacon  of  this  church  waa  J.  T.  Reade, 
and  Isaac  Claflin  was  its  first  Clerk. 

The  village,  having  been  incorporated  in 
186aas  the  "Town  of  Lombard,"  the  church 
underwent  a  corresponding  change  of  name. 

The  First  Congregational  Church  of  Lom- 
bard was  formed  October  22,  1869,  with  thir- 
teen original  members.  With  the  exception  of 
three,  they  came  directly  from  the  '•  First 
Church  of  Christ,"  and  were  as  follows: 

Nathaniel  S.  Gushing  and  Elizabeth  B.,  his 
wife;  Newton  Chapin  and  Caroline  B.,  his 
wife  ;  A.  B.  Chatfield  and  Emma  L.,  his  wife; 
J.  Benson  Valletta  and  Ruth  M.,  his  wife;  Mrs. 
Margaret  A.  Miller  (now  deceased);  Mrs.  J.  E. 
Ambrose;  Miss  Eva  C.  Cashing;  Noah  Shep- 
ardson;  and  Charles  M.  Lewis  (now  deceased). 

An  ecclesiastical  society  to  work  in  connec- 
tion with  the  church  was  also  formed,  and  a 
church  building  was  immediately  commenced 
at  the  southwest  corner  of  Main  and  Maple 
streets.  It  was  dedicated  May  29,  1870,  and 
is  still  used  as  a  place  of  worship. 

On  January  20,  1870,  a  council  of  Congre- 
gational Churches  and  clergymen  met  and  rec- 
ognized this  church  as  a  member  of  Congrega- 
tional sisterhood. 

Rev.  0.  W.  Fay,  having  closed  his  connec- 
tion with  the  older  church,  became  pastor  of 
this  immediately  upon  its  organization,  and 


continued  with  it  till  1872.  The  first  Deacons 
were  N.  S.  Gushing  and  Newton  Chapin,  and 
the  first  Clerk  was  J.  B.  Vallette. 

The  First  Church,  Lombard. — In  1873,  the 
impolicy  of  sustaining  two  churches  of  the 
same  general  faith  having  been  thoroughly  dem- 
onstrated, the  two  were  discontinued,  by  agree- 
ment, and  on  May  2  of  that  year,  the  present 
organization,  bearing  the  above  name,  was 
formed.  It  is  "  Evangelical"  in  its  creed,  and 
Congregational  in  its  polity,  and  belongs  to 
Chicago  Association.  It  occupies  the  "  south 
side  "  church,  having  sold  the  other  building. 

The  church  had  no  regular  pastor  until  April, 
1874.  Rev.  Charles  Caverno  then  commenced 
his  work,  in  which  he  still  continues.  Nathan- 
iel S.  Gushing  and  Allen  B.  Wrisley  were  the 
first  Deacons.  The  first  Clerk  and  Treasurer 
was  William  L.  Rogers  (now  deceased). 

There  are  now  eighty  resident  members. 
The  financial  affairs  are  cared  for  by  an  allied 
society  of  the  usual  form.  Among  the  enter- 
prises that  look  hither  for  their  inspiration  is 
the  church  library,  partly  of  religious,  but 
mostly  of  general  literature,  numbering  about 
eight  hundred  volumes,  and  now  open  to  the 
general  public. — J.  T.  READE. 

BUSINESS   MEN. 

I.  Claflin,  real  estate. 

B.  T.  Teets  &  Sons,  hardware. 
August  Koerber,  miller. 

C.  Fabri,  harness-maker. 
R.  Grunwald,  shoe-maker. 
P.  Arnoldi,  shoe-maker. 

A.  B.  Wrisley,  soap  manufacturer. 

W.  Stuenkel,  butter  and  cheese  factory.  He 
receives  6,000  pounds  of  milk  daily  and  makes 
300  pounds  of  cheese;  also  200  pounds  of  but- 
ter daily. 

A.  E.  and  D.  C.  Hills,  general  store. 

A.  E.  Hills,  general  auctioneer. 

Gray  &  Malcomb,  hardware  and  farm  imple- 
ments. 


WIXFIELD  TOWNSHIP. 


255 


L.  Marquart  &  Bros.,  general  store,  feed  and 
grain. 

John  Q.  Reber,  grocer. 
E.  M.  Ackerman,  butcher. 
John  Fischer,  blacksmith  and  wagon-maker. 
C.  W.  Oleson,  physician  and  surgeon. 
Joseph  Gregory,  carpenter  and  builder. 
Richard  Wells,  ice  cream  and  confectionery. 
Dave  Frank,  mason  and  contractor. 
Henry  Assman,  mason  and  contractor. 
Levi  Castleman,  painter. 


N.  S.  Gushing,  retired. 

Martin  Hogan,  section  boss,  Chicago  &  North 
Western  Railroad. 

John  Patterson,  station  agent,  Chicago  & 
North- Western  Railroad. 

Melvin  Ballou,  conductor,  Chicago  &  North- 
Western  Railroad. 

0.  F.  Long,  engineer,  Chicago  &  North- West- 
ern Railroad. 

M.  C.  Carroll,  fine  groceries,  flour,  etc. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


WINFIELD  TOWNSHIP—  WARRENVILLE  —  WATER  CRESSES  — THEIR  CONSEQUENCES —NEWCOMERS 
AND   DISTANT  NEIGHBORS  —  PARTIES  AND   RAISINGS  —  RAILSPL1TTING  —  FOURTH   OF  JULY 
—  THE  SCHOOLGIRL'S  HANDKERCHIEF— THE  OLD   SAW-MILL— THE  HOTEL  AND  DANCING 
HALL  — WHAT  WAS  IN  A  TRUNK  OF  OLD   PAPERS  —  CHURCHES— THE   WARRENVILLE 
ACADEMY— GARY'S  MILLS— METHODIST  CHURCH  AT  THE  PLACE— A  SHYLOCK  MEM- 
BER EXCOMMUNICATED— WINFIELD  — TURNER  JUNCTION— JOHN  B.  TURNER, 


AS  we  drink  at  the  fountains  of  nature, 
how  little  do  we  know  of  her  subterra- 
nean secrets.  In  arid  deserts,  and  sometimes 
even  in  fruitful  countries  of  considerable  ex- 
tent, no  living  springs  are  found,  but  they 
occur  along  the  banks  of  the  Du  Page  River 
at  many  places,  and  in  profusion  at  Warren- 
ville.  Here  they  burst  out  of  the  ground  un- 
tarnished with  the  tincture  of  lead  or  iron 
pipes — the  bane  of  water  in  all  large  cities — 
and  in  their  pebbly-bottomed  rivulets  a  tangle 
of  water-cresses  overspreads  their  trickling 
courses  to  the  river.  It  is  said  that  where 
speckled  trout  are  found  in  the  streams  of  a 
country,  no  fever  and  ague  exists  there.  This 
does  not  go  to  show  that  trout  are  an  antidote  to 
the  ague.  Nor  is  it  claimed  that  water-cresses 
make  pure  water,  but  it  is  claimed  that  pure 
cold  water  makes  water-cresses,  the  same  as  a 
healthful,  well-drained  counUy  abounding  in 
mountain  torrents  makes  speckled  trout.  Both 
the  trout  and  water-cresses  are  refined  produc- 


tions in  animal  and  vegetable  life  from  the 
laboratory  of  nature,  the  handiwork  of  her 
geological  composition  whose  formula  is  a 
sealed  book  to  us. 

The  delightful  springs  attracted  the  attention 
of  the  first  settlers  at  what  is  now  Warrenville 
and  its  vicinity,  and  the  following  are  their 
names  in  the  order  in  which  they  came  :  Eras- 
tus  Gary,  now  living  at  Wheaton  ;  Jude  P. 
Gary,  who  died  in  1881  on  his  farm,  and  The- 
ron  Parsons,  all  came  in  1832  and  made  claims. 
Alvah  Fowler  and  Col.  J.  M.  Warren,  both  of 
whom  now  live  in  Warrenville,  came  and  made 
claims  in  the  spring  of  1833.  Ira  Herrick  and 
Jacob  Galusha,  neither  now  living,  came  the 
same  year,  and  made  claims  near  Warrenville. 
Israel  Lord  and  Alfred  Churchill  both  came  to 
the  vicinity  and  made  claims  in  1834. 

These  were  the  true  pioneers  of  what  is  now 
Winfield  Township.  To  add  to  tkese  names 
those  who  arrived  soon  afterward  would  multi- 
ply words  without  knowing  where  to  stop,  as 


256 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


so  many  settlers  soon  followed  them.  Daniel 
Warren,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  had  settled 
at  Naperville  in  1833.  His  family  consisted  of 
a  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Nancy  Morton, 
and  the  following  children  :  Philinda  H.,  who 
married  Alvah  Fowler,  of  Warrenville  ;  Louisa 
G.,  who  married  Frederick  Bird,  and  then  Silas 
E.  Warren  as  her  second  husband  ;  Julius  M. 
Warren,  after  whom  Warrenville  was  named, 
and  who  now  lives  at  the  place  ;  Sally  L.,  who 
married  A.  E.  Carpenter,  brother  of  Philo  Car- 
penter, of  Chicago ;  Harriet  N.,  who  married 
C.  B.  Dodson,  of  Geneva ;  Maria  and  Mary 
(twins),  the  former  of  whom  married  S.  B. 
Cobb,  of  Chicago,  and  the  latter  Jerome  Beech- 
er,  of  the  same  place  ;  and  Jane,  who  married 
N.  B.  Curtis,  of  Peoria. 

In  the  spring  of  1834,  Alvah  Fowler,  together 
with  a  large  number  of  adventurers,  made  a 
tourof  discovery  to  the  north  up  the  Desplaines 
River.  After  leaving  the  present  site  of  May- 
wood,  no  white  settlers  were  found,  but  the  am- 
ple groves  on  its  banks  were  alive  with  Indians, 
whose  wigwams  seemed  to  be  omnipresent.  At 
Half  Day's  village,  in  the  present  county  of 
Lake,  were  forty  or  fifty  families  housed  in  their 
rude  huts,  killing  the  hours  after  the  time- 
honored  custom  of  their  race,  whose  wants  are 
limited  according  to  their  disinclination  to  work. 
There  was  a  large  burj-ing-ground  at  the  place, 
and  a  white  flag  flying  over  it  as  a  sacred  charm 
to  honor  the  dead. 

To  the  north,  there  were  no  neighbors  but 
the  Meachams,  the  Dunklees,  the  Churchills  and 
the  Babcocks.  At  Brush  Hill  and  at  Downer's 
Grove,  were  settlements,  and  at  Naperville, 
which  was  at  their  doors,  comparative!}'  speak- 
ing, and  was  the  parent  colony  of  all.  To  the 
west  was  the  Fox  River  Valley,  where  clusters 
of  houses  had  already  been  put  up  at  Elgin,  St. 
Charles,  Geneva  and  Aurora,  and  near  the  pres- 
ent site  of  Batavia  Mr.  Dodson  had  a  saw-mill 
on  a  western  tributary  of  the  river.  All  these 
settlements  seemed  like  neighbors  together. 


They  visited  each  other  at  parties,  and  assisted 
each  other  at  raisings.  The  latter  was  one  of 
the  olden-time  institutions,  now  almost  obsolete, 
but  then  in  the  heyday  of  its  glory,  and,  while 
it  served  a  practical  purpose,  it  also  toned  up 
the  social  feeling  and  became  the  means  by 
which  distant  neighbors  could  form  a  knowl- 
edge of  each  other's  character  and  a  measure  of 
their  merits  on  general  principles. 

After  Col.  Warren  had  made  his  claim  in 
1833,  he  returned  to  his  native  place,  and  the 
next  year  (1834)  on  coming  back  he  found  two 
new-comers.  Grant  Goodrich  had  come  to  the 
place  and  made  a  claim  of  200  acres  on  the 
west  side  of  the  river,  intending  to  make  a 
farm.  He  hired  sixteen  acres  of  ground  "broke," 
and  in  the  programme  took  off  his  broadcloth 
coat,  rolled  up  his  sleeves  and,  with  the  assist- 
ance of  Sidney  Able,  went  to  work  at  splitting 
rails  to  fence  it.  Here  were  two  men,  the  one 
destined  to  become  Judge  of  the  Superior  Court 
at  Chicago  and  the  other  its  Postmaster,  maul- 
ing an  iron  wedge  into  an  oak  log  by  alternate 
strokes,  not  for  amusement,  but  to  make  rails  to 
fence  in  a  corn-field.  But  these  hours  of  labor 
were  not  without  relief.  Fourth  of  July  came, 
and  something  must  be  done  to  leaven  the  vir- 
gin soil  with  patriotism,  and  Naperville  was  the 
"stamping  ground  "  for  all  such  gatherings. 

The  morning  came.  There  were  no  bells  to 
ring  They  did  not  need  any  such  stimuleut 
to  set  their  patriotic  blood  to  tingling  in  their 
veins.  When  the  crowd  had  assembled,  young 
Goodrich  was  honored  with  an  invitation  to 
read  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and  he 
soon  became  the  most  conspicuous  man  in  the 
crowd.  The  next  thing  was  to  get  a  copj*. 
Here  was  the  fatal  balk,  for  none  could  be 
found  in  all  Naperville,  and  faces  all  round  be- 
gan to  look  rueful,  till  a  sweet  little  girl  stepped 
forward  and  offered  her  pocket  handkerchief, 
on  which  this  immortal  document  was  printed, 
justly  proud  of  the  service  she  had  rendered 
to  the  convention.  Young  Henry  B.  Blodgett, 


WINFIELD  TOWNSHIP. 


257 


the  son  of  the  stalwart  blacksmith,  now  Judge 
of  the  court  of  the  United  States,  at  District  in 
Chicago,  then  thirteen  years  old,  sat  near  the 
honored  elocutionist  of  the  day,  and  paid 
strict  attention  to  the  words.  Let  us  return  to 
business.  Col.  Warren  wanted  to  buy  out  the 
claim  of  Mr.  Goodrich.  He  contemplated  build- 
ing a  saw-mill,  and  needed  the  land  on  both 
sides  of  the  river  whereupon  to  build  his  dam. 
Mr.  Goodrich's  hands  were  blistered  splitting 
rails,  and  he  was  in  a  suitable  frame  of  mind 
to  sell.  Col.  Warren  paid  him  50  cents  per 
hundred  for  the  rails  he  had  split,  and  a  rea- 
sonable price  for  the  breaking,  and  he  quit- 
claimed to  him. 

Col.  Warren  erected  his  house  the  same  sea- 
son, hauling  the  lumber  for  it  from  Dodson's  mill. 
This  was  the  first  frame  house  ever  built  at  the 
place.  His  eldest  sister  kept  house  for  him. 
The  next  year  he  built  a  saw-mill,  and  the  place 
became  a  lively  resort  for  mechanics,  teamsters 
and  farmers,  as  soon  as  the  mill  began  to  turn 
out  lumber,  a  material  so  much  needed  in  the 
country.  A  house  was  soon  erected,  where  the 
strong  men  who  rolled  the  logs  to  the  saw  car- 
riage with  "cant-hooks  "  boarded,  and  in  the 
upper  story  of  it  a  room  was  finished  off  for  a 
school,  and  here  the  lady  who  subsequently  be- 
came Principal  of  the  academy  at  the  place, 
Mrs.  Holmes,  taught  its  first  school. 

The  next  year,  1836,  a  schoolhouse  was  built 
by  subscription.  It  is  now  remodeled  into  a 
private  dwelling  and  occupied  by  Joseph  Hud- 
son. A  post  office  was  established  at  the  place 
in  May,  1838,  Col.  Warren,  Postmaster,  who 
kept  the  office  at  his  house.  He  is  Postmaster 
at  the  present  time. 

The  same  year,  1838,  he  built  a  fine  hotel  and 
spacious  hall  in  it  for  dancing.  It  was  pat- 
ronized by  the  elite  of  Chicago  as  well  as 
Naperville  and  the  Fox  River  towns,  and  here 
it  was  that  John  Wentworth  made  his  debut 
into  social  circles,  and  the  lady  who  first  initiat- 
ed him  into  the  graceful  motions  of  the  cotil- 


lion, still  calls  to  mind  the  pleasing  remin- 
iscence. No  more  refined  and  truly  (esthetic 
circles  than  these  dancing  and  private  parties 
have  ever  graced  the  elegant  drawing  rooms  of 
even  Chicago  since  that  eventful  period. 

Their  influence  has  elevated  the  aims  in  life 
of  many  a  man  and  woman  now  in  the  best 
ranks  of  society,  aud  perhaps  some  of  them 
in  their  twilight  hour  of  life,  in  thinking  of 
old  scars  in  their  hearts  not  yet  quite  healed 
over,  can  fix  their  dates  in  Col.  Warren's  old 
dancing  hall. 

Amidst  a  trunk  full  of  old  Warrenville  pa- 
pers from  which  scraps  of  history  have  been 
gathered  by  the  writer,  the  following  verses  at- 
tracted his  attention,  and  are  here  inserted  to 
show  the  sentiment  of  the  times.  Their  author 
is  unknown.  Perhaps  he  gave  them  to  some 
inamorata  who  lost  them  and  they  fortunately 
found  a  place  among  these  old  musty  records, 
to  be  rescued  from  oblivion  in  the  pages  of 
this  book  : 

"  0  fly  to  the  prairie,  sweet  maiden,  with  me, 
'Tis  as  green,  and  aa  wild,  and  as  wide  as  the  sea, 
O'er  its  emerald  bosom  the  summer  winds  glide, 
And  waves  the  wild  grass  like  the  vanishing  tide. 

"  Let  us  hie  to  the  chase,  lovely  maiden,  away, 
And  follow  the  fawns  as  they  gambol  and  play, 
On  the  back  of  the  courser  so  lithe  and  so  fre«, 
While  circling  and  bounding  o'er  heather  and  lea. 

"  The  woodman  delights  in  his  trees  and  his  shade, 
But  the  sun  leaves  no  tinge  of  the  cheeks  of  his  maid 
His  flowers  are  blighted,  its  colors  are  pale 
And  weak  is  the  breath  when  their  perfumes  exhale . 

"  Soft  zephyrs  ere  play  in  the  prairie  breeze, 
And  furrow  the  grasses  like  waves  of  the  seas, 
And  waft  o'er  the  landscape  its  sweets  from  the  West. 
Aromas  delicious,  with  fragrance  possessed. 

"  0  fly  to  the  prairies,  sweet  maiden,  with  me, 
Each  flower  here  dimples  and  blushes  for  thee, 

.  And  nightly  the  moon  in  her  star-studded  sky 
Twinkles  love  in  her  ray  while  the  katydids  cry. 

"  There  is  nothing  to  cloy  in  the  wilds  of  the  West, 
Each  day  hath  its  pleasures  where  love  is  confessed, 
My  cottage  now  empty  is  waiting  for  thee, 
Will  you  come  to  my  bower  and  share  it  with  me  ?" 


258 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


The  same  cooling  springs  now  lave  the  banks 
of  the  river  that  then  did,  and  the  same  water- 
cresses  bathe  their  roots  in  their  pools.  They 
might  have  had  something  to  do  with  the  fine 
sentiments  that  then  lived  and  grew  there.  If 
so,  their  mission  may  not  yet  be  ended.  This 
we  will  leave  to  the  future,  while  the  progress 
of  events  is  continued. 

The  village  of  Warrenville  was  platted  by" 
Julius  M.  Warren  May  7,  1844.  He  was  then 
a  Representative  of  his  district,  and  again  in 
1850. 

Since  the  era  of  railroads,  it  has  lost  its 
equilibrium  with  other  towns  in  the  scale  of 
progress  ;  but  the  end  is  not  yet. 

That  a  brighter  prospect  will  yet  open  before 
it  seems  certain,  as  the  magnitude  of  Chicago 
will  create  a  demand  for  its  beautiful  grounds  for 
residences,  and  a  way  to  reach  them  by  railroad. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  business  men  of 
the  place : 

Cheese  factory — Consumes  8,000  pounds  of 
milk ;  makes  200  pounds  of  butter,  and  500 
pounds  of  cheese  daily.  R.  R.  Barnard  is  pro- 
prietor. 

The  Warrenville  Grist  and  Merchant  Mill 
was  built  by  Smith  &  Fowler  in  1847. 

It  came  into  possession  of  Lamb  &  Co.  in 
1857;  was  burnt  August  11, 1879  ;  was  rebuilt, 
and  commenced  running  in  March,  1880.  It 
is  a  full  roller  mill,  using  the  celebrated  Gratiot 
Conical  Vertical  Gradual  Reduction  Machine. 
Uses  500  bushels  of  wheat,  and  manufactures 
100  barrels  of  flour  per  day.  Brands — Peace- 
Maker  and  Reliable. 

Blacksmiths— J.  M.  Hollister,  J.  W.  Watson, 
George  F.  Ressequie. 

Merchants — C.  A.  Bowen,  J.  D.  Hawbecker. 

Boot  and  shoe-maker — D.  Stafford. 

Notary  Public — J.  Hudson. 

Justice  of  the  Peace — A.  T.  Jones. 

House  painter — Henry  Wyman. 

Carpenter — L.  V.  Ressequie. 

Clergyman — Rev.  — .  Adams. 


WARRENVILLE    ACADEMY. 

This  institution,  while  in  its  prime,  was  to 
the  country  around  what  Oxford  is  to  the  En- 
glish Church  to-day.  The  old  building  now 
stands  a  silent  monument  of  its  once  beneficent 
mission.  To  the  teachings  within  its  walls 
many  retrospections  of  youthful  ambitious 
revert  back  with  pleasing  emotions  from  men 
and  women  now  mature  with  life's  experiences. 
Who  can  tell  its  history  best  ?  thought  I,  whjle 
looking  at  the  untrodden  grass  that  has  en- 
croached upon  the  threshold  of  its  door. 

For  the  necessary  information  I  wrote  to  its 
early  Principal,  and  the  following  is  her  reply, 
together  with  her  historical  sketch,  which  is 
better  than  any  other  one  could  write,  for  who 
else  could  measure  the  value  and  rehearse  the 
story  and  make  it  live  again,  at  least  in  mem- 
or_y,  as  she  has  done  it  in  her  own  unaffected 
style : 

"  ROCKFORD,  July  7,  1882. 

"MR.  BLANCHARD  :  I  send  you  a  brief,  and. 
I  feel,  quite  imperfect,  manuscript.  It  may, 
however,  serve  as  the  basis  of  a  better  article. 
I  found  it  difficult  to  get  statistics  ;  dates  may 
not  be  correct.  I  wrote  to  some  who  were  as- 
sociated with  me  during  the  years  I  was  en- 
gaged there,  but  the  answers  were  not  satisfac- 
tory, so  I  have  given  you  the  best  I  have  at 
hand. 

'•  You  will  see  that  I  have  not  written  this  to 
be  recognized  as  its  author,  only  to  give  the 
facts  in  my  possession  as  the  groundwork  of 
what  you  may  say  on  the  subject. 

"  Yours  very  respectfully, 

"  S.  W.  HOLMES. 

"  In  the  settlement  of  every  new  country,  one 
of  the  first  objects  of  the  settlers  seems  to  be 
to  organize  some  effective  system  of  education. 
In  Du  Page  County,  Warrenville  aimed  to  take 
the  lead  in  that  direction.  As  early  as  1843- 
44,  two  schools  were  opened  in  Warrenville, 
one  under  the  auspices  of  the  Baptist  denomi- 
nation with  the  design  of  founding  a  collegiate 


WINFIELD  TOWNSHIP. 


259 


institution,  the  other  under  the  supervision  of 
Misses  H.  W.  Bryant  and  S.  Warren.  Both 
these  schools  flourished  for  a  time,  and  did 
good  work,  but  both,  for  some  reason,  were 
given  up.  After  that  time,  several  teachers 
had  commenced  operations  there,  but  had 
abandoned  the  project  and  gone  into  more 
promising  fields  of  labor.  In  1850,  the  good 
people  of  Warrenville  and  vicinity,  aided  by 
strong,  earnest  friends  from  Chicago,  who  were 
desirous  of  sending  their  children  to  some 
healthy  country  place  to  be  educated,  succeeded 
in  raising  an  amount  necessary  for  tire  erection 
of  a  suitable  building  for  the  accommodation 
of  a  school.  The  institution  was  duly  in- 
corporated by  an  act  of  Legislature,  a  Board 
of  Directors  was  chosen,  the  financial  and  edu- 
cational charge  was  intrusted  to  Mrs.  S.  W. 
Holmes.  The  school  was  opened  in  September 
1851.  Competent  teachers  were  secured.  Mrs. 
Holmes  converted  her  own  home  into  a  board- 
ing-house for  pupils  from  abroad.  The  patron- 
age was  fair.  The  number  of  pupils  taught  in 
the  school  for  the  next  four  or  five  years  was 
between  one  and  two  hundred  each  year.  In 
1855-56,  B.  F.  Taylor  was  engaged  to  take 
charge  of  the  male  department  of  the  institu- 
tion, and  a  fine  class  of  young  men  were  sent 
out  from  Chicago  to  fit  for  college  under  his 
instruction.  This  measure  promised  well,  but 
owing  to  Mr.  Taylor's  resignation,  proved  an 
unfortunate  one  for  the  material  interests  of 
the  school.  After  some  delay,  a  gentleman  was 
found  to  supply  Mr.  Taylor's  place,  but  the 
delay  was  fatal.  Mrs.  Holmes,  although  ably 
assisted  by  Mr.  C.  Howes  and  Miss  M.  C. 
Knight,  feeling  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  tide 
the  school  over  the  crisis,  resigned  her  position. 
The  Directors  took  the  finances  in  charge,  and 
the  school  passed  into  other  hands.  The  fort- 
unes of  the  school  for  the  next  three  or  four 
years  were  fluctuating,  when  Mrs.  Holmes  was 
recalled,  and,  assisted  by  Mrs.  M.  V.  Bull, 
again  took  charge  of  the  institution.  Mrs. 


Bull  remained  about  two  years,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Miss  M.  C.  Knight.  Under  their 
supervision,  the  school  was  .brought  up  to  its 
former  standard,  but  the  demand  for  increased 
facilities  were  greater  than  the  ladies  in  charge 
could  supply,  and  the  school  was  again  aban- 
doned. During  these  many  years,  hundreds  of 
pupils  went  out  from  this  school  to  take  their 
places  in  the  active  arena  of  life,  with  a  broader 
outlook,  with  higher  aims  and  nobler  ambitions. 
The  course  of  instruction  they  had  received 
aimed  to  develop  thought-power,  to  quicken 
mental  activity,  to  rouse  latent  energy,  and 
give  the  self-reliance  necessary  for  the  cumula- 
tive responsibilities  that  lay  before  them.  So 
far  as  it  accomplished  this  purpose,  its  brief 
existence  became  a  moral  force,  whose  power 
must  be  enduring.  At  the  opening  of  the  civil 
war,  many  students  went  out  from  that  school 
and  took  their  places  in  the  ranks  of  the  Union 
army.  Ashley  Carpenter,  Joseph  Monk  and  his 
brother  Corelle,  Ferdinand  and  Daniel  Fowler, 
William  Kay,  Alvord  Drullard  were,  within  a  few 
months,  brought  back  and  consigned  to  their 
final  rest  in  the  village  cemetery.  Dr.  J.  M. 
Woodworth,  Gren.  F.  A.  Starring  and  his  brother, 
Capt.  William  Starring,  followed  the  fortunes  of 
the  war  to  its  close.  Dr.  Woodworth  has  since 
died  at  the  post  of  duty  in  Washington.  The 
mission  and  influence  of  this  school  may  still 
be  traced  by  the  life-record  of  those  who  were 
its  members,  as  every  seed  dropped  in  the  fer- 
tile soil  of  the  young  heart  germinates  and 
bears  fruit,  '  it  may  be  a  hundred  fold,'  ac- 
cording to  the  strength  of  the  germ  and  the 
favoring  influence  of  its  environments,  so  that 
the  social  and  educational  force  which  gave  to 
Warrensville  an  impetus  for  a  few  years,  may  be 
repeated  from  new  centers  which  trace  their  life- 
threads  back  to  a  starting-point  in  that  village 
school." 

CHURCHES. 

Baptist    Church. — As   early   as    1834,   steps 
were  taken  to  organize  a  Baptist  Church,  so 


260 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


says  the  record,  but  in  1836  measures  were 
taken  to  organize  a  society,  and  a  church  was 
established  numbering  sixteen  members,  Rev. 
L.  B.  King,  pastor.  He  was  succeeded  by  A. 
B.  Hubbard,  Joel  Wheeler,  A.  J.  Joslyn,  P. 
Taylor,  Joel  Wheeler,  S.  F.  Holt,  Freeman  and 
H.  Wescott.  The  society  first  worshiped  in  a 
private  house,  and  next  in  a  schoolhouse,  till 
this  church  was  built,  in  1857,  which  is  a  com- 
modious edifice,  on  a  beautiful  site,  and  im- 
parts to  the  town  an  air  of  propriety.  Mrs. 
Alvah  Fowler  is  now  the  only  remaining  one 
living  of  the  original  sixteen  who  formed  this 
church. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — This  denomi- 
nation has  a  fine  church,  eligibly  located,  at 
which  regular  preaching  is  sustained,  and  also 
a  flourishing  Sabbath  school.  Rev.  J.  R.  Wei- 
burn  is  its  present  Pastor. 

GARY'S  MILLS. 

Just  above  the  southern  line  of  Section  15 
in  the  present  township  of  Winfield,  the  West 
Fork  of  the  Du  Page  River  presents  unusual 
attractions.  Its  banks  are  firm  on  both  sides, 
and  graduate  upward,  without  marshy  inter- 
vals. The  current  of  the  river  is  active,  and 
afforded  a  mill  site  of  fair  promise.  There 
was  then  much  valuable  timber  in  the  adjacent 
groves,  and  the  three  Gary  brothers,  Erastus, 
Jude  and  Charles,  jointly  erected  a  saw-mill  at 
the  place  in  1837,  which  then  gave  a  reasona- 
ble assurance  of  becoming  the  most  important 
town  in  the  county  except  Naperville.  A  post 
office  was  soon  organized  at  the  place,  Charles 
Gary,  Postmaster.  A  store  was  next  estab- 
lished, kept  by  William  Gary,  the  present 
banker  in  Wheaton.  A  schoolhouse  was  built 
which  proved  more  permanent  than  anything 
else  built  there,  as  it  is  still  standing  and  in 
use.  The  inevitable  church  organization  came 
in  with  the  rest,  and  this  spot  became  the 
nucleus  around  which  the  Methodism  of  the 
immediate  country  first  planted  its  principles 


into  the  soil,  "  to  use  a  figure."  It  was  under 
the  charge  of  Rev.  Washington  Wilcox,  who 
rode  the  Du  Page  Circuit  (as  this  region  was 
then  called),  and  preached  to  the  new  congre- 
gation in  the  schoolhouse  at  Gary's  Mills  every 
fourth  week.  Erastus,  Jude  and  Charles  Gary, 
Warren  L.  and  Jesse  C.  Wheaton,  Hezekiah 
Holt  and  family,  William  Ainsworth,  Peter  B. 
Curtis  and  family,  Nat.  Brown,  Mrs.  Woodard 
and  a  few  others  were  members.  A  black- 
smith shop  next  came  in,  where  Mr.  Foster, 
like  others  at  the  place,  "  struck  while  the  iron 
was  hot,",and  Gary's  Mills  became  a  center  at 
which  covetous  eyes  looked  with  regret  that 
they  had  not  made  early  claims  there.  The 
old  settlers  of  Turner  Junction  and  Wheaton 
for  several  years  received  their  letters  there. 
It  also  became  the  place  where  camp-meetings 
were  held,  and  the  groves  near  by,  which  were 
then  vocal  with  singing,  are  now  solitudes. 

When  this  place  was  in  the  heyday  of  its 
glory,  the  church  there  may  claim  the  honor  of 
having  first  established  a  principle  worthy  of 
imitation.  The  case  was  this  :  One  of  its  mem- 
bers, Nat.  Brown,  held  a  deed  for  forty  acres 
of  land  near  the  place,  ten  acres  of  which  he 
was  justly  bound,  by  the  rules  of  Claim  Socie- 
ties, to  deed  back  to  Mrs.  Woodard,  whose 
claim,  before  the  surveys  were  made,  covered 
the  said  ten  acres.  This  he  refused  to  do,  and 
in  this  resolution  he  had  the  law  on  his  side, 
but  not  the  higher  law  of  justice.  The  matter 
came  before  the  church,  and  he  still  refused  to 
relinquish  the  land.  Here  was  a  dilemma — a 
i  brother  refusing  to  do  an  act  of  simple  justice 
because  the  law  did  not  compel  him  to  do  it. 
'Tis  true, he  might  sometime  repent  of  this  sin, 
but  repentance  without  restoration  was  but  a 
skin-deep  disguise,  and  if  such  repentance 
could  not  be  verified  by  restitution  when  the 
land  was  worth  but  $3  per  acre,  as  at  pres- 
,  ent,  would  it  be  likely  to  come  with  this 
i  vouchsafe  when  the  land  had  increased  in 
value  to  five  or  ten  times  that  amount,  as 


DEI-TRICK  GRAUE. 


L!BR»HY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


WINFIELD  TOWNSHIP. 


263 


such  men  as  the  Wheatons,  Garys,  Curtises 
and  Holts  must  have  thought  a  probability  ? 
Any  expectation  of  a  remote  restitution  was 
not  to  be  thought  of,  and  Mr  Brown  was  ex- 
communicated by  a  clear  vote  of  the  church. 

The  name  of  Gary's  Mills  is  still  familiar, 
though  the  mills,  having  executed  their  mis- 
sion, which  was  to  saw  into  lumber  all  the  use- 
ful timber  near  by,  have  been  suffered  to  decay. 
The  dam  has  gone  with  the  floods,  and  the  mill 
has  been  entirely  demolished  by  the  ravages  of 
time,  though  the  most  of  the  private  dwellings 
at  the  place  still  stand  there,  tenanted  by  till- 
ers of  the  soil. 

The  West  Fork  of  the  Du  Page  passes  through 
the  eastern  portion  of  Winfield  Township.  Its 
banks  graduate  upward  in  the  form  of  rolling 
lands  on  both  sides,  beyond  which  are  exten- 
sive lands  sufficiently  rolling  for  drainage,  all 
of  which  are  fertile  and  well  suited  to  dairy 
business  or  the  growth  of  cereals. 

There  are  eight  schools  in  the  township,  in- 
cluding the  graded  school  at  Turner's  Junction, 
and  782  persons  between  the  ages  of  five  and 
twenty -one  years. 

TURNER   JUNCTION. 

A  brief  biographical  sketch  of  the  gentle- 
man for  whom  this  village  was  named  cannot 
fail  to  be  of  interest  to  every  reader,  the  more 
so  on  account  of  the  high  standard  of  integrity 
he  ever  maintained  through  a  long  and  useful 
life: 

John  B.  Turner  was  born  in  Colchester,  Del- 
aware Co.,  N.  Y.,  January  14,  1799.  His  father 
died  when  he  was  two  years  of  age  ;  his  mother 
when  he  was  fourteen.  He  was  adopted  by 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Powers  at  eleven  years  of  age. 
Mr.  Powers  purchased  a  farm  in  Martin,  Sar- 
atoga Co.,  N.  Y.,  upon  which  he  labored  for 
nine  years.  In  1819,  he  married  Miss  Martha 
Volentine,  formed  a  copartnership  with  Joshua 
Parmelee,  who  had  married  the  twin  sister  of 
his  bride.  The}'  successfully  prosecuted  the 


agricultural  labors  upon  the  Volentine  farm  for 
five  years.  In  1835,  Mr.  Turner  embarked  in 
railroad  enterprise  ;  he  first  contracted  to  build 
seven  miles  of  the  Ransom  &  Saratoga  Railroad. 
In  the  same  year,  he  constructed  a  part  of  the 
New  York  &  Erie  Railroad.  In  this  work  he 
continued  until  the  crisis  of  1837,  then  he  en- 
gaged in  the  work  of  building  the  Genesee 
Valley  Canal.  In  1841,  he  contracted  to  grade 
seven  miles  of  the  Troy  &  Schenectady  Rail- 
road. In  1843,  he  came  to  Chicago,  and  in 
1847,  was  appointed  Acting  Director  of  the 
Galena  <£  Chicago  Union  Railroad  Company, 
which  had  been  chartered  in  1836.  In  1848,  he 
accompanied  B.  W.  Raymond  to  New  York, 
and  by  his  previous  experience  in  railroad 
building,  and  having  examined  the  surveyed 
route  of  the  Galena  &  Chicago  Railroad,  aided 
very  much  in  the  sale  of  the  bonds  and  stock  of 
the  Galena  &  Chicago  Railroad  ;  work  com- 
menced March,  1848,  and  track  laid  to  Free- 
port,  121  miles.  In  1853,  the  Dixon  Air  Line 
was  commenced,  and  the  same  year  he  organ- 
ized the  Beloit  &  Madison  Railroad  Company. 
He  resigned  the  Presidency  of  Galena,  Chicago 
&  Northwestern  Railroad  Company.  In  1858, 
as  a  citizen  of  Chicago,  he  was  not  forgetful  of 
her  local  prospects  and  interests ;  was  a  Direc- 
tor in  Boards  of  Water  Commissioners  ;  organ- 
ized the  North  Side  Horse  Railroad  Company. 
His  wife,  mother  of  his  six  children,  died  in 
1853.  Two  years  after,  he  married  Miss  Ade- 
line Williams.  Among  the  many  whose  names 
Chicago  is  proud  to  honor  and  perpetuate,  none 
are  more  deserving  than  that  of  John  B.  Turner, 
with  a  record  of  more  than  seventy  years,  and 
a  character  unstained  by  the  many  corruptions 
of  the  present  age.  His  declining  years  were 
spent  amid  the  sunshine  of  life,  sincerely 
mourned  by  his  many  friends,  among  whom 
he  was  universally  respected  and  beloved.  He 
died  on  the  26th  day  of  February,  1871. 

Many  years  before  it  was  supposed  that  a 
thriving  village  was  to  spring   up  here,  the 


264 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


land  on  which  it  now  stands  had  been  taken  up 
in  claims  by  settlers  expecting  to  make  farms 
of  it. 

The  claim  covering  the  present  village  was 
brought  by  Capt.  Alonzo  Harvey.  Among  the 
early  residents  at  or  near  the  place  were  James 
Conley,  from  Mount  Morris,  N.  Y.,  who  is  still 
a  citizen  of  the  town.  Sherman  Winslow  was 
his  nearest  neighbor  to  the  east.  Next  in  the 
same  direction  was  George  W.  Easton.  Job  A. 
Smith,  Thomas  Brown  and  William  Ribley 
were  not  far  away  in  the  same  direction. 

South  of  him  were  Warren  Towne  and  Will- 
iam Bailey,  and  north,  John  Barre. 

When  the  railroad  came  through  the  place 
in  1849,  Michael  McDonald  came  from  Chicago 
and  opened  a  general  store,  but  subsequently 
sold  out  to  his  brother  Joseph,  who  in  turn 
sold  the  same  to  Joel  Wiant  in  the  spring  of 
1857.  The  place  at  this  date,  says  Mr.  Wiant, 
consisted  only  of  a  post  office,  kept  by  C.  D. 
Smith;  a  blacksmith  shop,  by  Mr.  Foster;  a 
doctor's  office  and  about  two  hundred  inhabit- 
ants all  told. 

James  M.  Dale  was  station  agent.  Mr.  Con- 
ley,  in  1848,  bought  eighty  acres  of  land  where 
the  graded  school  now  stands,  for  $3  per  acre, 
which  is  now  worth  $10  a  front  foot  in  lots. 

Mr.  A.  Archer  owned  ninety-six  acres  near 
the  center  of  the  town.  He  did  not  like  rail- 
roads, and  refused  either  to  give  or  even  to  sell 
the  right  of  way  through  it,  but  would  sell  the 
whole  tract  for  $530.00.  The  railroad  company 
bought  it ;  a  few  years  later  it  became  worth 
from  $200  to  $300  per  lot. 

The  Galena  &  Chicago  Union  Railroad  Com- 
pany platted  the  town,  and  recorded  it  Sep- 
tember 29,  1855. 

It  is  situated  on  the  northwest  quarter  of 
Section  10,  Township  39,  Range  9,  and  its  ele- 
vation above  Lake  Michigan  is  182  feet.  By 
the  last  census  the  village  contained  1,125  in- 
habitants, having  attained  these  numbers  not 
by  a  spasmodic  but  a  steady  growth. 


The  machine  shops  and  other  buildings  of 
the  Chicago  &  North- Western  Railroad  Com- 
pany consist  of  a  freight-house,  built  in  1856; 
two  water  tanks,  one  built  in  1862,  the  other  in 
1865;  round-house,  built  in  1864;  rail  mill  and 
depot,  both  built  in  1869;  junction  round- 
house and  repairs  shops,  repairs  engine  tools 
and  machinery;  at  rail  mill,  rails  are  cut, 
straightened,  drilled  and  reslotted;  twenty- 
horse  power  engine  at  round-house,  and  em- 
ploys thirty-two  men;  at  rail  mill,  uses  forty- 
horse  power  engine,  and  employs  eleven  men. 
Foreman  of  shop  and  rail  mill,  David  Hanney. 

SCHOOLS    OF    TURNER     JUNCTION. 

Its  pioneer  school  was  taught  in  a  log  house 
situated  on  property  now  owned  by  B.  Carey. 
Miss  Sarah  Carter  was  its  first  teacher,  but  in 
1856  school  was  kept  in  a  small  building 
standing  on  the  spot  now  occupied  by  the  Con- 
gregational Church,  when  Miss  Arvilla  Currier 
taught.  She  is  now  the  wife  of  Charles  M. 
Clark,  a  well-known  citizen  of  the  place.  The 
next  year  a  two -story  schoolhouse  was  built  on 
North  street,  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  town, 
in  which  the  school  was  continued  for  sixteen 
years.  When  the  present  building  for  the 
graded  school  was  finished,  which  was  in  1873, 
John  Tye,  William  Ripley  and  Charles  M.  Clark 
were  Directors,  and  also  constituted  the  build- 
ing committee.  The  entire  cost  of  the  build- 
ing was  $23,502.50.  It  contains  four  rooms— 
being  one  for  each  department  ;  a  recitation 
room,  a  library  room  and  lecture  room  in  the 
basement. 

The  course  of  study  includes  only  English 
branches,  but  classical  and  foreign  languages 
are  taught  outside  of  the  regular  course. 

Miss  H.  F.  Yakeley  has  been  Principal  for 
seven  years.  Miss  Lizzie  Davis,  Miss  Addie 
Everden,  Miss  Louisa  Anthony  and  Miss 
Annie  Lockwood  are  the  names  of  the  teachers. 

Under  the  charge  of  the  Principal,  the  school 
has  won  distinction  in  the  county  for  its  good 


WINFIELD  TOWNSHIP. 


265 


discipline.  And  here  it  is  due  to  its  credit  to 
state  that  Mr.  Clark,  who  has  been  Director 
ever  since  1872,  gives  Miss  Yakeley  credit  for 
managing  the  school  with  so  much  discretion 
as  to  leave  him  little  care  to  distract  his  atten- 
tion from  his  daily  routine  of  other  responsi- 
bilities. It  is  also  due  to  the  credit  of  Miss 
Emma  Davies,  who  formerlj'  had  charge  of  the 
Primary  Department,  to  say  that  her  system  of 
training  and  gymnastic  drilling  of  the  little 
ones  under  her  charge  won  the  admiration  of 
all  who  beheld  it.  The  School  Board  of 
Rockford,  who  came  to  the  place  to  witness  it, 
pronounced  hers  the  best  drilled  class  in  the 
State. 

A  library  of  300  volumes  has  been  provided 
for  the  school,  from  the  proceeds  of  its  exhibi- 
tions. The  average  attendance  is  about  250, 
from  an  enrollment  of  300. 

CHURCHES. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — "  Just  when  the 
church  at  Turner  was  built  the  records  do  not 
show,  but  believed  to  have  been  during  1857 
and  1858.  The  parsonage  was  built  some  ten 
years  later. 

"  In  all  this  work  Charles  Gary  was  a  leading 
spirit.  His  house  was  a  preaching  place  in 
1835.  He  was  many  years  a  class  leader ; 
March  23,  1850,  licensed  to  preach  ;  four  years 
later,  assistant  preacher;  and  in  1861  ordained 
Deacon.  To  his  long  and  faithful  services,  as 
much  as  to  any  other,  is  due  the  establishment 
of  Turner  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

"  Most  of  the  fathers  have  passed  to  their  re- 
ward. As  far  as  we  can  learn,  onlv  Erastus 
Gary  and  Edward  D.  Wheedon  remain  of  those 
who  composed  the  quarterly  conference  of  the 
original  Du  Page  Circuit. 

"  Turner  now  stands  in  the  front  rank  of  vil- 
lage churches  on  Chicago  District.  During  the 
last  year,  123  different  names  were  on  her  reg- 
ister, twenty-one  were  baptized  and  $198.58 
contributed  for  benevolent  purposes." 


Rev.  William  H.  Holmes  is  the  present  pas- 
tor of  the  church.  He  has  recently  written  a 
"History  of  Early  Methodism  in  Du  Page 
County  and  Adjacent  Territoiy,"  from  which 
the  above  sketch  has  been  copied  verbatim. 

German  M.  E.  Church. — The  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  of  the  Germans  was  organized  in 
the  spring  of  1864  by  about  a  dozen  men.    Rev. 
John  G.  Keller  came  from  Aurora  to  preach 
;  every  Sunday,  services  being  held  in  the  Ger- 
man language  at  the  Methodist  Church  already 
organized    by   the  American    portion   of  the 
community,     where     English    services     were 
i  held. 

The  name  of  the  present  pastor  is  Jacob 
Shafer,  who  resides  also  in  Aurora,  and  preaches 
once  in  two  weeks  in  the  German  language  to 
this  church,  in  the  house  owned  by  their  Amer- 
ican brethren. 

German  Evangelical  Church. — The  German 
Evangelical  Protestant  Church  was  established 
in  the  summer  of  1870,  and  the  church  edifice 
finished  the  same  year.  Mr.  John  M.  Paessler 
was  appointed  on  the  building  committee,  in 
connection  with  Rev.  Julius  Schumm. 

Mr.  Schumm  was  pastor  nearly  two  years 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Gustave  Koch. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Jacob  Furrer,  who 
remained  nearly  two  years,  when  the  pulpit  was 
supplied  for  about  a  year  by  theological  stu- 
dents from  the  Melancthon  College  in  Elm  hurst. 
Rev.  Fredrick  Boeber  was  the  next  ordained 
pastor,  who  remained  about  a  year.  Rev.  Hen- 
rich  Wolf  came  next,  and  remained  about  three 
years,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  William  Hat- 
tendorf,  the  present  pastor. 

The  church  is  out  of  debt  and  in  a  flourish- 
ing situation. 

A  parsonage  was  built  in  1881  and  a  German 
school  in  attachment  to  it.  The  school  is  taught 
by  the  minister. 

Congregational  Church. — On  May  17,  1856, 
this  church  was  organized  with  the  following 
members :  Dr.  J.  McConnell,  John  L.  Haga- 


266 


HISTORY  OF  ])U  PAGE  COUNTY. 


done,  Margaret  Hagadone,  Mary  Town.  Rev. 
Lot  Church  as  pastor,  assisted  by  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Watkins  from  Vermont,  adopting  the  Constitu- 
tion, Discipline  and  Articles  of  Faith  of  the 
Fox  River  Union,  Dr.  J.  McConnell  and  J.  L. 
Hagadone  its  first  Deacons.  The  next  minister 
called  was  Rev.  Mr.  Champlin,  who  preached 
off  and  on  until  the  church  was  re-organized 
March  30,  1867,  finding  at  that  time  only 
seven  members  remaining,  and  all  of  them 
females.  A  meeting  was  called  by  the  Rev.  J. 
E.  Roy,  who  was  then  acting  as  Home  Mission- 
ary, for  the  purpose  of  organizing  and  building 
a  church  on  the  lot  given  by  J.  B.  Turner, 
where  the  present  church  remains  at  present, 
with  the  following  members  :  W.  J.  Wilson, 
Mrs.  H.  M.  Nelson,  Mr.  Esbon  Morrill  and  wife, 
Mrs.  Charlotte  Delton,  Dr.  H.  C.  French,  Msr. 
Julia  A.  French,  making  in  all  fourteen  mem- 
bers. Steps  were  then  taken  to  build  a  house 
of  worship,  Rev.  J.  E.  Roy  supplying  the  pul- 
pit, preaching  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  until  the  church  was  built,  which  was 
dedicated  March  8,  1868,  out  of  debt.  Rev.  J. 
D.  Davis  was  called  from  the  Chicago  Semi- 
nary, who  preached  six  months  during  vaca- 
tion (was  then  a  student),  after  which  Rev.  I. 

B.  Smith  was  called,  and  preached  about  two 
years.     The  Rev.  A.  R.  Thain  was  called,  and 
preached  three  years.     Rev.  Mr.  Fox  was  the 
next  pastor,  who  preached  one  year.     After 
that,  the  Rev.  H.  M.  Skeels  was  called,  and 
preached    five  years.     The  present   pastor  is 
Rev.  E.  L.  Hill.     The  church  has  a  member- 
ship of  eighty  members,  with  the  present  offi- 
cers, T.  Brown,  C.  K.  Sanders  and  E.  Boynton, 
Trustees ;  Watson  and  Manvill,  Deacons ;  W. 
J.  Wilson.  Clerk,  with  a  large  Sunday  school  of 
over  one  hundred  members,  with  a  good  libra- 
ry, and  the  following  officers :     W.  J.  Wilson, 
Superintendent ;    R.   T.   Robinson,    Assistant ; 
T.  Evendon,  Librarian  ;  J.  Grove,  Clerk ;   Mrs. 

C.  K.   Sanders,    Treasurer. — W.    J.   WILSON, 
Church   Clerk. 


CATHOLIC   CHURCH. 

Services  are  held  once  in  two  weeks  by  Rev. 
Dominick  Spellman,  who  resides  at  Aurora. 

LODGES. 

Amity  Lodge  No.  472,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  was 
chartered  October  3,  A.  D.  1866,  A.  L.  5866. 

Charter  Members  :  John  H.  Lakey,  Joseph 
McConnell,  Richard  W.  Bushnell,  Joel  Wiant, 
H.  H.  Ketcham,  John  McWilliams,  John  Tye, 
F.  F.  Loveland,  J.  Newbarger,  William  Ripley. 
Jr.,  M.  Fessler,  A.  H.  Wiant,  G.  McAuley  and 
Thomas  Wiant.  The  following  brethren  were 
installed  as  the  officers  at  that  time.  John  H. 
Lakey,  W.  M.;  Joseph  McConnell,  S.  W.;  Rich- 
ard W.  Bushnell,  J.  W. 

After  changing  places  of  meeting  several 
times,  this  lodge  finally  secured  a  nicely-fitted 
and  well-adorned  hall  in  Casper  Voll's  brick 
block,  which  was  subsequently  destroyed  by 
fire,  the  lodge  losing  everything,  but  were 
happily  insured  for  money  enough  to  enable 
them  to  furnish  another  hall  on  a  more  limited 
scale,  but  comfortable  and  convenient,  with  all 
the  requisite  appurtenances.  The  present  offi- 
cers are  G.  M.  D.  Gregory,  W.  M.;  James  T. 
Hosford,  S.  W.;  Robert  T.  Robertson,  J.  W.; 
Lyman  C.  Clark,  Chaplain ;  Henry  Bradley, 
Treasurer  ;  William  P.  Reed,  Secretary  ;  John 
McWilliams,  S.  D.;  Joseph  A.  Norris,  J.  D.; 
George  Gary,  S.  S.;  James  Funston,  J.  S.;  Ed- 
ward Morgan,  Tiler. 

LIST   OF   BUSINESS    MEN   AND    HOUSES. 

Thomas  Hosford,  Mayor. 
John  C.  Neltner,  general  store. 
Wiant  &  Stevens,  general  store. 
J.  E.  West,  general  store. 
Reed  &  Stark,  general  store. 
Charles  Norris,  furniture. 
0.  C.  Woodworth,  groceries. 
Prof.  Grossman,  groceries. 
T.  V.  Otis,  hardware  and  tin. 
C.  W.  Gary,  hardware  and  tin. 


WINFIELD  TOWNSHIP. 


267 


Mrs.  George  Briggs,  restaurant. 

Clinton  Neltner,  restaurant  and  bakery. 

Thomas  Barfield,  restaurant. 

Mrs.  P.  Coart,  milliner  and  dressmaking. 

Miss  S.  Dempsey,  milliner  and  dressmaking. 

L.  Renspergher,  shoemaker. 

Charles  J.  Schlupp,  shoemaker. 

Joseph  Schalz,  shoemaker. 

Frederick  Thoro,  saloon. 

Crist  Wahl,  saloon. 

Mrs.  Hahn,  saloon. 

Frank  Whitton,  butcher. 

Charles  Gorham,  stock-buyer. 

Abram  Pierson,  stock-buyer. 

Weger  &  Bradly,  grain  and  stock-buyers. 

Benjamin  Howarth,  livery  and  sale  stable. 

John  Sargent,  livery  and  sale  stable. 

John  E.  Standize,  farm  machinery,  etc. 

Charles  Clark,  lumber,  coal,  lime,  salt,  etc. 

Frederick  Weger,  jeweler. 

Henry  Boyer,  barber. 

Joseph  Brown,  barber. 

William  Ripley,  hotel. 

David  Springer,  hotel. 

Benjamin  Whitmarsh,  boarding  house. 

E.  T.  Wilcox,  physician  and  surgeon. 

A.  C.  Cotton,  physician  and  surgeon. 

G.  L.  Madison,  physician  and  surgeon. 

E.  L.  Hill,  Congregational  pastor. 
W.  H.  Holmes,  Methodist  pastor. 
William    Hottendorf,    German    Evangelical 

Church  pastor. 

Father  Dominick  Spellman,  Catholic  priest. 
Conrad  Jaeger,  blacksmith. 
Charles  Jourdon,  blacksmith. 

F.  A.  Elsemis,  wagon-maker. 
Herain  Vergil,  carpenter  and  joiner. 
Albert  Hills,  carpenter  and  joiner. 
John  Norris  &  Son,  carpenter  and  joiner. 
Robert  Norris,  carpenter  and  joiner. 
Augustus  Norris,  carpenter  and  joiner. 
Henry  Keller,  carpenter  and  joiner. 
Anthony  Deitch,  carpenter  and  joiner. 
Anthony  Gertz,  carpenter  and  joiner. 


James  Fisk,  carpenter  and  joiner. 

M.  Kipp,  carpenter  and  joiner. 

Nelson  H.  Lyon,  painter  and  glazier. 

William  Foster,  painter  and  glazier. 

Crist  Wahl,  Jr.,  painter  and  glazier. 

John  Groves,  painter  and  glazier. 

Charles  Goodin,  painter  and  glazier. 

John  C.  Neltnor,  nurseryman,  etc. 

D.  Wilson,  glove  and  mitten  manufacturer. 

Andrew  Murphy,  stone  and  brick  mason. 

John  S.  Barber,  stone  and  brick  mason. 

Frank  Donehoe,  stone  and  brick  mason. 

John  Almindinger,  stone  and  brick  mason. 

Dr.  W.  J.  Wilson,  general  insurance  agent. 

L.  C.  Clark,  life  insurance  agent. 

Albert  Wiant,  Government  gauger. 

L.  H.  Manville,  mail  agent. 

John  E.  West,  music  teacher,  etc. 

James  Lenwyck,  railroad  blacksmith. 

Thomas  McGraw,  railroad  blacksmith. 

S.  P.  Tillotson,  railroad  carpenter. 

M.  A.  Reiser,  boiler-maker. 

Robert  Robertson,  machinist. 

John  Maiden,  machinist. 

John  Neibergher,  machinist. 

Capt.  D.  Hull,  machinist. 

Cheese  factory,  5,000  pounds  of  milk  re- 
ceived daily;  400  pounds  of  cheese  and  150 
pounds  of  butter  made  daily.  John  Newman, 
proprietor. 

TURNER    RESIDENTS     DOING    BUSINESS    IN    CHI- 
CAGO. 

Albert  Wiant,  Government  gauger. 

L.  H.  Manville,  mail  agent. 

L.  C.  Clark,  life  insurance  agent. 

Clarence  Bradly.  clerk. 

Henry  Boyer,  Jr.,  clerk. 

D.  Ahern,  salesman. 

John  Me  Williams,  salesman. 

Dr.  A.  Colton,  physician,  etc. 

John  E.  West,  music  teacher. 

N.  Allen. 

C.  K.  Saunders. 


HISTORY   OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


PUBLICATIONS. 

The  Fruit  and  Flower  Grower  and  Vegetable 
Gardener,  published  quarterly,  three  numbers 
in  one,  by  John  C.  Neltner,  Turner  Junction, 
111. 

Turner  Junction  News,  published  weekly,  by 
J.  Russell  Smith. 

WINPIELD. 

This  town  grew  up  as  a  station  on  the  old 
Galena  &  Chicago  Union  Railroad,  which 
passed  through  the  place  in  1849,  and  John 
Hodges  was  the  first  station  agent.  A  store 
was  soon  after  opened  at  the  place,  by  Andrew 
Vandusen,  who  also  kept  a  tavern.  January 
25,  1853,  a  plat  of  the  village,  made  by  James 
P.  Doe,  was  recorded  as  the  village  of  Frede- 
ricksburg,  situate  upon  Sections  12  and  13, 
Town  39,  Range  9.  The  present  depot  was 
built  in  1854,  at  which  time  there  was  an  ex- 
tensive brewery  at  the  place,  and  a  lumber 
yard — the  latter  kept  by  John  Collins.  pMuch 
freight  at  that  time  came  to  and  from  the  place, 
to  and  from  Naperville,  it  being  their  nearest 
railroad  point.  Gilbert  S.  Higgins  is  the  pres- 
ent Postmaster ;  Adalbert  Jewell,  station  agent, 
and  the  following  are  the  names  of  the  present 
business  firms,  etc. : 

General  stores,  George  Fehrman  &  Son  ;  M. 
Hills. 


Tavern,  John  Casper. 

Insurance  agent  and  Notary  Public,  Jacob 
Miller. 

Tailor,  Nicholas  Berker. 

Blacksmith,  Henry  Hamschmidt. 

Carpenter,  William  Hastert. 

Wagon-maker,  Valentine  Weinrich. 

Boot  and  shoe-maker,  Anton  Schmitt. 

Winfield  Creamery,  consumes  6,000  pounds 
of  milk,  manufactures  120  pounds  of  butter  and 
425  pounds  of  cheese  daily  on  an  average. 

Parish  priest,  Rev.  John  Wiedenhold. 

Church  of  ISt  John  the  Baptist. — This  church 
was  built  in  1867  by  the  people  of  Winfield.  It 
was  first  attended  to  by  one  of  the  Benedictine 
Fathers,  from  St.  Joseph's  Church,  Chicago, 
until  1869,  March  1.  After  this  date,  Rev. 
Father  John  Wiederhold  was  appointed  as  pas- 
tor of  this  church,  who  keeps  the  pulpit  there 
up  to  this  time.  The  parish  numbered,  at  its 
beginning,  about  thirty  families,  but  at  present 
the  number  is  about  eighty-five.  In  course  of 
time,  the  church,  being  only  45x30  feet  long  and 
twenty-seven  feet  high,  became  too  small  for  the 
still  growing  congregation,  and  in  1879  they 
found  it  necessary  to  enlarge  the  church  to  the 
extension  of  100  feet.  In  February,  1880,  it 
was  completed,  and  duly  blessed  on  the  2d  of 
that  month  by  Very  Rev.  J.  McMullen. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 


WAYNE  TOWNSHIP  — PIONEER  LIFE  OF  ITS  SETTLERS  — CORNER   ON   WHISKY  AND  ITS  RESULT- 
INDIAN  BUKIAL  — INDIAN  IMPORTUNITY  —  WOLVES   ON   THE   RAMPAGE— GOING  TO 
MILL— FATHER  KIMBALL  — PIONEER  SCHOOL— GIMLETVILLE— ITS  HOPES 
DASHED  TO  THE  GROUND  — HILLOCKS,  SPAS   AND   RIVULETS 
—WAYNE  STATION  —  RELICS  OF  THE  STONE  AGE. 


THREE  years  before  the  battle  of  Tippe- 
canoe  was  fought  by  Gen.  Harrison,  Rob- 
ert Y.  Benjamin  was  born.  His  father,  Daniel 
Benjamin  was  a  brave  old  pioneer  who  had  set- 
tled on  the  north  side  of  the  Little  Scioto  Riv- 
er, in  Ohio,  opposite  where  Columbus  now  is, 


and  here  was  the  place,  then  amidst  Indian 
alarms  and  the  rough-and-tumble  conditions  of 
border  life,  where  he  raised  his  family,  one  of 
whom,  Robert  Y.,  is  now  a  citizen  of  Wayne—- 
the first  who  came  to  the  place  and  settled — in 
mind  and  body  still  sound,  and  seventy -four. 


WAYNE  TOWNSHIP. 


269 


Daniel  Benjamin,  the  father,  with  his  four  sons 
— Andrew,  John  Joseph  and  Robert  Y. — and 
about  ten  other  families,  all  came  to  the  place 
together  with  their  own  teams,  from  Ohio,  ar- 
riving at  what  is  now  Wayne  on  the  12th  of 
May,  1834.  All  these  families,  except  the 
Benjamins  and  Joseph  Vale,  whose  family  was 
one  of  the  party,  settled  on  the  Fox  River. 
But  Robert  Y.  was  attracted  to  the  place  where 
he  still  lives  by  the  famous  spring  that  gushes 
out  of  the  ground  from  beneath  the  shadow  of 
the  beautiful  grove  at  the  place,  and  there  he 
set  down  his  stakes  ;  moreover,  he  says  his  wife 
was  tired  of  traveling  and  liked  the  location. 
This  is  a  point  in  favor  of  female  counsel, 
and  poorer  ones  have  been  made  in  favor  of 
female  suffrage,  for  Mr.  Benjamin  and  his  wife 
made  a  success  of  their  attempt. 

The  rest  of  the  family  settled  not  far  distant, 
on  claims  from  nature's  amplitude  of  prairie 
and  grove  as  free  as  it  was  inviting.  Besides 
the  Benjamin's  Mr.  Vale  also  settled,  a  little  to 
the  west  of  them.  Among  the  necessities  which 
he  brought  to  the  new  country  in  his  wagon 
was  a  barrel  of  whisky  (a  questionable  one)  of 
which  Mr.  Benjamin  says  lie  never  gave  away  a 
drop.  He  was  the  only  one  of  the  company 
who  laid  in  a  stock  of  this  emollient,  and  may 
be  regarded  as  the  first  monopolist  that  ever  j 
practiced  that  modern  art  in  Wayne.  Here  he 
he  had  a  corner  on  whisky,  and  shortly  after  the 
settlement  of  the  place,  a  band  of  300  Pottawat- 
omies  came  to  the  grove  and  encamped.  He 
was  now  bull  in  the  whisky  market,  having  it 
all  his  own  way.  At  whatever  price  he  sold  it, 
Mr.  Banjamin  says,  a  riot  among  the  Indians 
was  soon  manifest,  and  one  of  their  number 
was  killed. 

Next  came  the  interment  of  the  fallen  sav- 
age. He  was  dressed  up  in  his  best  blanket 
and  leggings,  and  placed  in  a,  sitting  position  on  j 
the  ground,  his  body  erect,  his  head  upright 
and  ornate  with  feathers.  Thus  tableaued  his 
friends  cut  some  saplings  from  the  grove  and 


built  a  pen  around  him,  cob  house  fashion,  and 
left  him  provided  with  a  bow  and  arrow,  and 
an  extra  pair  of  leggings  for  future  use  in  the 
happy  hunting  grounds.  His  frail  tomb  was  on 
Mr.  Benjamin's  land  and  was  frequently  visited 
by  him  out  of  curiosity.  He  did  not  disturb 
the  corpse 

"  In  the  grave  where  an  Indian  had  laid  him," 

but  the  prairie  wolves  had  no  respect  for  In- 
dian rites,  and  soon  pressed  between  the  poles 
that  illy  protected  his  clay,  and  made  many  a 
late  supper  from  it  under  cover  of  night.  Sub- 
sequently the  Vale  boys  set  the  skull  up  for  a 
target  to  shoot  at.  The  wolves  carried  away 
the  rest  of  the  bones  to  their  lair  for  Christmas 
toys  for  their  young  whelps  to  play  with. 

"  Alas,  poor  Yorick  !" 

Mr.  Giles  Billings  and  John  Laughlin  came 
to  the  settlement  the  following  autumn,  and 
soon  after  him  John  Rinehardt,  Mr.  Simpson 
and  Patrick  Scott.  The  next  year,  1835,  an 
officer  appeared  at  Mr.  Benjamin's  house  ;  he 
was  from  an  obscure  town  in  the  east,  named 
Chicago,  the  same  slab  city  through  which  Mr. 
Benjamin  had  passed  the  year  before,  and  had 
then  failed  to  attract  his  favorable  notice,  but 
now  the  place  was  coming  up  in  the  scale.  A 
grand  jury  was  to  be  impaneled  there,  and  Mr. 
Benjamin  was  wanted  to  sit  as  one  of  its  mem- 
bers. The  officer  served  the  summons,  mount- 
ed his  horse  and  vanished  in  the  tall  prairie 
grass,  and  Mr.  Benjamin  set  about  getting 
ready  to  obey  the  call.  The  next  morning  he 
started  on  foot,  keeping  his  course  clue  east  by 
the  compass.  The  soil  was  spongy,  and  noon 
found  him  toiling  through  the  trackless  flats 
that  border  the  east  margin  of  Salt  Creek.  He 
was  hungry,  but  relief  soon  came.  It  was  roast 
potatoes  and  a  cup  of  tea,  on  which  he  dined  at 
the  hospitable  home  of  Maj.  Giles,  who  lived 
two  miles  west  of  the  Desplaines  River,  with 
his  latch  string  always  hanging  on  the  outside 
of  the  door.  This  was  the  only  house  on  his 
waj-  to  Chicago,  along  what  was  then  known 


270 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


as  the  St.  Charles  trail.  On  Mr.  Benjamin's 
return  he  took  the  precaution  to  fill  his  pockets 
with  ginger  snaps  or  some  other  kinds  of  bak- 
ery delectables,  which  Chicago  had  then  begun 
to  make  for  Indian  traffic  or  hungry  footmen, 
who  had  long  stretches  of  prairie  marsh  to 
cross. 

Of  other  settlers  whose  pioneer  experiences 
represented  the  times,  were  the  families  of  Solo- 
mon Dunham  and  Edmund  Bartlett. 

Both  were  from  the  State  of  New  York,  and 
both  arrived  at  Chicago  in  company  with  each 
other,  on  the  24th  of  March,  1835,  in  their  own 
teams  all  the  waj*.  Here  they  rented  a  small 
house  on  Randolph  street,  not  far  from  the 
store  of  Mr.  Dale,  the  pioneer  store-keeper  of 
Chicago.  The  house  was  a  log  cabin,  with  but 
one  room,  over  which  was  a  loft,  reached  by  a 
ladder  through  an  aperture  in  its  loosely  laid 
floor.  Into  this  cabin,  the  two  families  were 
crowded  as  a  temporary  abode,  while  the  two 
heads  of  them — Mr.  Dunham  and  Mr.  Bartlett 
— started  with  the  team  westward  to  hunt  up  a 
location  on  which  to  settle. 

Mrs.  Dunham  had  two  children,  and  Mrs. 
Bartlett  six,  making,  with  themselves,  ten  in 
the  family  after  their  husbands  had  started  on 
their  mission.  The  two  men  threaded  their 
winding  way  around  the  sloughs  till  they  reached 
the  fertile  prairies  on  the  fringe  of  the  timber 
that  skirts  the  eastern  banks  of  Fox  River,  just 
west  of  the  present  site  of  Wayne  Station,  and 
here  they  each  bought  claims  to  lands.  Mr. 
Bartlett  still  lives  on  the  same  now  ;  but  Mr. 
Dunham  died  in  1865.  Having  set  their  stakes 
here,  the  two  pioneers  returned  to  their  families 
in  Chicago  ;  paid  up  the  rent  of  their  wretched 
tenement  ($1.25  for  the  ten  days  they  had 
occupied  it),  and  all  started  together  for  their 
new  homes.  On  arriving  there,  the  first  thing 
to  be  done  was  to  build  a  house,  and,  of  course, 
a  log  house,  for  they  had  neither  means  nor 
material  to  build  a  frame ;  and  Mrs.  Bartlett 
says  the  one  she  and  her  famil}-  lived  in  was 


!  very  small.  The  bed  was  in  one  corner,  and 
the  fire-place  in  one  end,  with  the  chimney  out- 
side, and  yet  she  sometimes  played  the  hostess 
to  travelers  overnight,  who  managed  to  find  a 
spot  on  the  floor  not  occupied  by  truudle  beds, 
on  which  they  could  stretch  out  full  length, 
with  perhaps  a  horse  saddle  for  a  pillow,  or 
some  other  makeshift. 

The  first  year  they  raised  nothing,  and  Mr. 
Bartlett  was  obliged  to  go  to  Chicago  with  his 
team  for  provisions,  a  trip  which  required  three 
days'  time.  While  thus  left  alone,  except  with 
the  children,  one  night  an  Indian  came  to  her 

i  door,  entered  without  knocking,  according  to 
their  custom,  and  threw  his  baggage  down  in 
one  corner  of  the  room,  "  Me  stay  all  night ! 
Me  good  Indian  !  Me  no  hurt  you  !"  said 
the  red  intruder,  and  all  her  entreaties  could 
not  dissuade  him  from  his  purpose.  Mrs.  Bart- 
lett had  to  accept  the  situation,  and  laid  down 
on  her  bed,  while  her  red  guest  snoozed  himself 
to  sleep,  not  ten  feet  away  from  her. 

He  was  a  good  Indian  who  wanted  a  night's 
rest,  and  why  should  he  sleep  outdoors  when 
there  was  a  house  to  sleep  in,  reasoned  the  hon- 
est child  of  nature  ;  and  let  us  be  charitable 
enough  toward  him  to  believe  that  had  he  un- 
derstood the  improprieties  of  his  demands  as 
civilians  do,  he  would  not  have  insisted  on 
lodging  in  the  house  when  a  woman  was  alone 
in  it.  On  another  occasion,  when  Mrs.  Bartlett 
was  also  alone,  a  young  red  rascal  came  rush- 

;  ing  into  her  cabin,  crying  out,  "  Bad  Indian 
coming  !  Kill ! "  and  immediately  fled  into  the 
adjacent  grove.  Sure  enough  there  were  five 
Indians  rapidly  approaching  her  house,  on  the 
well-frequented  Indian  trail  that  passed  it,  as 
hard  as  they  could  gallop  on  their  ponies.  On 
arriving,  they  could  easily  see  that  she  was  ter- 
rified at  their  presence,  and  the  tirst  thing  they 
did  was  to  allay  her  fears  by  pulling  off  some 
of  their  trinkets  and  giving  them  to  her  chil- 
dren, and  otherwise  exhibiting  tokens  of  kind- 
:  ness.  This  done,  they  inquired  for  the  first 


WAYNE    TOWNSHIP. 


271 


Indian  who  had  visited  her,  and  she  told  them 
the  course  he  had  taken,  and  that  he  had  called 
them  bad  Indians.  At  this  they  laughed  heart- 
ily, and  informed  her  that  they  were  following 
him  to  get  a  pony  he  had  stolen.  They  then 
left  in  hot  pursuit  of  the  fugitive.  Sometimes 
large  numbers  of  Indians  would  encamp  near 
the  house  and  remain  a  day  or  two,  but  never 
did  any  harm,  except  to  sometimes  take  what 
salt  they  wanted  to  eat  wherever  they  could 
find  it ;  but  to  do  them  justice,  Mrs.  Bartlett 
sa,ys  that  if  they  ever  took  any  they  soon 
brought  its  equivalent  in  value  in  fish  caught 
from  the  Fox  Kiver  or  venison  shot  from  the 
groves,  and  many  a  quarter  of  this  delicious 
meat  did  the  Indians  present  her  family.  The 
Indians  were  very  fond  of  Mrs.  Bartlett's  bread, 
and  one  day,  seeing  two  loaves  of  it  on  her 
table,  took  one  of  them,  and  gave  her  a  butcher 
knife  in  return,  saying  at  the  same  time,  "  Me 
got  two  knives,  you  got  two  loaves.  Me  give 
you  one  knife  and  take  one  loaf."  She  found 
the  knife  very  useful,  and  kept  it  many  years. 
Mrs.  Bartlett  said  nothing  against  the  Indians, 
but  felt  glad  when  they  were  removed.  The 
country  was  alive  with  wolves  for  the  first 
few  years,  and  they  continually  came  howling 
around  the  house  like  thieving  dogs  after 
bones,  and  it  was  no  unusual  thing  for  them 
to  come  to  her  door  at  night  and  quarrel 
together  over  bacon  rinds  or  other  food"  thrown 
out. 

The  early  settlers  here  took  their  first  corn  to 
mill  at  Bailey  Hobson's  grist-mill,  near  Naper- 
ville,  usually  carrying  it  in  a  bag  slung  across 
the  back  of  a  horse. 

It  was  a  lonesome  way,  and  the  wolves  often 
followed  the  horse  and  rider  all  the  way  home, 
if  late  in  the  evening  ;  and  sometimes,  if  they 
came  too  close,  the  rider  took  out  one  of  the 
stirrups  of  the  saddle  to  defend  himself  with 
in  case  of  an  attack,  which  weapon  would  be 
quite  effective  for  close  quarters,  the  iron  stir- 
rup with  the.  straps  attached  to  it  working  like 


a  slung-shot.  On  one  occasion,  one  of  the  early 
settlers,  late  in  the  afternoon,  while  returning 
from  some  distant  place  with  his  horses  and 
wagon,  was  followed  by  a  pack  of  these  hungry 
prowlers,  who  actually  tried  to  leap  into  the 
hind  end  of  his  wagon,  and  might  have  done  it 
had  he  not  repelled  their  charge  with  his  whip. 
There  are  yet  a  few  of  these  animals  sneaking 
about  in  the  groves  adjacent,  and  six  of  them 
were  killed  in  1881. 

In  the  spring  succeeding  the  first  winter 
spent  at  this  new  settlement,  there  was  a  great 
want  of  potatoes,  and  one  of  the  settlers  was 
sent  with  a  team  to  the  Wabash  River  in  Indi- 
ana, to  get  seed  to  plant,  which  was  the  nearest 
place  where  they  could  be  bought.  During 
their  first  year  at  the  place,  they  had  been  de- 
prived of  this  healthful  esculent,  and  when 
they  finally  got  a  supply,  no  table  delicacy 
could  be  more  delicious.  Daniel  and  Mark 
Dunham,  both  now  well-known  residents  of  the 
vicinity,  are  sons  of  Solomon  Dunham,  who 
came  with  Mr.  Bartlett,  but,  as  before  stated, 
Mr.  Solomon  Dunham  is  not  living,  and  Mr. 
Bartlett,  though  living,  feels  the  effect  of  eighty- 
one  years,  and  has  forgotten  much  of  his  long 
and  eventful  life,  but  his  wife  is  in  the  full  vigor 
of  her  mental  and  physical  powers,  though  the 
mother  of  ten  children,  and  a  monument  of  the 
health-giving  air  of  Du  Page  County,  and  to 
her  is  the  writer  indebted  for  the  foregoing 
pioneer  reminiscences.  Ira  Albro,  a  present 
resident  of  Wayne,  came  to  where  he  now  lives 
in  the  autumn  succeeding  the  arrival  of  Mr. 
Dunham  and  Mr.  Bartlett,  and  shared  the  laud- 
able ambitions  with  the  toils  of  pioneer  life 
with  the  peers  of  his  age. 

Samuel  Brand,  Mr.  Styles,  Mr.  Whaples 
(father  of  Mrs.  F.  Hull,  of  Wheaton),  Daniel 
Roundy  (uncle  of  Capt.  Roundy,  of  Winfield), 
Samuel  Tahnadge,  the  Whittacres,  the  Ker- 
shaws,  Mr.  Hemingway,  W.  Hammond,  Ezra 
Gilbert,  J.  V.  King,  Charles  and  Wesley  Gray, 
Reuben  Walpole,  Joseph  Davis,  W.  Farnsworth, 


272 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


Joseph  McMillen  (who  established  the  first  post 
office  at  the  place  at  McMilleu's  Grove,  Daniel 
Lyra  an,  John  Smith  (father  of  Mrs.  Colvin,  of 
Wheaton),  Luther  F.  Sanderson,  Horace  Heed, 
Aaron  Wood,  James  McCabe,  Mr.  Hilling 
(who  subsequently  died  of  cholera  at  St. 
Charles),  Orin  Higgins,  Thomas  Morgan,  Lu- 
ther Pierce,  JoeJ  Wiant  and  James  Davis  all 
came  to  the  settlement  between  the  years  1 835 
and  1837. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1837,  William  Kimball, 
a  native  of  Vermont,  came  to  the  place.  He 
was  a  Methodist  class  leader  and  preacher  "  to 
the  manner  born,"  and  here  was  a  field  for  his 
clerical  learning.  He  built  a  log  cabin  for  a 
family  domicile  ;  but,  in  default  of  any  other 
place  for  divine  worship,  it  became  also  a  rally- 
ing place  from  whence  to  dispense  the  Gospel, 
and  thither  settlers  gathered,  even  from  five  or 
six  miles  distant  on  foot,  on  horseback,  and 
with  ox  teams,  to  hear  Father  Kimball  preach. 
He,  with  the  assistance  of  his  neighbors,  built 
a  log  schoolhouse  the  next  year,  which  served 
also  for  a  church,  thereby  giving  the  family  of 
Elder  Kimball,  consisting  of  a  wife  and  eleven 
children,  more  sea-room  at  home  on  Sundaj's. 
John  Kershaw,  brother  of  A.  Kershaw,  of 
Wayne,  was  the  first  male  teacher  iu  this  pio- 
neer temple  of  science,  and  Miss  Julia  Talmadge 
was  the  first  female  teacher.  She  now  lives  in 
Aurora,  the  wife  of  Mr.  Weaver. 

It  was  an  event  of  no  small  magnitude  when 
this  school  was  established,  and  its  reputation 
might  be  envied  by  some  of  our  modern  col- 
leges. It  was  a  subscription  school,  and  was 
patronized  for  a  radius  of  four  or  five  miles, 
some  distant  ones  taking  board  near  by  to  avail 
themselves  of  its  teachings.  This  settlement 
then  belonged  to  the  Du  Page  Circuit,  as  the 
Methodists  had  named  it.  After  the  original 
Fox  River  Circuit  had  been  divided  into  two. 
Elder  Wilcox  was  the  first  circuit  preacher  sent 
here  by  the  Presiding  Elder,  and  Rev.  — .  Gad- 
ding the  second.  But  before  either  of  these 


came,  Father  Kimball  had  led  the  way  as  al- 
read}'  stated. 

The  first  hopes  of  a  village  in  this  region 
found  a  rallying  point  at  Wayne  Centre.  Will- 
iam K.  Guild,  now  a  citizen  of  Wheaton,  settled 
there  in  1839.  The  incipient  town  was  on  the 
old  army  trail,  and  the  land  around  was  at- 
tractive. A  store  was  opened  at  the  place  by 
Abner  Guild  and  James  A.  Nind,  in  1844, 
and,  the  inevitable  blacksmith  shop,  by 
John  Sherman,  about  the  same  time,  who 
was  succeeded  in  the  muscular  art  by  E. 
Eckhart. 

Wayne  Centre  had  by  this  time  outgrown  her 
nickname  of  Gimletville,  and  the  prospect  was 
reasonable  that  she  might  become  a  moderate 
sized  village,  like  her  nearest  neighbor  to  the 
south — Naperville.  Under  this  impression,  she 
must  have  a  church.  Accordingly,  one  was 
organized,  first  as  a  branch  of  the  St.  Charles 
Church,  which  was  Congregational,  that  being 
the  religion  that  most  of  the  settlers  had  brought 
with  them  to  the  place.  It  became  an  inde- 
pendent organization  soon  afterward,  and  held 
services  in  the  schoolhouse  till  1852.  at  which 
time  they  had  completed  a  church  of  their 
own,  its  membership  numbering  thirty.  Rev. 
Ebenezer  Raymond  was  their  first  settled 
pastor,  who  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  L.  E. 
Sykes.  Rev.  E.  W.  Kellogg  was  the  next 
pastor,  .who  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  L.  H. 
Kellogg. 

The  influence  of  the  railroad  which  pierces 
the  central  portions  of  the  county  was  now 
fully  demonstrated.  It  had  been  running  three 
years,  and  while  towns  on  its  line  were  growing, 
those  remote  from  it  were  decaying.  Under 
these  discouragements,  the  church  in  Wayne 
was  sold  and  removed  to  a  society  in  Bartlett, 
just  over  the  line  in  Cook  County,  in  1879, 
and  Wayne  Centre  preserves  nothing  of  its 
early  hopes  but  its  name. 

The  township  of  Wayne  is  in  the  extreme 
northwestern  part  of  the  county,  and  is  known 


WAYNE    TOWNSHIP. 


273 


by  Congressional  description  as  Township  40, 
Range  9.  Its  surface  is  quite  diversified,  being 
rather  more  uneven  than  that  of  any  other 
township  in  the  county.  It  has  a  large  num- 
ber of  living  springs,  several  small  groves  of 
timber  and  many  transplanted  trees  and  or- 
chards, giving  its  whole  area  the  appearance  of 
a  timbered  country. 

The  West  Fork  of  the  Du  Page  River  has  its 
main  source  in  the  northeastern  corner  of  the 
township,  and  waters  its  eastern  portions,  but 
a  small  head  tributary  of  this  stream  flows  from 
Bloomingdale.  The  little  inlets  and  springs 
from  which  this  stream  is  made  up  are  nu- 
merous, and  present  a  pleasing  landscape  as 
they  creep  along  beneath  a  tangle  of  vegetation 
toward  the  larger  channel,  which  is  more  con- 
stant here,  near  its  fountain-head,  than  it  is 
farther  down  in  extreme  low  water.  A  saw- 
mill was  erected  on  it,  on  Section  14,  by  Jonas 
Blank  in  1849,  who  died  with  typhoid  fever 
soon  afterward. 

The  farms  are  large,  and  those  who  own 
them  may  generally  be  called  wealthy.  Fine 
blooded  cattle,  horses  and  sheep  are  a  specialty 
with  them,  but  milk  and  the  'dairy  business  is 
a  growing  interest. 

The  Chicago  &  St.  Paul  Railroad  touches  its 
northeastern  corner,  and  the  Chicago  &  North- 
Western  Railroad  passes  through  its  southwest- 
ern portions,  and  from  the  elevations  of  their 
tracks,  reported  by  the  engineers  of  the  two 
roads,  the  average  elevation  of  the  surface  of 
the  township  above  Lake  Michigan  is  estimated 
by  the  writer  to  be  about  one  hundred  and 
seventy  feet. 

By  the  school  report  of  1882,  it  has  eight 
school  districts  and  351  persons  between  the 
ages  of  six  and  twenty -one  years,  of  whom  218 
are  enrolled  in  school  lists.  Its  contiguity  to 
Elgin  makes  villages  unnecessary  in  the  town- 
ship, and  there  are  none  except  a  small  one 
named  Wayne  Station,  on  the  Chicago  &  North- 
western Railway. 


It  sprang  into  existence  when  the  railroad 
passed  through  in  1849,  at  which  place  Solo- 
mon Dunham  was  the  first  Postmaster,  and 
Egbert  Adams  opened  the  first  store,  which 
was  in  the  same  building  now  occupied  by  H. 
Campbell. 

The  following  lists  show  the  business  men  in 
the  place,  in  1870.  and  1882  : 

BUSINESS  MEN  OF  WAYNE  IN  1870. 

Dry  goods  and  groceries,  Campbell  & 
Brother,  Adam  M.  Glos. 

Carriage  factory,  John  Arndt. 

Boots  and  shoes,  Hiram  Adams. 

Blacksmiths,  Vincent  Smith,  Hasbrook  Lo- 
zier. 

Tin  and  hardware,  James  Campbell. 

Pressed  hay,  Case  &  Arndt. 

Postmaster  and  station  agent,  A.  D.  Trull. 

BUSINESS  MEN  OP  WAYNE  IN  1882. 

Dry  goods  and  groceries,  Adam  M.  Glos, 
H.  Campbell. 

Wagons  and  carriages,  John  Arndt. 

Boot  and  shoe  maker,  Peter  Carlson. 

Blacksmiths,  William  Eggleston  and  Has- 
brook Lozier. 

Tin  shop,  James  Campbell. 

Station  agent,  H.  W.  Hubbard. 

Postmaster,  A.  D.  Trull. 

American  Express  Agent,  Adam  M.  Glos. 

Justice  of  the  Peace,  Adam  M.  Glos. 

Cheese  factor}-,  three  miles  east  of  station, 
owned  by  C.  W.  Gould,  of  Elgin. 

It  is  due  to  science  to  state  that  Adam  M. 
Glos  has  been  collecting  Indian  relics  for  the 
past  thirty  years  in  Du  Page  and  Kane  Coun- 
ties, a  great  many  from  Wayne,  W  infield  and 
Napervilje  Townships,  which  consists  of  stone 
arrows,  all  sizes  and  patterns  ;  also  stone  axes 
in  great  variety,  and  many  other  relics  of  the 
stone  age.  Mr.  Glos  has  explored  a  great 
many  mounds  along  the  Fox  River  Valley, 
none  being  found  in  Du  Page  County. 


274 


HISTORY  OP  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


There  is  a  Congregational  Church  at  Wayne 
Station,  for  which  thanks  are  due  to  William 
Sayer.  -% 

THE    CONGREGATIONAL   CHURCH. 

This  was  organized  February  18, 1871.  Five 
members  withdrew  their  names  from  the  Wayne 
Centre  Church,  and  with  the  aid  of  thirteen  on 
profession  of  faith  it  was  organized,  with  a 
membership  of  eighteen  in  number,  as  follows  : 
Simeon  Barber,  Hulda  L.  Barber,  Albert  W. 
Moffatt,  Alice  Moffatt,  Elizabeth  Smith.  By 
profession  :  Julia  Trull,  Cordelia  Pratt,  Ko- 
land  Hall,  Esther  Hall.  Khoda  Wolcott,  Catha- 
rine Dolph,  Nancy  Dolph,  Harriett  Lozier,  Mary 
Smith,  John  Arndt,  Ellen  Arndt,  Janette  Pix- 
ley  and  Kobert  Carswell. 


ONTARIOVILLE. 

This  is  a  station  on  the  Chicago  and  St.  Paul 
Kailroad,  about  one-half  of  which  is  in  Wayne, 
situated  on  Section  1. 

It  was  platted  by  William  Leesburg  April 
7,  1874.  It  affords  excellent  facilities  for 
shipping  the  produce  of  Wayne  to  Chicago, 
especially  milk,  which  is  an  increasing  interest 
in  the  vicinity.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the 
business  men  of  the  place  : 

E.  Bartlett,  station  agent  and  lumber  dealer. 

M.  Debker,  Postmaster  and  general  store. 

Fred  Freeman,  blacksmith. 

Fred  Olendorf,  general  store. 

C.  Ackerman,  cheese  factory. 

C.  Humbrocht,  hotel. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


BLOOMINGDALE  TOWNSHIP— INDIAN  BURYING-GROUNDS— THE  MEACHAMS— PIONEER  BURIALS— 
EARLY  ROAD  DISTRICTS— SCENE  IN  A  SUNDAY  SERVICE— TRAGICAL  TERMINATION  OF  A 
LAW   SUIT  — SCHOOL    DISTRICTS —  PETRIFACTIONS  — BLOOMINGDALE    VILLAGE- 
CHURCHES— BUSINESS  MEN  OF  BLOOMINGDALE— ROSELLE— ITS  BUSINESS 
MEN— MEACHAM— STRANGE  PHENOMENON   ON   KELLEY'S   FARM. 


r  I  THIS  is  the  central  northern  township  of 
-"-  Du  Page  County,  situated  in  Township 
40,  Range  1.  Its  average  elevation  above 
Lake  Michigan  is  above  that  of  any  other 
town  in  the  county,  as  is  shown  by  its  being 
the  sources  of  both  the  forks  of  the  Du  Page 
River,  and  also  the  source  of  a  western  tribu- 
tary of  Salt  Creek. 

Its  general  elevation  above  Lake  Michigan 
is  estimated  to  be  about  180  feet,  except  in 
its  lower  portions.  A  beautiful  grove  occu- 
pies the  southern  parts  of  Sections  10,  11 
and  12  and  the  northern  portions  of  Sections 
13,  14  and  a  corner  of  15.  This  grove  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  the  aboriginal  inhab- 
itants of  the  country  as  a  refuge  to  fly  to 
during  the  nipping  frosts  of  winter,  and  also 


the  heat  of  summer,  and  here  they  made 
offerings  to  appease  the  supposed  wrath  of 
the  Great  Spirit,  and  here  their  rights  of 
sepulture  were  devoutly  performed  in  their 
own  barbaric  way,  evidences  of  which  are 
still  extant  and  afford  speculations  for  the 
archaeologist.  Their  nam«  for  the  grove  was 
Penneack,  which  in  their  tongue  was  the 
name  of  an  esculent  root  which  they  used  for 
food  and  which  grew  there.  What  the  root 
was  tho  writer  does  not  know.  It  might  have 
been  ginseng.  The  Indians  in  their  straits 
have  often  lived  on  worse  fare  than  this. 
Whatever  the  root  was,  the  Indians  made  an- 
nual autumn  harvests  of  it  for  two  or  three 
years  after  white  settlements  had  begun  at 
the  place  which  was  on  the  llth  day  of 


BLOOMINGDALE  TOWNSHIP. 


275 


March,  1833,  when  Silas,  Henry  and  Lyman 
Meacham,  three  brothers  from  Rutland 
County,  Vt.,  built,  a  log  cabin  there.  They 
had  traversed  the  broad  face  of  the  country 
that  intervened  between  this  spot  and  their 
home  with  their  own  teams. 

The  ground  was  covered  with  snow,  and 
everything  on  the  broad  face  of  nature 
around,  except  the  grove,  looked  desolate  and 
forbidding,  but  here  was  a  glad  retreat  and 
here  their  stakes  were  set. 

The  Meachams  were  men  of  broad-gauge 
charity —could  fellowship  their  red  neighbors 
and  lived  on  good  terms  with  them  for  the 
few  years  that  they  remained  at  the  place 
previous  to  their  removal,  and  the  trust  and 
confidence  extended  to  them  was  never  dis- 
honored. Their  nearest  neighbors  were  the 
settlements  of  Jude  Gary,  Lyman  Butterfield 
and  H.  T.  Wilson,  near  the  present  corners 
of  Milton,  Winfield  and  Lisle  Townships— 
a  distance  of  about  ten  miles.  The  follow- 
ing autumn  after  their  first  settlement,  Mrs. 
Lyman  Meacham  died.  There  was  no  ma- 
terial at  hand  wherewith  to  make  her  coffin, 
except  the  wagon  box.  This  was  taken  apart, 
and  the  boards  of  which  it  was  made  recon- 
structed into  a  coffin  to  receive  the  remains 
of  her  who  had  come  to  the  place  in  the  ve- 
hicle, so  soon  to  serve  her  for  this  last 
purpose.  In  the  autumn  of  the  same  year, 
Maj.  Skinner  came  to  the  new  settlement, 
and  a  young  mechanic  came  with  him,  whose 
name  has  not  been  preserved,  but  he  died 
shortly  after  his  arrival,  and  was  buried 
in  a  coffin  made  of  boards  riven  from  a  forest 
tree  and  dressed  with  a  plane. 

The  next  years,  1834  and  1835,  Daniel  D. 
Noble,  Capt.  E.  Kinney,  Isaac  Kinney,  Noah 
Stevens,  David  Bangs,  Elias  Maynard  and 
Harry  Woodworth  came  to  the  place.  Cupid 
came  soon  afterward  as  a  regular  immigrant 
to  settle  in  the  country;  and  drove  the  first 


stake  of  his  claim  through  the  heart  of  young 

!  Noble,  healing  the  wound  by  making  a  simi- 
lar impression  on  Miss  Sybil  Stephens,  and 
the  priest  did  the  rest  by  the  usual  ceremo- 
nial. No  wedding  cards  were  printed. 

As  settlements  increased,  public  highways 
were  necessary.  The  old  army  trail  road, 
which  passed  along  in  its  westerly  course 
south  of  the  grove,  was  older  than  history, 
for,  when  Scott's  army  traveled  over  it,  the 
track  had  hitherto  been  known  as  an  Indian 
trail,  leading  from  Chicago  to  the  great  Win- 
nebago  village,  where  Beloit,  Wis.,  now 
stands.  But  this  road  only  went  in  one  di- 
rection, and  roads  leading  to  neighboring 

1  settlements  were  soon  projected  by  the  au- 
thorities of  Cook  County,  in  which  this  set- 
tlement then  was.  Road  districts  were  laid 
out,  and  this  settlement  and  the  settlements 
at  Warrenville  were  in  the  same  district,  un- 

:  der  the  charge  of  an  official  who  was  called  a 
Roadmaster. 

The  neighbors  all   agreed  pretty  well  to- 

|  gether,  but  still  the  inexorable  law  demanded 
that  they  must  have  a  Justice  of  the  Peace 
to  settle  difficulties  that  might  arise,  and 
Lyman  Meacham  was  elected  to  this  honor- 
able office  at  their  voting-place,  which  was 
Elk  Grove,  about  six  miles  to  the  northeast, 
in  the  present  town  of  the  same  name  in  Cook 
County. 

In  1836,  Peter  Northrup,  now  a  resident  of 
Wheaton,  came  to  the  place,  and  the  same 
year  Deacon  Elijah  Hough  and  family  Ro- 
selle,  one  of  his  sons,  since  so  widely  known, 
was  then  a  youth  of  sixteen,  and  Cornelia  A., 

i  his  daughter,  a  girl  of  ten  years.  She  is  now 
the  wife  of  Hackaliah. Brown,  of  Wheaton. 

Moses  B.  Elliott  came  the  same  year,  and 
large  numbers  soon  came  in  to  avail  them- 
selves of  the  advantages  of  the  healthy  loca- 
tion and  cheap  lands  that  abounded  here, 
among  whom  was  L.  E.  Landon,  now  a  citizen 


276 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


of  Wheaton,  and  "Waters  Northrup,  now  liv- 
ing in  Bloomingdale.  Deacon  Allen  Hills 
came  in  1840,  with  his  four  sons — Erasmus 
O.  and  Nubria,  who  are  now  living  at  Chicago; 
Uileman,  who  still  lives  at  Bloomingdale,  and 
H.  B.,  who  died  at  Wheaton  in  1881.  Be- 
sides these  was  one  daughter — Almeda,  who 
married  T.  B.  Stevens,  an  early  settler  at  the 
place,  and  the  same  year  Dr.  Parker  Sedg- 
wick  and  S.  P.  Sedgwick,  his  son,  now  a 
physician  in  "Wheaton,  and  Hiram  Cody, 
father  of  Judge  Cody,  of  Naperville,  came  to 
this  settlement. 

We  have  now  a  thriving  colony  of  relig- 
iously inclined  men,  among  whom  were  two 
Deacons,  and,  of  course,  divine  services 
promptly  came  in,  and  the  following  descrip- 
tion of  one  of  them,  written  by  Mr.  Bronson 
Hills,  and  published,  before  his  death,  in  the 
Wheaton  paper,  is  a  spirited  description  of 
one  of  them : 

"  Sunday  was  quite  generally  observed  by 
the  settlers  attending  meeting  at  the  little  log 
schoolhouse.  We  must  go,  of  course,  with 
the  rest  to  see  what  is  done.  *  *  The 
seats  have  no  backs.  They  are  made  of  logs 
split  and  turned  the  flat  side  up,  the  face  of 
them  bearing  the  marks  of  the  ax  with  which 
they  were  scored  and  hewed.  Twenty  or 
thirty,  including  children,  constitute  the  au- 
dience, with  an  addition  of  about  as  many 
dogs  as  men.  Curiosity  to  see  our  new 
neighbors  is  the  principal  item  of  interest 
now,  especially  to  see  the  young  ladies.  That 
trim-looking  girl,  with  large  gray  eyes  and 
jet  black  hair,  is  not  handsome,  but  there  is 
something  peculiar  about  her  looks  that  in- 
duces one  to  look  that  way  again.  *  * 
But  it  is  meeting  time.  Call  in  your  wan- 
dering thoughts.  The  minister  has  come  and 
is  reading -the  opening  hymn.  A  venerable 
gray- haired  man  arises  and  announces  'Mear' 
as  the  tune  to  be  sung.  He  seems  to  be  cast- 


ing about  for  a  key  to  the  tune.  He  has  no 
tuning-fork,  but  very  soon  we  hear  a  hum — m. 
Satisfied  he  is  right,  he  commences  the 
hymn;  all  join  in  singing  with  a  gusto,  when 
lo!  half  way  through  the  first  line  the  leader 
stops.  The  audience  sing  on,  but  he  has 
gone  back  for  a  better  pitch,  and,  starting 
the  piece  again,  he  is  coming  on  with  a 
choir  of  one.  The  girls  blush,  the  boys 
giggle,  the  elderly  and  pious  people  trying 
all  the  while  to  look  grave.  The  situation 
calls  for  a  compromise.  For  the  sake  of 
charity,  the  audience  yield,  go  back  and  join 
him,  for  his  deafness  was  the  cause  of  the 
jargon.  The  sermon  was  passably  interest- 
ing,  and  was  only  disturbed  by  a  dog  fight  or 
two." 

Every  one  familiar  with  pioneer  life  will 
acknowledge  the  fidelity  with  which  Mr.  Hills 
has  described  the  early  meetings,  but  there 
was  purpose  in  these  first  ministers,  deacons 
and  laymen,  not  lacquered  with  pretentious 
formula.  Virtue  had  a  high  standard  then, 
but  desperate  motives,  as  if  by  some  freak 
of  the  moral  law,  lurked  in  the  secret  re- 
cesses of  a  few  moody  hearts  and  soon  cul- 
minated in  a  scene  of  blood. 

THE  KENT  TRAGEDY. 

Dr.  Meacham,  the  first  settler  at  the  pres- 
ent site  of  Bloomingdale,  in  1833,  made  a 
claim  on  what  became  Sections  14  and  15, 
built  a  house  on  Section  14,  and  leased  both 
sections  to  Milton  Kent,  who  came  to  the 
place  in  1835  from  the  State  of  New  York. 
While  Mr.  Kant  held  this  lease,  he  had  made 
a  claim  in  Sections  10  and  11,  but  erected 
his  buildings  on  the  land  he  had  leased  of 
Mr.  Meacham.  They  consisted  of  a  frame 
house  and  barn  designed  for  tavern-keeping, 
occupying  but  a  small  portion  of  the  leased 
land,  which  portion  Mr.  Kent  said  that 
Meacham  had  given  him.  Before  the  expira- 


BLOOMINGDALE  TOWNSHIP. 


277 


tion  of  the  lease,  Mr.  Kent  had  sold  the 
land,  or  rather,  his  claim  to  it,  to  George  W. 
Green,  of  Chicago. 

At  the  expiration  of  the  lease,  which  was 
in  1837,  Mr.  Green  demanded  possession  of 
the  property  of  Mr.  Kent,  which  was  refused. 
As  already  stated,  Kent  had  erected  his  tav- 
ern buildings  on  the  property,  which,  if  not 
at  the  time  in  dispute,  was  liable  to  be,  inas- 
much as  he  had  only  a  lease  of  the  premises. 
Albeit,  let  it  not  been  forgotten  that  none  of 
the  parties  yet  held  any  claim  to  the  property, 
which  the  United  States  Government  recog- 
nized, but  the  State  of  Illinois  had  passed  an 
act  guaranteeing  to  those  who  first  took  pos- 
session of  public  lands  and  made  improve- 
ments on  them,  could  hold  them,  provided 
they  paid  for  them  at  government  price  when 
offered  for  sale. 

Meacham  now,  in  order  to  fulfill  his  con- 
tract of  sale  with  Green,  was  obliged  to  bring 
a  suit  of  ejectment  against  Kent,  which  he 
did,  and  the  court  confirmed  the  title  to 
Meacham,  who  held  the  improvements,  also, 
that  Kent  had  put  on  the  land,  consisting  of 
the  tavern  buildings. 

The  next  thing  was  to  dispossess  Kent. 
This  was  done  in  the  spring  of  1840  by  the 
Sheriff  of  Du  Page  County,  who  called  in  to 
his  assistance  several  men,  of  whom  Thomas 
Muir,  a  young  Scotchman  living  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, was  one.  In  giving  the  writer  in- 
formation of  the  affair,  Mr.  Mnir  speaks  of 
the  two  accomplished  and  beautiful  daugh- 
ters of  Mr.  Kent  and  the  unpleasant  task  al- 
lotted to  him  in  removing  their  toilet  furni- 
ture from  their  rooms,  they,  meantime,  pleas- 
antly inviting  him  to  join  them  in  a  game  of 
ball,  but  the  law  was  inexorable,  and  he,  im- 
pervious to  their  attractions,  obeyed  the  or. 
ders  of  the  Sheriff. 

The  ejected  family  now  moved  their  goods 
to  a  grove  about  thirty  rods  distant,  and 


piled  up  the  furniture  for  a  sort  of  wall  and 
overspread  these  walls  with  canvas  to  make 
a  temporary  habitation.  Night  came  on  with 
its  glooms,  and  the  Kents  determined  on  ven- 
geance. 

Besides  the  father,  who  was  a  stanch 
old  man,  F.  L.  Kent,  his  son,  and  James 
Wakeman,  who  had  married  one  of  his  daugh- 
ters, and  a  Mr.  Turnbull,  who  subsequently 
married  another  of  them,  were  all  in  council 
together.  A  quit-claim  was  drawn  up,  ready 
for  Green  to  sign,  and  they  intended  to  force 
him  to  do  it  by  violence,  and  to  execute  this 
purpose  appeared  at  his  door  the  following 
night,  which  was  Saturday.  Green  had  taken 
immediate  possession  of  the  house  from  which 
Kent  had  been  driven,  and  here  the  battle 
was  to  be  fought  First,  one  of  them  rapped 
at  the  door  to  gain  admission.  This  being 
refused,  the  door  was  burst  open.  Green 
was  armed  with  a  rifle,  pistol  and  butcher 
knife.  The  first  weapon  was  fired  off,  but  it 
barely  missed  the  neck  of  elder  Kent.  The 
men  were  now  in  the  house,  and  the  elder 
Kent  grappled  with  Green.  He  snapped  his 
pistol  at  him,  but  the  hammer  in  the  scuffle 
rubbed  against  his  person  and  did  not  strike 
the  cap  with  sufficient  force  to  explode  it. 
Next  came  the  knife.  Green  stuck  it  into 
Kent's  heart,  and  he  reeled  back  outdoors, 
exclaiming,  "I  am  a  dead  man!  "  Instantly 
young  Kent  grappled  with  Green,  bat  soon 
he  loosed  his  hold,  for  his  antagonist  thrust 
the  same  dagger  into  his  back  that  had  just 
killed  the  father.  Green  in  his  turn  now  re- 
ceived a  blow  over  the  head  with  a  pistol, 
which  brought  him  down  and  the  conflict 
ended.  Young  Kent  was  not  dangerously 
wounded.  One  of  the  party  was  left  with 
the  old  man,  who  was  not  yet  dead,  while  the 
other  seized  Green,  conducted  him  to  the 
camp  of  the  Kents,  presented  the  quit-claim 
to  him  and  he  signed  it:  he  was  then  brought 


278 


HISTORY   OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


back  and  left  on  the  doorsteps  of  his  house; 
his  wife  had  fled  to  the  neighbors  to  give  the 
alarm,  and  they  soon  returned  with  her  to 
the  late  scene  of  conflict.  Roselle  Hough 
helped  dress  the  wounds  of  young  Kent,  and 
others  helped  nurse  Green.  Happy  would  it  i 
have  been  for  Mrs.  Green  had  her  husband  ! 
been  killed  in  the  encounter,  for  he  gave  her 
poison  a  few  years  later,  and  was  tried  and 
condemned  to  be  hung  for  the  crime,  but  he 
anticipated  the  hangman  a  few  days  by  hang- 
ing himself  in  his  cell. 

He  is  said  by  those  who  knew  him  to  have 
been  totally  depraved  to  all  sense  of  right, 
cruel  to  his  wife,  whom  every  one  who  knew 
esteemed,  and  unmerciful  to  everybody. 
That  he  once  charged  a  spring  with  arsenic 
and  poisoned  three  innocent  children  to  drive 
their  father  away  is  well  known,  and  Thomas 
Muir,  by  mistake,  became  one  of  the  victims 
of  this  diabolical  crime,  barely  escaping  with 
his  life. 

Good  fellowship  is  almost  always  at  flood 
tide  in  all  new  counties.  Leaving  one's  old 
home  for  a  new  place  where  new  associations 
are  to  be  made,  stimulates  better  emotions  in 
average  individuals  and  improves  them  in  all 
the  social  accomplishments  that  make  up  a 
neighborhood.  But  there  are  some,  even  | 
among  pioneers,  who  take  council  only  with 
sinister  motives,  and  regard  others  with  whom  ! 
they  may  come  in  contact  as  instruments  by 
which  they  may  improve  their  own  standing 
pecuniarily,  which  to  them  is  the  only  meas- 
ure by  which  anything  can  be  gauged.  Any 
consideration  that  cannot  be  measured  by 
money,  or  its  equivalent,  is  a  myth  to  them. 
When  two  such  persons  are  pitted  against 
each  other,  the  result  is  always  hostile. 
Neither  have  learned  how  to  offset  aggressive 
action  with  discriminative  prudence,  but  act 
only  on  impulses,  and  those  selfish  and  evil 
ones. 


These  unfortunate  people  generally  mani- 
fest about  as  much  prudence  as  a  hen  that 
attacks  a  bull  dog  in  defense  of  her  chickens, 
or  a  partisan  politician  who  often  persists  in 
running  for  a  courted  office,  when  ordinary 
reflection  ought  to  convince  him  that  the  peo- 
ple don't  want  him  elected.  When  two  such 
persons  are  brought  into  relations  with  each 
other,  the  result  may  be  a  tragedy,  as  it  was 
in  this  case.  Neither  of  the  men  engaged  in 
it  were  accounted  idiots,  but  yet  it  cannot  be 
denied  that  when  men  do  common-place  kind 
of  acts,  or  business,  with  as  little  foresight 
as  they  did  criminal  acts,  they  are  ac- 
counted fools.  It  hardly  need  be  told  that 
the  court  did  not  regard  the  quit-claim  that 
Green  had  signed  to  the  property  on  that 
fatal  night  as  binding. 

There  are  still  many  persons  living  in  the 
neighborhood  who  were  residents  of  the  place 
at  the  time  this  tragedy  occurred,  and  the 
shock  it  made  to  the  public  sense  of  justice 
is  still  fresh  in  their  minds,  though  great 
moral,  religious  and  physical  changes  have 
since  had  place.  Of  the  two  former,  the 
clerical  Sunday  service  is  an  index.  Of  the 
physical  changes  that  have  come  over  the 
face  of  nature,  the  drainage  of  low  lands  and 
dimunition  of  streams  is  a  marked  one.  On 
the  little  rivulet  then  called  Shaw's  Creek, 
which  took  its  rise  just  south  of  Meacham's 
Grove,  Hiram  Gooding  erected  a  saw-mill  in 
1844.  It  worked  about  three  months  annual- 
ly, but  now  there  is  not  water  enough  in  the 
little  wet-weather  brook  to  propel  a  saw 
mill,  except  during  some  excessive  fall  of 
rain  sufficient  to  cause  a  flood.  Fine  fish 
were  caught  in  this  brook  in  the  early  day, 
such  as  pickerel  and  bass. 

As  late  as  1850,  the  southern  and  western 
portions  of  Bloomingdale  Township  were  but 
sparsely  settled,  but  the  road  from  Chicago 
to  Galena  passed  along  the  northern  portions, 


OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


BLOOMINGDALE  TOWNSHIP. 


281 


and  was  one  of  the  principal  thoroughfares 
leading  to  the  West,  and  at  that  time  was  of 
as  much  local  importance  as  a  railroad  is  in 
our  day,  and  it  gave  promise  of  future  wealth, 
which  would  have  been  realized  but  for  the 
railroad  system,  which  subsequently  drew 
this  trade  and  travel  into  other  localities. 
The  Chicago  Pacific  (now  the  Chicago  &  St. 
Paul  Railroad),  which  was  finished  through 
the  northwestern  part  of  this  township  in 
1873,  sets  it  now  on  an  equal  footing  with 
its  adjoining  ones,  as  the  railroad  facilities 
for  easy  marketing. 

There  is  no  waste  land  in  the  township, 
but  all  of  it  high,  rolling  and  fertile,  afford- 
ing excellent  dairy  farms,  to  which  interest 
there  seems  to  be  a  tendency.  There  are 
twelve  school  districts,  and,  by  the  school 
census,  366  persons  between  the  ages  of  six 
and  twenty-one  years.  Schools  are  sustained 
on  an  average  of  between  seven  and  eight 
months  in  the  year. 

There  is  a  cheese  factory  in  the  southeast- 
ern part  of  the  township  which  consumes 
4,000  pounds  of  milk  and  makes  135  pounds 
of  butter  and  280  pounds  of  cheese  daily. 
William  Rathge  and  Fred  Stnenkel,  proprie- 
tors. 

The  Coverdale  Creamery,  in  the  southwest 
part  of  the  township,  does  a  similar  amount 
of  business. 

Many  petrifactions  of  nuts  and  various  veg- 
etable forms  are  found  in  the  creek  that  runs 
along  the  northern  fringe  of  Meacham  Grove. 

The  village  of  Bloomingdale  grew  into  ex- 
istence as  a  convenience  for  the  surrounding 
farmers — a  depot  from  whence  their  wants 
for  store  goods  could  be  supplied.  It  was 
first  called  Meacham' s  Grove,  and,  being  on 
the  early  stage  road  from  Chicago  to  Galena, 
and  eligibly  located  on  the  border  of  the 
grove,  it  had  a  fair  prospect  of  becoming  a 
large  village. 


In  1843,  there  lived  at  the  place  H.  Meach- 
am, Deacons  Hough,  Hills  and  Stevens; 
Moses  Hoyt,  who  kept  tavern;  Levi  H.  Kinne, 
F.  Kinney,  W.  Northrup  (Postmaster),  H. 
Woodruff,  James  Vint,  Hileman  Hills,  Nu- 
bria  Hills,  sons  of  Deacon  Hills,  together  with 
others  sufficient  to  make  a  good  beginning 
for  a  town.  A  mile  to  the  east,  Mr.  Tupper 
kept  another  tavern.  The  site  of  the  town  is 
said  to  be  the  most  elevated  land  of  any  vil- 
lage in  the  county,  being  190  feet  above 
Lake  Michigan.  The  plat  of  the  town  bears 
date  of  January  11,  1845,  H.  S.  Hills,  pro- 
prietor— situated  on  the  northwest  and  north- 
east quarters  of  Section  15,  Township  40, 
Range  10.  About  thirty-five  families  live  in 
the  village.  An  excellent  spring  of  pure 
water  breaks  out  of  the  ground  just  west  of 
the  village,  at  which  place  Col.  Hoyt  kept  his 
famous  tavern. 

The  Congregational  society  of  Blooming- 
dale  was  established  August  22,  1840,  and 
held  their  services  in  a  log  schoolhouse  at 
the  southeastern  extremity  of  Meacham' s 
Grove,  by  which  name  the  village  was  first 
known.  Rev.  D.  Rockwell  and  Rev.  Flavel 
Bascom,  who  at  this  time  live  in  Hinsdale, 
officiated  at  the  ceremonies  of  organization. 

Mr.  Rockwell  was  ordained  as  first  pastor 
and  remained  over  this  charge  till  1842,  when 
he  was  succeeded  by  H.  Colton  for  one  year ; 
B.  W.  Reynolds,  for  two  years;  L.  Parker, 
for  four  years;  N.  Shapley,  for  one  year;  L. 
Parker  again,  for  three  years;  D.  Chapman, 
for  one  year;  H.  Judd,  for  one  or  more  years, 
who  was  succeeded  by  others  not  known  to 
the  writer.  The  society  built  a  new  church 
in  1851,  and,  June  13, 1852,  it  was  dedicated, 
but  the  limits  of  their  prosperity  was  reached 
not  long  after  the  new  church  edifice  was  oc- 
cupied. Death  removed  some,  and  others 
went  West,  while  none  came  forward  to  take 
their  places.  This  decimating  process  went 


282 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


on  till  1879,  when  the  church  was  sold  to  the 
Lutherans.  Between  two  and  three  hundred 
members  in  all  have  been  enrolled  on  the 
books  of  this  church,  which  had  a  Sabbath 
school  numbering  once  fifty,  and  a  library  of 
300  books. 

The  Baptist  Church  of  Bloomingdale  was 
organized  in  1841  by  Rev.  Joel  Wheeler.  It 
first  numbered  ten  members.  The  next  year, 
a  revivalist  named  Morgan  Edwards  came  to 
the  place  and  preached  with  effect.  Six  new 
members  were  added  to  the  church,  but  no 
regular  preaching  was  held  till  Rev.  P.  Tay- 
lor, of  Babcock's  Grove,  supplied  them  each 
alternate  Sunday. 

In  1848,  the  society  commenced  building 
a  church.  The  frame  was  erected  and  the 
question  arose  whether  the  site  of  the  place 
chosen  was  destined  to  be  the  true  center  of 
the  town.  This  question  hung  in  suspense, 
and  the  prairie  breeze  whistled  through  the 
naked  scantlings  and  rafters  of  the  unfinished 
edifice  while  this  question  was  being  settled 
by  the  events  of  time.  Finally,  the  locality 
was  not  considered  a  good  one,  the  work  was 
abandoned,  another  site  selected  and  a  church 
built  in  1849.  Prosperity  rewarded  their 
efforts,  the  church  proved  too  small  for  their 
increasing  numbers,  and  the  society  sold  it 
for  a  schoolhouse  and  built  a  larger  one  in 
1855,  at  which  time  they  had  over  one  hun- 
dred members.  Rev.  P.  Taylor  was  the  first 
settled  pastor  of  the  church,  who  remained 
with  them  until  the  church  was  built  which 
they  now  occupy.  The  number  of  their 
members  is  now  about  fifty.  The  church  has 
regular  preaching  and  a  Sabbath  school. 

The  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  of 
Bloomingdale  was  organized  in  1878,  and 
the  next  year  occupied  the  church  which  they 
bought  of  the  Congregationalists.  Rev.  Gus- 
tave  Lambrecht  was  their  first  pastor,  who 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  A.  B.  Mysch,  the 


•  present  pastor..  About  thirty-five  families 
belong  to  this  society. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  business  and 
professional  men  of  Bloomingdale  Village: 

Brown  &  Verbeck,  proprietors  of  the  Bloom- 
ingdale Flax  Mill,  consumes  1,000  tons  of 
flax  straw  and  manufactures  600  tons  of  tow 
annually;  the  firm  employs  eight  ia?n;  T.  C. 
Ryan,  cheese  factory,  employs  three  men, 
consumes  8,000  pounds  of  milk,  makes  fifteen 
cheeses  and  240  pounds  of  butter  daily;  bed 
spring  factory,  by  A.  R.  Kinne,  makes  500 
bed  springs  annually;  John  Bern-master,  tai- 

!  lor;  Robert  Gates,  C.  Eden,  wagon-makers; 
John  Shank,  George  Wallis,  William  Sleep, 

I  Elijah  Bond,  blacksmiths;  O.  A.  Verbeck, 
Bradford  Hills,  carpenters;  Henry  Rohler,  A. 
Backhouse,  shoe  shop;  Roger  Ryan,  Charles 
Hills,  Josiah  Stevens,  artesian  well-borers; 
Thomas  Saureman,  harness  shop;  Hills  & 
Deibert,  general  store;  J.  R.  Dunning,  Post- 
master ai-d  general  store;  Henry  Vanderhoof, 

i  physician;  G.  W.   Robinson,  Baptist  clergy- 

|  man;    A.    B.    Mysch,    Lutheran  clergyman; 

:  William  Rathge,  Notary  Public ;  Robert  Gates, 
Henry  Woodruff,  Justices  of  the  Peace;  Jo- 
siah Stevens,  Charles  Pierce,  Constables; 
Henry  Holstine.  grist-mill,  propelled  by  wind- 
power,  manufacturers  of  flour  and  grinds  feed. 
The  village  of  Roselle,  situated  in  the 
northeast  quarter  of  the  southeast  quarter  of 
Section  3,  Township  40,  Range  10,  was  plat- 
ted and  recorded  October  5, 1874,  by  Bernard 
Beck.  The  following  is  a  list  of  its  business 
men: 

Hattendorf  &  Bagge,  general  store  and 
agricultural  implements;  M.  Seeker,  general 

'  store;  Illinois  Linen  Company,  manufactory 
of  linen  fabrics,  ropes,  twines,  etc.;  a  grist- 
mill with  three  run  of  stones  for  flour  and 

!  feed,  Henry  Holstine,  proprietor;  Rudolph 
Milton,  blacksmith;  grain  elevator,  by  Fred- 
erick Langhurst;  meat  market,  by  J.  Theo- 


BLOOMINGDALE    TOWNSHIP. 


bald;  wholesale  meat  market,  by  Fred  Golt- 
ermann;  lumber  yard,  by  Frederick  Thies; 
hardware  and  tiu  shop,  by  Henry  Williams; 
H.  A.  Seeker,  hotel;  Henry  Eincke,  hotel; 
Henry  Sumner,  keeps  the  depot;  J.  H.  C. 
Hattendorf,  Postmaster;  a  public  school; 
Henry  Woodworth,  Justice  of  the  Peace;  Jo- 
seph Fidler,  carpenter;  John  D.  Behrer, 
boots  and  shoes;  George  Sieging,  harness 
maker. 

The    elevation   of    the  place  is  190  feet 
above  Lake  Michigan. 

Meacham  is  a  station  on  the  Chicago,  St. 
Paul  &  Pacific  Railroad,  in  Section  1,  in 
Bloomingdale  Township.  It  has  one  general 
store,  kept  by  James  Pierce,  who  also  keeps 
the  depot  and  is  Postmaster.  The  Methodist 
Church  at  the  place  was  first  organized  aa  a 
class  meeting  by  Rev.  J.  C.  Stoughton,  in 
1851.  Elizabeth  Pierce,  Mary  Ann  Battin, 
Grace  Lawrence  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  B.  B 
Miller  were  the  members.  They  met  in  the 
old  schoolhouse.  Here  their  services  were 
held,  including  their  Sunday  school,  which 
was  organized  in  January,  1858.  The  next 
year  their  church  was  finished  and  regular 
preaching  has  been  sustained  in  it  till  the 
present  time.  The  church  when  first  organ- 


ized numbered  only  six  members.  Now  it 
numbers  thirty-six  and  is  under  the  pastoral 
charge  of  Rev.  T.  C.  Warrington. 

Mn.  RCFUS  BLANCHABD: 

Agreeable  to  your  request,  1  give  you  herewith  a 
statement  as  to  a  strange  phenomenon  that  occurred 
on  my  land  in  Bloomingdale  in  August,  1856. 

Observing  that  one  of  my  fences  was  prostrated, 
I  examined  the  breach,  and  found  that  one  of  the 
posts  had  been  shattered  into  splinters  from  below 
'  the  second  board  above  the  ground,  including  the 
portion  of  It  set  in  the  ground.  The  portion  of 
the  post  above  where  the  bottom  board  was  nailed 
to  it  was  whole,  without  the  marks  of  violence,  but 
the  lower  board  nailed  to  it  was  somewhat  shattered. 
The  strangest  part  of  the  whole  was  that  in  the 
identical  hole  made  in  the  ground  in  which  the  post 
had  stood,  a  deep  incision  was  made  as  if,  by  some 
violent  operation  of  nature,  something  had  perfo- 
rated it  from  below  up,  the  evidence  of  which 
theory  being  found  from  the  abundance  of  dirt 
thrown  out  and  scattered  for  three  or  four  rods  all  in 
one  direction— probably  owing  to  the  wind.  The 
splinters  of  the  lower  part  of  the  fence  post  were 
also  scattered  the  same  as  the  dirt  which  had  been 
thrown  out  of  the  hole.  I  ran  a  pole  about  ten  feet 
long  down  the  hole,  but  could  find  no  bottom,  nor 
could  I  hear  pebbles  strike  any  bottom  as  I  dropped 
them  down.  The  hole  was  about  six  inches  in 
diameter,  and  as  clean  a  cut  as  could  be  bored  with 
an  auger.  DANIEL  KKLLEY. 

Subscribed  and  sworn  to  before  me,  a  Notary 
Public,  the  13th  day  of  September,  1882. 

W.  L.  GUT,  Notary  Public. 


284 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


ADDISON  TOWNSHIP— THE  MOUNTAIN  DAISY— INDIAN  ENCAMPMENT— THE  ARMY  TRAIL— THE  SOL- 

DIER'S  GRAVE— THE  LOG  CABIN— HOME  TALENT— THE  GERMAN  VANGUARD— THE  PIONEER 

TAVERN— THE  OLD  GALENA  TRADE-SALT  CREEK-FRANCIS  HOFFMAN,  A  LAY  PREACHER 

—THE  VILLAGE  OF  ADDISON— THE  GERMAN  EVANGELICAL  TEACHERS'  SEMINARY 

—THE  ORPHAN  ASYLUM— PROFESSIONAL  AND  BUSINESS  MEN  OF  ADDISON 

— ITASCA— ITS  BUSINESS  MEN— LESTER'S— BENSENVILLE— SCHOOLS. 


r  I  ''Tfy.  mountain  daisy  is  a  handsome  white 
*  flower,  about  the  size  of  the  old-fash- 
ioned bell-buttons  that  were  fashionably  used 
on  boys'  blue  satinet  roundabouts  in  the  early 
part  of  the  present  century,  and  discontinued 
about  the  year  1835.  This  daisy  was  cer- 
tainly more  ornamental  than  useful.  But 
what  had  it  to  do  with  the  history  of  Addi- 
son  ?  Let  us  speculate.  The  daisy  was  so 
tenacious  of  life  that  it  was  more  difficult  to 
kill  than  blue  grass.  Wherever  it  took  pos- 
session of  the  land,  it  outrivaled  every  other 
kind  of  vegetation,  and  rendered  it  almost 
valueless  for  meadow  or  pasturage.  It  grew 
in  several  of  the  towns  east  of  the  Meirimack 
Biver,  in  the  vicinity  of  Concord,  N.  H.,  es- 
pecially in  Stoddard  and  Hillsboro,  and  forced 
many  of  the  inhabitants  away  from  their 
mountain  homes  to  seek  more  fruitful  locali- 
ties, where  a  better  reward  met  the  hands  of 
the  husbandman.  The  writer  came  from  this 
par*  of  New  Hampshire,  and  speaks  from  his 
own  knowledge.  At  Hillsboro  lived  Heze- 
kiah  Duncklee,  and  from  this  place  he  emi- 
grated in  the  summer  of  1833.  If  the  mount- 
ain daisy  drove  farmers  away  from  the  place, 
perhaps  their  gorgeous  beauty  gave  them  a 
taste  for  the  ornamental,  and  may  not  have 
served  a  vain  purpose.  Mr.  Duncklee,  having 
crossed  the  Green  Mountains,  arrived  at  Pots- 
dam, in  the  State  of  New  York,  safely,  where 


he  was  joined  by  Mason  Smith,  and  the  two 
started  together  for.  the  West 

Their  road  lay  along  the  old  historic 
grounds  of  Fort  Stanwix  (now  Rome),  thence 
across  the  Genesee  Eiver  at  Rochester  and 
Buffalo,  at  which  place  they  took  a  boat  for 
Detroit,  where  they  bought  a  horse  and  wag- 
on, and  pursued  their  journey  across  the  State 
of  Michigan  to  Chicago,  which  they  reached 
on  the  3d  of  September.  They  rested  here 
five  days,  and  again  started  westwardly  for 
the  Desplaines  River,  crossing  it  at  the  pres- 
ent site  of  Maywood,  from  which  place  a  well- 
traveled  road  bore  westwardly  across  an  ap- 
parently boundless  prairie.  But,  before 
starting  on  this  road,  they  encamped  for  the 
night  in  the  country  so  strange  to  the  visit- 
ors. The  low,  flat  prairie,  and-  the  sluggish 
river  that  drained  it,  were  the  least  of  their 
surprises.  The  Pottawatomies  still  owned 
the  entire  country  to  which  they  were  emi- 
grating, and  300  of  their  number  were  as- 
sembled on  the  river  bank  here.  It  was  a 
picture  rarely  to  be  looked  on  to  see  these 
natives  just  preparing  to  leave  their  homes  to 
make  room  for  the  new-comers,  for  they  (the 
Indians)  were  now  bending  their  course  to 
Chicago  to  attend  the  treaty  there,  destined 
to  convey  Northern  Illinois  east  of  Rock 
River  to  those  who  had  already  taken  pos- 
session of  the  choicest  portions  of  it  before 


ADDISON   TOWNSHIP. 


285 


the  bargain  was  made  to  sell  it,  and  Mr. 
Duncklee  and  Mr.  Smith  were  two  more  of 
this  class  on  whom  the  Indians  could  look  in 
no  other  light  than  that  of  intruders. 

The  next  morning  they  resumed  their  jour- 
ney, following  the  trail  over  which  Scott's 
army  had  passed  eleven  months  before.  It 
has  since  been  put  down  on  early  maps  as  the 
Elgin  road.  It  enters  the  present  township 
of  Addison  at  its  extreme  southeast  corner, 
and  leads  thence  to  the  village  of  Addison, 
on  Salt  Creek,  and  this  was  the'  location  of 
the  road  which  the  travelers  took. 

Toiling  along  their  way  in  this  narrow 
path  between  two  oceans  of  green,  they  came 
to  a  grave  where  one  of  the  soldiers  who  came 
the  year  before,  under  command  of  Gen. 
Scott,  to  defend  the  country  from  the  Sauks, 
had  found  his  last  resting-place,  and  the 
first  grave  of  u  white  man  in  Addison  Town- 
ship.  Farther  along,  at  Salt  Creek,  were  the 
tent  poles  still  standing  as  the  army  had  left 
them.  They  crossed  the  stream  and  encamped 
for  the  night  on  the  prairie,  amidst  the  lul- 
laby din  of  reptile  life.  But  soon  these  soft 
voices  of  the  night  were  drowned  by  the 
sharp  yelp  of  the  numerous  wolves  that  hung 
around  the  camp  attracted  by  the  scent  of 
strange  animal  life  in  their  midst,  but  too 
formidable  for  them  to  attack.  Pushing  for- 
ward the  next  morning,  they  reached  the 
settlement  which  theMeachams  had  made  six 
months  before.  Here  two  men  in  pursuit  of 
a  home  met  three  who  had  already  laid  claim 
to  one  in  the  verge  of  a  grove  that  now  bears 
their  name — Meacham' s  Grove.  Six  months' 
experience  in  a  country,  wild  as  nature  could 
make  it,  was  productive  of  much  practical  in- 
formation. Everything  was  to  be  built  new, 
and  the  problem  was  how  to  begin.  The 
Meachams  gave  the  new-comers  the  benefit 
of  their  experience,  and  the  result  was  that 
they  proceeded  back  to  a  grove  on  Salt  Creek, 


north  of  where  they  had  crossed  this  stream, 
and,  on  the  12th  of  September,  selected  a  lo- 
cation on  the  northern  verge  of  a  grove,  to 
which  the  name  of  Duncklee' s  Grove  has 
since  been  given.  Mr.  Dunckley's  claim  was 
on  what  became  Sections  10  and  1 5  when  the 
country  came  to  be  surveyed.  It  consisted  of 
suitable  portions  of  prairie  and  timber,  as 
first  claims  always  did  till  timber  lands  had 
all  been  taken  possession  of. 

The  first  thing  to  be  done  was  to  build  a 
house.  This  was  no  difficult  task  to  accom- 
plish where  there  was  plenty  of  timber,  and 
all  the  tools  required  were  an  ax,  hammer, 
saw,  and  adze  to  smooth  the  surface  of  the 
floor,  which  was  made  of  split  logs,  flat  side 
upward,  called  puncheons,  besides  which  a 
frow,  with  which  to  rive  out  clapboards  for 
the  roof,  was  necessary.  The  whole  was  fin- 
ished in  two  weeks,  and  occupied  by  the  first 
freeholder  of  Addison  Township.  Mr.  Dunck- 
lee's  family  arrived  the  next  year,  1834,  in 
August,  at  the  new  home,  amidst  the  growing 
crops  that  had  rewarded  the  labors  of  this 
pioneer  farmer.  The  following  June,  on  the 
18th,  was  born  a  daughter,  Julia  A.,  who,  at 
her  maturity,  became  the  wife  of  Frederick 
E.  Lester.  She  was  the  first  white  child  born 
in  Addison,  and  became  the  first  school- 
teacher at  the  place,  from  which  we  must  in- 
fer that  Addison  was  rather  tardy  in  estab- 
lishing schools,  or  wished  to  wait  till  they 
could  grow  a  teacher  on  their  own  soil.  Set- 
ting this  down  to  their  love  of  home  talent, 
if  the  latter  was  the  case,  we  will  pass  on  to 
the  next  thing  done  here  in  a  similar  direc- 
tion. This  was  to  plant  apple  seeds,  which 
Mr.  Duncklee  did  in  1836,  and  his  orchard 
grew  from  this  seed,  as  the  first  school-teacher 
had  grown  on  the  fuitful  soil  of  Addison. 
Both  were  a  success.  Miss  Julia  taught  a 
good  school,  and  the  orchard  of  Mr.  Dunck- 
lee bore  fruitfully,  affording  a  handsome  in- 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


come  for  its  fruit  in  a  few  years  after  it  was 
planted.  In  the  summer  subsequent  to  Mr. 
Duncklee's  first  arrival,  there  came  to  the 
place  and  settled  a  Mr.  Perin,  who^took  sick 
and  died  in  a  few  weeks,  his  being  the  first 
death  in  Addison,  except  the  unfortunate  sol- 
dier whose  grave  was  seen  by  Mr.  Dunck- 
lee,  as  already  told. 

Early  in  the  summer  of  the  same  year 
1834,  Ebenezer  Duncklee,  brother  to  Heze- 
kiah,  came  and  made  a  claim  adjoining  him 
and  Richard  Kingston.  Thomas  H.  Thom- 
son, James  Bean,  Demerit  Hoyt  and  D.  Par- 
sons, all  from  the  Eastern  States,  came  and 
made  claims,  mostly  at  the  southern  side  of 
the  grove. 

Thus  far,  the  settlement  was  exclusively 
American,  but  close  upon  their  heels,  or  per- 
haps ere  the  last  of  the  above-mentioned  had 
settled,  there  came  to  the  place  the  vanguard 
of  the  German  immigration  destined  to  ap- 
propriate the  lands  of  what,  since  that  time, 
became  Addison  Township.  This  vanguard 
was  William  Henry  Bosque,  Barney  H.  Fran- 
zen,  Frederick  Graue  (with  his  family  of  five 
stalwart  young  men — Dedrick,  Frederick,  Jr., 
Luderwich,  Heinrich  and  August — and  one 
daughter,  Willemine,  to  help  the  mother  gar- 
nish the  house  and  the  manners  of  the  boys). 
The  main  settlement  of  these  Germans  was 
at  a  small  grove,  in  what  is  now  Section  34, 
ever  since  called  Graue's  Grove;  but  some  of 
the  Graue  family  settled  in  what  is  now  York. 
Willemine  was  soon  married  to  Frederick 
Kraige,  who  also  settled  near  by.  Banhard 
Koeler,  who  came  with  Mr.  Graue,  and  Ded- 
rick Leseman,  all  came  the  same  year,  and 
Young  Germany  took  deep  root  at  the  place. 
Besides  all  these,  Thomas  Williams  and  E. 
Lamb,  from  New  York  State,  came  in  1834. 
The  next  year,  1835,  Edward  Lester,  with 
his  five  sons — Marshall,  John,  Daniel,  Fred- 
erick and  Lewis — came  to  the  place  from  the 


|  State  of  New  York;  also  two  brothers,  Charles 
j  H.  and  Hiram  Hoit,  and  George  Bouse,  came 
from  the  Eastern  States,  and  Young  America 
seemed  to  hold  her  own  with  Young  Ger- 
many, but  soon  again  the  latter,  coming  in 
great  force,  took  the  lead.  J.  H  Schmidt, 
and  his  son,  H.  Schmidt,  Jr.,  and  Mr.  Buch- 
ols,  who  was  subsequently  killed  at  the  rais- 
ing of  Mr.  Plagge's  log  cabin  in  1838,  all 
came  in  1835,  and  the  next  year,  Henry  D. 
Fischer,  J.  L.  Franzen,  B.  Kaler,  D.  S.  Dun- 
ning, Frederick  Stuenkle,  the  Banum  broth- 
ers, J.  Bertram,  S.  D.  Pierce,  C.  W.  Martin, 
B.  F.  Fillmore,  came  to  the  settlement;  and 
the  next  year,  1837,  Conrad  Fischer,  father 
of  Henry  D. ,  also  Frederick  J.  and  August, 
two  of  his  brothers,  and  William  Asche,  came 
to  the  place. 

The  famous  old  tavern  known  as  the  Buck- 
horn  was  opened  the  same  year,  by  Charles 
Hoit.  It  stood  on  the  Galena  road,  two  miles 
west  of  Salt  Creek.  It  did  a  thriving  busi- 
ness, the  farmers  to  the  west  as  far  as  Bock 
River  being  guests  at  the  place  on  their  way 
to  and  from  Chicago  to  market  their  produce. 
Teams  also  came  from  Galena,  loaded  with 
lead,  a  heavy  article  to  pull  through  the 
sloughs  that  intervened  between  the  two 
places.  As  prices  range  now  for  every  kind 
i  of  supply,  a  teamster  would  find  his  bills 
payable  larger  than  his  bills  receivable,  if  he 
had  lead  given  to  him  free,  and  hauled  it  to 
Chicago  to  sell  at  the  going  price,  if  he  paid 
common  hotel  fare  and  allowed  the  customary 
rates  for  the  use  of  his  horses  and  pay  for  his 
own  time;  but  conditions  were  different  then. 
His  horses  bated  on  the  prairie  for  rough  feed, 
and  ate  their  allowance  of  corn  or  oats  from 
the  feed  trough  attached  to  the  wagon,  which 
was  brought  from  the  farm  from  whence  they 
came.  The  owner  of  the  team  slept  in  his 
I  wagon,  except  in  very  cold  weather,  and 
!  brought  a  portion  of  his  food  from  home,  pat- 


ADDISON  TOWNSHIP. 


287 


ronizing  the  tavern  for  only  an  occasional  meal, 
or  for  hay  for  his  horses,  when  the  prairie 
did  not  furnish  grass,  which  was  from  the 
time  of  its  being  burnt  over  in  the  fall  till 
the  following  June. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  Salt  Creek  re- 
ceived its  name.  A  teamster  named  John 
Reid,  from  Onoida  County,  N.  Y.,  was  em- 
ployed to  haul  lead  from  Galena  to  Chicago, 
and  on  one  of  his  trips,  loaded  back  with  salt, 
and,  in  crossing  this  stream,  got  "  stuck  "  in 
the  mud.  The  water  was  high,  flooded  his 
load  and  melted  it  away  ere  he  could  get  help 
to  pull  it  out.  The  consequence  was  that  the 
creek  ran  brine  for  a  few  hours,  and  received 
a  name  which  is  also  a  memento  of  the  early 
toils  of  the  teamster. 

Everything  was  cheap  then,  and  a  hotel  or 
anything  else  could  be  carried  on  at  but  tri- 
fling expense.  If  the  income  was  small,  the 
outgoes  were  still  smaller.  Ten  cents  for  the 
hay  for  a  horse  during  the  night,  and  15  cents 
or  20  cents  for  a  meal  for  the  teamster,  were 
ordinary  charges. 

All  other  charges  were  proportionate,  in- 
cluding the  expense  incurred  for  dispensing 
the  early  Gospel.  Divine  services  were  held  in 
sehoolhouses,  or  sometimes  in  private  houses. 

The  Germans  who  settled  this  township 
were  Lutherans.  Rev.  Koschon  was  their 
first  preacher.  Services  were  sometimes  held 
in  the  house  of  Mr.  Schmidt.  He  remained 
pastor  for  about  two  years,  when  his  place  was 
supplied  by  Francis  Hoffman,  the  same  who 
subsequently  opened  a  bank  in  Chicago  in 
connection  with  Mr.  Gelpke.  He  now  owns 
the  model  farm  of  the  State  of  Wisconsin. 
Mr.  Hoffman  was  schoolmaster,  as  well  as 
preacher,  and  the  old  log  cabin  where  he  gave 
the  rudiments  of  science  to  the  young  gener- 
ation of  his  time  stood  where  the  house  of 
Lewis  Schmidt  now  stands,  in  Addison  Vil- 
lage. 


The  village  of  Addison  is  situated  on  Sec- 
tions 21  and  28,  on  the  east  side  of  Salt 
Creek.  Its  elevation  above  Lake  Michigan 
is  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet. 

It  was  one  of  the  early  settlements  of  the 
township,  and,  as  these  settlements  progressed, 
became  a  central  point  for  a  village,  post 
office  and  stores  to  accommodate  them.  But 
the  chief  elements  of  a  village  in  the  place 
are  its  educational  institutions,  the  history 
of  which,  together  with  that  of  the  church, 
will  constitute  substantially  the  history  of  the 
village  itself. 

GERMAN  EVANGELICAL  LUTHERAN  CHURCH. 

'  The  first  German  settler  came  to  Addison, 
then  known  as  Duncklee's  Grove,  in  1834. 
As  long  as  a  public  ministry  was  not  estab- 
lished with  them,  they  would  assemble  on 
Sundays  for  prayer  and  devotional  reading 
at  their  own  homes,  going  the  rounds  in  the 
neighborhood.  "  Later,  they  had  occasional 
visits  of  clergymen.  In  November,  1842,  a 
congregation  was  organized,  about  twenty 
families  joining,  some  of  Reformed,  some  of 
Lutheran  persuasion.  Accordingly,  they 
adopted  the  name  of  the  German  Reformed 
Lutheran  Congregation.  Forty-eight  acres 
were  purchased  as  a  site  for  a  church,  parson- 
age and  cemetery.  The  membership  increas- 
ing, a  Lutheran  minister,  Rev.  E.  A.  Brauer, 
was  called  in  November,  1847,  and  by  a  unani- 
mous vote  it  was  resolved  no  longer  to  be  a 
mixed,  but  a  truly  Lutheran  Church.  The 
new  name,  the  German  Evangelical-Lutheran 
Congregation,  was  adopted.  In  the  follow- 
ing year,  the  Reformed  members  severed  their 
connection  and  organized  a  new  church,  re- 
ceiving from  the  Lutheran  congregation 
$170  in  return  for  their  former  contributions, 
and  $65  for  their  share  of  church  property. 

Following  is  the  confession  of  faith  of  the 
congregation,  as  contained  in  Section  2  of  ita 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


constitution :  "As  such  (a  Lutheran  Church) 
the  congregation  professes  the  holy  and  di- 
vine word  of  the  Old  and  the  New  Testa- 
ments, as  the  doctrine  of  the  same  is  laid 
down  in  the  public  confessions  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Lutheran  Church,  viz.,  the  three  ec- 
umenical symbols,  the  unaltered  Augsburg 
confession,  the  apology  of  the  latter,  the 
Smalealdiaii  Articles,  the  two  catechisms  of 
Luther,  and  the  Formula  of  Concord.  By 
the  rule  of  these  confessions,  since  they  are 
taken  from  the  Word  of  God,  all  doctrinal 
and  religious  disputes  that  may  arise  in  our 
midst  shall  be  decided." 

The  congregation  now  owns  a  large  brick 
church,  42x85  feet,  steeple  150  feet  high, 
which  was  dedicated  to  its  sacred  purposes 
December  11,  1861.  It  was  built,  furnished 
and  provided  with  pipe  organ  at  an  expense 
of  about  $12,000.  Adjoining  the  church  is 
a  spacious  parsonage,  valued  at  nearly  $4,000. 

The  members  are  scattered  over  a  district 
foturteen  miles  long  and  twelve  miles  wide. 
The  congregation  is  subdivided  into  four  dis- 
tricts, three  of  which  support  one  school  each, 
and  one  two  schools,  one  of  the  latter  graded 
into  three  classes.  All  expenses  for  support 
of  church  and  schools  are  provided  for  by 
voluntary  contributions  of  the  individual 
members,  now  numbering  over  two  hundred 
families. 

The  pastors  in  charge  from  1847  were: 
Rev.  E.  A.  Branor,  till  1856,  when  he  accept- 
ed the  call  of  the  Lutheran  congregation  at 
Pittsburgh,  Penn. ;  Rev.  A.  G.  G.  Francke, 
till  January  3,  1879,  when  he  was  called  off 
by  death;  Rev.  T.  I.  Grosse,  who  is  still 
pastor  at  present. 

The  congregation  strictly  insists  on  having 
the  children  of  its  fold  instructed  and  edu- 
cated in  the  parochial  schools  of  the  four  dis- 
tricts, presided  over  by  six  male  teachers  and 
one  female  teacher.  The  number  of  pupils 


at  present  is  about  three  hundred  and  fifty- 
five.  Both  the  English  and  the  German  lan- 
guages are  means  of  instruction,  it  being  the 
earnest  desire  of  the  congregation  that  tboir 
children,  whilst  retaining  their  mother 
tongue,  should  master  the  ruling  language  of 
the  country.  The  teachers  now  in  charge  of 
the  schools  are:  West  District,  Mr.  H.  Bart- 
ling  (since  1849),  Mr.  C.  Greve,  Miss  R 
Heidemann,  Mr.  A.  Meder;  East  District, 
Mr.  H.  Cluever:  North  District,  Mr.  E.  Rosen; 
South  District  (Elmhurst),  Mr.  A.  Bader. — 
H.  BAHTLING. 

GERMAN  EVANGELICAL  LUTHERAN  TEACHERS'  SEM- 
INARY. 

The  German  Evangelical  Lutheran  Teach- 
ers' Seminary  at  Addison,  Du  Page  Co.,  111., 
is  an  institution  for  educating  Evangelical 
Lutheran  parochial  teachers.  In  the  year 
1855,  several  Lutheran  pastors  and  teachers 
in  Milwaukee  privately  opened  this  normal 
school  there.  Two  years  later,  they  offered 
the  institution  to  the  German  Evangelical 
Lutheran  Synod  of  Missouri,  Ohio  and  other 
States.  The  offer  was  accepted,  and  the  sem- 
inary next  located  at  Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  in 
close  connection  with  the  Concordia  College, 
another  of  the  several  institutions  of  the 
synod.  A  Professor  was  appointed  by  the 
synod,  who  became  at  the  same  time  Director 
of  the  Seminary  Department,  and  who  was 
assisted  in  his  special  work  by  the  Professors 
of  the  college.  In  1861,  a  second  Professor 
for  the  seminary  was  called.  In  1863,  it  was 
thought  expedient  to  accept  an  invitation 
from  the  German  Evangelical  Lutheran  Con- 
gregation at  Addison,  111.,  to  permanently 
locate  the  seminary  in  their  midst.  One  year 
after  this,  the  necessary  buildings  for  sixty 
scholars  and  two  Professors,  with  their  fami- 
lies, were  erected,  viz. ,  a  main  building;  64x- 
40  feet,  containing  basement,  two  stories, 


ADDISON  TOWNSHIP. 


289 


and  a  high  and  airy  dormitory,  and,  north 
and  south  from  it,  two  wings,  each  32x15 
feet,  built  of  brick,  and  at  a  cost  of  upward 
of  $16,000.  Later,  as  the  number  of  stu- 
dents increased,  two  other  large  wings  were 
added,  first  one  to  the  north  and  then  one  to 
the  south,  each  at  the  cost  of  about  $10,000. 
The  entire  length  of  the  building  is  now 
about  208  feet.  The  faculty  at  present  con- 
sists of  six  regular  Professors — E.  A,  W. 
Krauss,  C.  A.  T.  Selle,  Karl  Brauer,  C. 
Hentzschel,  Th.  Brohro  and  E.  Homann — 
two  of  whom  teach  almost  exclusively  music 
— singing,  violin,  piano,  organ.  Two  of  the 
six  have  their  dwellings  in  the  main  build- 
ings; here,  also,  the  Steward,  Mr.  V.  von 
Dissen,  resides,  who  has  to  provide  the  stu- 
dents with  their  board.  Four  Professors  are 
supplied  with  spacious  and  comfortable  frame 
houses.  The  present  number  of  students  is 
about  one  hundred  and  thirty,  all  males.  In 
the  course  of  five  years,  they  are  taught  all 
the  branches  necessary  to  qualify  them  to 
become  teachers,  both  in  the  German  and 
English  languages,  and,  besides,  such 
branches  as  are  requisite  for  a  good  general 
education.  The  parochial  school,  which  is 
quite  near,  affords  them  the  necessary  oppor- 
tunity for  practical  exercises  in  teaching. 
By  the  liberality  of  the  synod,  they  receive 
their  tuition  and  lodgings  gratuitously;  the 
members  of  the  congregation  supply  them 
with  clean  linen,  and  for  board  they  have  to 
pay  but  very  little,  since  numerous  friends 
from  far  and  near  send  large  quantities  of 
provisions  to  the  seminary  kitchen.  The 
annual  number  of  alumni  varies  from  twelve 
to  twenty-five.  As  they  did  come  here  from 
all  parts  of  the  Union,  not  to  speak  of  those 
that  came  directly  from  Germany,  so  they  re- 
ceive calls  from  almost  all  parts  of  the  United 
States;  and  many  more  are  wanted  than  the 
institution  can  furnish.  The  Board  of  Su- 


pervisors for  the  seminary  consists  at  present 
of  Revs.  T.  J.  Grosse  and  H.  Wunder,  and 
Messrs.  E.  H.  W.  Leeseberg,  Henry  Oehler- 
king  and  T.  C.  Diener.— C.  A.  T.  SELLE. 

THE     GERMAN      EVANGELICAL      LUTHERAN     ORPHAN 
ASYLUM.' 

This  asylum  is  situated  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  German  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Teachers'  Seminary,  and  of  one  of  the  paro- 
chial schools  of  the  German  Evangelical  Lu- 
theran Congregation  of  Addison.  It  is  the 
joint  property  of  twenty-three  Lutheran  con- 
gregations and  societies  in  Northern  Illinois, 
eight  of  which  large  congregations  are  in 
Chicago.  This  association  commits  the  gen- 
eral management  of  its  business  to  a  board  of 
seven  persons,  elected  for  a  term  of  three 
years.  The  members  now  constituting  the 
board  are:  Rev.  T.  J.  Grosse,  of  Addison, 
President;  Prof.  C.  A.  T.  Selle,  of  Addison, 
Vice  President;  Rev.  F.  M.  Grosse,  of  Har- 
lem, Secretary;  Mr.  H.  Bartling,  of  Addison, 
Cashier;  Mr.  E.  H.  W.  Leeseberg,  of  Addi- 
son; H.  C.  Zuttermeister,  of  Chicago;  L  O. 
Piepenbrink,  of  Crete,  111.,  Trustees.  The 
orphan  house  is  under  the  superintendence 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Harmening,  assisted  by 
Mrs.  Nickel,  one  baker  and  five  servants. 

According  to  its  constitution,  the  Orphan 
House  Association  proposes  to  provide  for 
and  to  educate  orphans  and  half  orphans  that 
I  are  intrusted  to  the  same  to  such  purpose  by 
their  guardians  or  by  surviving  parent,  or  that 
God  sends  by  other  ways.  The  association 
educates  the  children  in  the  full  truth  of  the 
Divine  Word,  as  this  truth  is  intrusted  to  the 
Lutheran  Church,  and  thus  endeavors  to  lead 
them  to  the  Lord  Christ  and  to  heaven ;  but 
it  is  also  earnestly  solicited  to  prepare  its 
wards  for  a  blessed  and  hopeful  life  in  this 
world,  that  may  redound  to  the  honor  of  our 
own  great  God.  In  order  that  this  purpose 


2.90 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


may  be  accomplished  as  far  as  possible,  chil- 
dren must  be  committed  to  the  care  of  the  as- 
sociation till  they  are  eighteen  years  of  age. 
Up  to  the  time  when  they  are  confirmed,  they 
stay  in  the  orphan  house,  and  after  confir- 
mation, the  association,  through  its  officers, 
provides  suitable  situations  for  them — to 
work  as  servants,  to  learn  a  trade,  to  pursue 
studies  with  the  view  to  serving  the  church, 
it  being  understood,  however,  that  the  asso- 
ciation retains  the  exclusive  control  of  the 
children  up  to  the  completion  of  their  eight- 
eenth year.  Whenever  it  is  necessary  and 
practicable,  the  assoication  provides  for  the 
support  of  its  wards  also,  after  this  period. 
Orphans  are  received  irrespective  of  previous 
creed  of  parents,  or  of  creed  of  surviving 
parent.  (Constitution,  Section  4.) 

In  1873,  forty  acres  were  bought  for  $4,- 
425.  A  little  house  on  this  property  was  oc- 
cupied as  a  temporary  home  by  the  Superin- 
tendent and  six  orphans,  and  was*  dedicated 
October  11,  1873.  In  1874,  the  east  wing  of 
the  present  home  (one  and  a  half  stories 
high,  65x38  feet,  extension  30x28  feet)  was 
erected,  at  a  cost  of  $6,814. 27.  It  was  ded- 
icated October  28,  and,  at  that  date,  harbored 
eighteen  orphans.  In  1878,  the  main  build- 
ing, 50x50,  two  stories,  was  built,  and  was 
dedicated  November  7.  This  part  cost  $5,- 
122.25. 

From  October  11,  1873,  when  the  home 
was  opened,  till  June  28,  1882,  154  children 
were  received,  of  which  106  are  still  in  the 
institution;  five  died,  ten  were  returned  to 
their  relatives,  twenty-nine  serve  on  farms 
and  in  families,  and  four  are  now  preparing 
for  service  in  the  church — two  at  the  Addison 
Teachers'  Seminary,  two  at  Concordia  Col- 
lege, Fort  Wayne,  Ind. 

The  orphans  attend  the  graded  school  (three 
classes)  of  the  German  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Congregation-  Here  they  are  instructed  in 


the  Lutheran  faith,  German  and  English  lan- 
guages, and  in  all  common  branches. 

Funds  and  endowments  there  are  none. 
The  institution  depends  for  its  support  on 
voluntary  contributions.  The  cash  amount 
of  these  was,  in  1873,  $3,070.06;  in  1874, 
$6,095.03;  in  1875,  $2,870.24,  in  1876,  $3,- 
367.82;  in  1877, $3,893.85;  in  1878,  $5,815.- 
j  23;  in  1879,  $5,090.39;  in  1880,  $4,762.19; 
in  1881,  $4,808.60.  The  many  donations  of 
clothing,  provisions,  etc.,  are  an  essential 
source  of  income. — H.  BARTLINO. 

IMMANUEL'S  CHURCH. 

The  Immanuel's  Church  of  the  German 
Evangelical  Synod  was  founded  in  Addison 
in  1859,  under  the  pastoral  charge  of  Rev. 
C.  Braemer.  He  has  been  succeeded  by 
Eeva  C.  F.  Warth,  Phillip  Albert  and  Gus- 
tavus  Lambrecht,  the  latter  being  the  pres- 
ent pastor.  The  present  membership  of  this 
church  is  ninety  families. 

The  following  are  the  professional  and 
business  men  of  Addison: 

Eotermund  &  Weber,  general  store. 

F.  Triechler,  general  store. 

H.  Overcamp,  blacksmith. 

Charles  Harloff,  wagon- maker. 

J.  G.  Franke,  M.  D. 

Charles  Shulle,  meat  market. 

Henry  Schneider,  hotel. 

Charles  Strauchild,  harness -maker. 

John  Giehls,  custom  tailor. 

W.  Golterman,  custom  tailor. 

W.  Licht,  boot  and  shoe  maker. 

F.  Tuon,  wood -turner. 

W.  Holstein,  carpenter  and  builder. 

H.  Hoefener,  mason  and  plasterer. 

Louis  Stuenkel,  cheese  factory — 7,000  to 
8,000  pounds  of  milk  daily. 

Rev.  J.  Grosse,  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Church. 

H.  Bartling,  Postmaster  and  school  teacher. 


ADDISON  TOWNSHIP. 


291 


Cristian  Grerie,  school-teacher. 

C.  Kraus,  Director  of  Addison  Seminary. 

C.  Hantchell,  Professor  of  Addison  Semi- 
nar}-. 

E.  Sella,  Professor  of  Addison  Seminary. 

C.  Brauer,  Professor  of  Addison  Seminary. 

Th.  Brolum,  Professor  of  Addison  Seminary. 

E.  Homann,  Professor  of  Addison  Seminary. 

J.  Harmening,  Orphan  Father — 110  or- 
phans there  at  present. 

W.  Leseberg,  Justice  of  the  Peace  and 
Notary  Public. 

Itasca  is  a  pleasant  village  on  the  Chicago 
&  St.  Paul  Railroad,  at  its  crossing  of  a  trib- 
utary to  Salt  Creek.  Here  Dr.  Elijah  Smith 
settled  in  1841,  and  still  lives  at  the  place. 
He  platted  the  town  May  14,  1874.  The 
banks  of  the  stream  that  passes  through  it 
are  firm,  and  graduate  upward  from  it  on 
both  sides.  Its  elevation  above  Lake  Mich- 
igan is  170  feet  Dr.  Smith  gave  the  rail- 
road the  right  of  way  to  build  the  road 
through  the  place,  and  $400  toward  building 
the  depot. 

There  are  two  theories  as  to  the  origin  of 
the  name  Itasca.  If  it  has  an  Indian  deriva- 
tion, it  is  from  the  Ogibwa  dialect — la,  to 
be;  totash,  the  female  breast;  hence,  the  lake 
from  which  the  Mississippi  draws  its  first 
source  is  called  Itasca.  and  this  town  ia 
named  after  it. 

Another  theory  gives  the  name  a  Latin  or- 
igin— Veritas  caput,  true  head.  Itas,  in  the 
first  word,  and  ca,  in  the  last,  being  used  to 
signify  that  Itasca  Lake  is  the  true  head  of 
the  Mississippi  River.  Which  of  these  is 
the  true  root  of  the  word  the  writer  is  unable 
to  determine. 

The  following  are  the  business  men  of 
Itasca: 

Elijah  Smith,  physician. 

A.   G.    Chessman,   steam  power  for  grain  I 
elevator,  cheese  box  and  tub  factory. 


Henry  F.  Lawrence,  general  store. 

A.  G.  Chesman,  Postmaster. 

Chessman  &  Cramer,  carpenters  and  build- 
ers. 

Henry  Ahlenstorf,  boots  and  shoes. 

Ernst  Schroeder,  blacksmith  and  wagon- 
maker. 

Lewis  Magers,  grain  elevator,  coal  and 
lumber. 

William  Baruth,  general  store. 

Henry  Dragermuller,  blacksmith  and  wag- 
on-maker. 

August  Hartman,  meat  market. 

Hendricks  Bros.,  proprietors  of  cheese  and 
butter  factory;  5,000  gallons  of  milk  used 
daily;  200  pounds  of  butter  and  400  pounds 
of  cheese,  daily  production. 

Henry  Senne,  agricultural  implements. 

John  Holland,  mason. 

Haberstich  Godleib,  flax-dresser. 

M.  &  W.  Browne,  depot  masters. 

Salt  Creek,  or  Lester's,  is  a  station  on  the 
Chicago  &  St.  Paul  Railroad,  at  its  crossing 
of  Salt  Creek.  It  is  yet  very  new,  and  has 
but  one  store,  which  is  kept  by  F.  E.  Lester, 
who  is  Postmaster  at  the  place. 

It  has  a  cheese  factory,  owned  by  Mr. 
Lester. 

BENSENVILLE — BY  HERMAN    H.    KORTHAUER. 

The  present  site  of  Bensenville,  located  in 
Sections  13,  14  and  23,  was  purchased  by 
Dedrich  Struckmann,  T.  R.  Dobbins  and  Col. 
Roselle  M.  Hough,  of  John  Lemarche,  in 
1872;  shortly  after,  Hough's  interest  (one- 
fourth)  was  purchased  by  Frederick  Hener 
and  Henry  Korthauer. 

The  purchase  was  subdivided  in  1874,  two 
years  after  the  Chicago  &  Pacific  Railroad 
was  built,  and  a  post  office  obtained,  Henry 
A.  Glos  being  appointed  Postmaster.  It  had 
already  become  an  incorporated  village,  its 
p'at  recorded  bearing  date  of  October  10, 1873. 


292 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


In  1879,  the  Chicago  &  Pacific  Company 
becoming  insolvent,  the  road  was  purchased 
by  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Rail- 
road, a  change  greatly  beneficial  to  the  north- 
ern portion  of  the  county;  new  steel  rails 
were  substituted  for  the  old  track,  the  road- 
bed raised,  new  buildings  erected  and  in- 
creased facilities  given. 

The  water  supply  being  insufficient,  the 
Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Company 
contracted  with  W.  H.  Gray,  of  Jefferson, 
Cook  Co. ,  111. ,  a  professional  borer  of  arte- 
sian wells,  for  an  artesian  well.  Work  was 
commenced  August  1,  1881,  and,  after  five 
months'  continuous  labor,  day  and  night,  and 
an  expense  of  $5, 000,  it  was  sunk  to  the  depth 
of  21, 198  feet  8  inches,  the  greater  portion 
of  the  distance  being  through  solid  rock. 

The  water  obtained,  on  analysis,  proved  to 
be  almost  chemically  pure. 

It  rises  thirty-eight  feet  above  the  surface, 
and  has  a  temperature  of  sixty-eight  degrees 
Fahrenheit,  flowing  about  one  hundred  gal- 
lons per  minute. 

The  village  has  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 
residents,  the  majority  of  whom  are  German. 

This  is  the  largest  village  in  the  town  of 
Addison,  and  the  most  important  station  be- 
tween Chicago  and  Elgin. 

The  location  is  high,  and  an  abundance  of 
good  water  is  found  at  a  depth  of  about 
twenty  feet. 

The  dairy  interests  of  Bensenville  and  vi- 
cinity are  by  far  the  most  important.  Over 
three  hundred  thousand  gallons  of  milk  are 
shipped  annually  to  Chicago,  and  double  that 
amount  is  manufactured  into  butter  and 
cheese.  During  1881,  150,000  pounds  of 
butter  and  nearly  400,000  pounds  of  cheese 
were  made  here. 

Bensenville  is  the  home  office  of  the  Ad- 
dison Farmers'  Mutual  Insurance  Company. 

This  company  was  incorporated  on  the  3d 


of  March,  1855,  for  a  term  of  twenty-five 
years,  Diedrich  Struckmann,  Henry  Roter- 
mund,  Frederick  Schmidt,  John  E.  Kiessling 
and  John  H.  Franzen  being  the  charter  mem- 
bers. 

The  first  officers  were:  William  Roter- 
mund,  President;  Benjamin  F.  Filmore,  Sec- 
retary ;  Henry  Rotermund,  Treasurer ;  Dr. 
A.  W.  Heise,  D.  Struckmann,  Frederick 
Schmidt  and  H.  Rotermund,  Directors. 

In  March,  1879,  the  charter  was  extended 
thirty  years,  or  to  1909. 

Since  the  establishment  of  the  company, 
business  has  increased  steadily  from  year  to 
year,  all  losses  have  been  promptly  paid,  and 
the  affairs  managed  satisfactorily  to  the  mem- 
bers. 

There  are  now  in  force  2,022  policies, 
insuring  $2,338,352  of  property. 

The  present  assets  are  over  $125,000. 

A  general  meeting  of  the  members  occurs 
annually,  on  the  second  Saturday  in  January. 

The  quarterly  meeting  of  Directors  is  held 
on  the  second  Saturday  in  January,  April, 
July  and  October. 

The  officers  for  the  current  year  (1882)  are: 
Henry  Bosenberg,  President;  Herman  H. 
Korthauer,  Secretary;  Barney  L.  Franzen, 
Treasurer;  H.  Bosenberg,  B.  L.  Franzen, 
Henry  L.  Glos,  L.  Wolf,  Phillip  Bohlander, 
John  Longguth  and  Henry  Kolze,  Directors. 

The  first  church  in  Addison  Township  was 
organized  in  1837  by  Rev.  E.  Benberger. 

For  three  years,  the  services  were  held  in 
a  small  log  house  on  Louis  Schmidt's  farm. 

In  1840,  Rev.  F.  A.  Hoffmann  assumed 
charge;  there  being  no  house  provided  for 
the  pastor,  he  was  obliged  to  live  with  the 
members,  moving  weekly  from  house  to  house. 
During  1840,  a  frame  building  was  erected 
near  the  present  site  of  the  Evangelical  Lu- 
theran Church,  where  services  were  held  un- 
til 1847. 


ADDISON  TOWNSHIP. 


293 


In  1847,  Kev.  Hoffmann  severed  his  connec- 
tion with  the  church,  and  Rev.  Ernest 
Brauer,  a  Lutheran  minister,  was  installed, 
with  the  understanding  that  the  services  were 
to  be  conducted  as  formerly  to  suit  both  fac- 
tions of  the  congregations,  one  portion  of 
which  was  Lutheran  and  the  other  Reformed 
Lutheran. 

About  six  months  after,  it  became  evident 
that  the  union  services  could  not  be  contin- 
ued; accordingly,  a  division  took  place,  the 
Lutherans  retaining  possession  of  the  church, 
and  the  Reformed  Lutherans,  twenty-one  in 
number,  organizing  under  the  name  of  the 
Evangelical  St.  Johanne's  Society. 

The  names  of  the  first  members  were  Henry 
Hoppenstadt,  Fred  Federke,  Barney  H. 
Landmeier,  J.  H.  Schoppe,  J.  G.  Landmeier, 
Fred  Heine,  H.  Kolze,  Fred  Volberding,  G. 
Eitermann,  W.  Niemeyer,  John  H.  Franzen,  J. 
H  Korthauer,  H.  Kirchhop,  Christian  Dunter- 
mann,  J.  B.  Schoppe,  H.  Volberding,  John 
Franzen,  H.  Hartman,  J.  H.  Duehna,  G.  H. 
Frazen,  F.  Dierking. 

A  church  was  built  in  the  winter  of  1849- 
50,  in  Section  12.  The  first  pastor  of  the 
new  congregation  was  Rev.  Wucherer,  who 
died  one  year  after  taking  charge.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  Ulrich  Moecklin,  who  re- 
mained until  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
1868.  Rev.  Peter  Lehmann  then  assumed 
charge,  and  was  their  pastor  until  1880. 
Under  his  pastorate,  a  handsome  church,  a 
parsonage,  schoolhouse  and  a  dwelling  for 
the  school  teacher  was  built,  eighteen  acres  of 
land  purchased,  besides  expending  a  large 
sum  in  beautifying  the  church  grounds  and 
cemetery. 

Rev.  Mr.  Lehmann  resigned  in  1880, 
and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Bower,  who 
is  the  present  pastor.  The  church  is  in 
a  flourishing  condition,  having  over  400 
members. 


The  following  is  a  list  of  the  business  and 
professional  men: 

C.  A.  Franzen,  lumber,  grain,  coal,  flour 
and  feed. 

P.  J.  Tiedemann,  dry  goods,  groceries, 
crockery,  etc. 

Christian  Hiebenthal,  Postmaster,  grocer- 
ies, boots  and  shoes. 

Hermann  H.  Korthauer  (Notary  Public), 
stoves,  agricultural  implements  and  general 
hardware. 

Henry  Ernsting,  merchant  tailor. 

Herman  Fiebrandt,  tinner,  also  dealer  in 
hardware,  etc. 

Louis  Harkmann,  hotel. 

Christian  Koch,  hotel. 

Louis  Schroeder,  blacksmith. 

Charles  Martin,  blacksmith. 

Charles  Sandhagen,  wheelwright. 

Henry  Wellner,  furniture,  burial  cases. 

Frank  Ort,  harness,  saddles,  etc. 

Christian  Bauche,  mason. 

Henry  Schmidt  and  Louis  Biermann, 
manufacturers  of  tow. 

August  Seuf,  butcher. 

Frank  Hornbostle,  butcher. 

William  Struckmeyer,  butter  and  cheese. 

Gustaf  Gutche,  shoemaker. 

Frederick  H.  Bates,  M.  D.,  physician  and 
surgeon. 

A.  D.  Swenson,  V.  S.,  veterinary  surgeon. 

The  town  of  Addison  occupies  the  extreme 
northeastern  corner  of  Du  Page  County.  Its 
surface  is  generally  quite  level,  but  its  drain- 
age good,  as  its  elevation  is  sufficient  to  make 

O        O 

it  so.  Its  soil  is  of  the  best  quality,  produc- 
ing corn,  oats  and  other  cereals  in  great  abun- 
dance. But  the  dairy  business  is  getting  to 
be  its  chief  agricultural  interest.  The  ex- 
tensive groves  of  this  town  have  been,  and  are 
I  still,  of  great  value  to  the  farmers,  affording 
abundance  of  lumber  for  fencing,  as  well  as 
a  large  supply  of  fuel.  They  have  also 


294 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY. 


served  a  valuable  purpose  in  modulating 
the  extremes  of  summer  and  winter,  and 
have  proved  a  substantial  inducement  to 
settlers. 

There  are  now  live  school  districts  in  the 


have  been  built,  which,  together  with  the  lit- 
erary institutions  of  the  village  of  Addison, 
place  the  town  high  in  the  scale  of  scholastic 
education.  The  school  census  shows  the  num- 
ber of  persons  between  the  ages*  of  six  and 


town,  in  each  of  which  good  schoolhouses  |  twenty-five  in  the  town  to  be  525. 


PART  II. 


TCHES, 


PART  II. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 


ETAPERYILLE  TOWNSHIP. 


FRANCIS  P.  ABBOTT,  farmer,  P.  O.  Na- 
perville,  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  born  in  the  year 
1832,  and  received  but  a  limited  schooling.  In 
1851,  he  came  to  the  United  States,  and  in 
October  of  that  year  to  Du  Page  County,  111., 
and  worked  on  a  farm  by  the  month  for  two 
years  and  four  months  for  one  man,  and  then 
some  six  years  he  lived  with  his  mother  and 
sister,  and  worked  at  odd  jobs.  He  then 
rented  a  place,  and  began  farming  on  his  own 
account,  renting  some  eight  years.  He  then 
bought  a  place  of  his  own,  and  in  1868  came 
to  his  present  place,  which  contains  100  acres 
located  three  and  one-half  miles  northwest  of 
Naperville.  March  29,  1864,  he  married  Miss 
Tamar  Simpson,  a  native  of  New  York.  She 
came  to  Du  Page  County  with  her  parents. 
By  the  marriage  there  are  two  children — Arthur 
E.  and  Nora  M.  He  is  Republican  in  politics. 

MARTIN  BROWN,  merchant,  Naperville,  is 
a  native  of  Lancaster  County,  Penn.,  born  Au- 
gust 3.  1831,  and  is  the  third  in  a  family  of  five 
children  born  to  David  and  Mary  (Fry)  Brown, 
natives  of  Lancaster  County,  Penn.;  their 
parents  were  also  born  in  Lancaster  County  ; 
David  and  Mary  were  married  in  Lancaster 
County,  where  she  died  in  1838,  leaving  five  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  are  now  living,  and  grown  up. 


About  1839,  David  married  Elizabeth  Clinson, 
a  native  of  Lancaster  County.  He  was  a  black- 
smith by  trade,  but  during  the  last  nine  years 
of  residence  in  Pennsylvania  he  followed  farm- 
ing. In  1&44,  he  came,  with  his  family,  in 
company  with  thirteen  other  families,  to  Naper- 
ville, 111.,  the  company  being  induced  to  settle 
in  this  neighborhood  by  Bishop  Seibert,  of  Lan- 
caster County,  who  had  traveled  as  missionary 
in  this  vicinity.  The  party  bought  land  here, 
•and  Mr.  Brown  farmed  until  about  1867,  when 
he  sold  his  place.  In  1865,  he  engaged  in  mer- 
cantile business  with  his  son,  Martin,  and  was 
connected  in  mercantile  business  in  all  about 
five  years,  and  lived  retired  thereafter  until  his 
death,  November,  1875.  Mrs.  B.  is  living  here 
in  Naperville.  Five  children,  all  of  whom  are 
living.  He  served  as  Road  Commissioner  in 
Naperville  Township;  also  Assessor.  Was  a 
member  of  the  Evangelical  Church.  Our  sub- 
ject lived  at  home  until  the  spring  of  1851, 
when  he  went  to  Chicago  and  engaged  as  clerk 
in  the  general  goods  business,  wholesale  and 
retail,  where  he  remained  two  years.  He  then 
determined  to  go  to  California,  and  went  via 
New  York  and  Nicaragua  route,  arriving  at 
San  Francisco  March  24,1853.  Remained  a 
little  over  two  years,  engaged  in  mining,  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


had  fair  success.  Returned  to  Naperville,  and 
worked  on  the  farm  for  four  years.  He  had 
sent  money  home,  which  was  invested  in  land, 
and  had  to  wait  until  he  improved  it  in  order 
to  realize  upon  it,  which  he  did,  and  in  1860 
engaged  as  clerk  for  Mr.  Yount,  and  continued 
about  two  years.  He  then,  with  his  father, 
bought  out  the  business  of  Mr.  Yount,  and 
continued  about  two  years,  when  Mr.  Brown, 
ST.,  withdrew  and  Mr.  E.  Holler  became 
a  partner,  and  continued  five  years,  Mr.  M. 
Brown  being  the  sole  proprietor  since.  In 
1856,  he  married  Miss  Catharine  C.  Rickert, 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who  died  in  October, 
1869,  leaving  three  children— Emma,  Lincoln 
and  Mary.  In  1871,  he  married  Miss  Mary  A. 
Barr,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who  has  borne 
two  children — Clarence  and  Irvin.  Has  been 
connected  with  the  Evangelical  Church  since 
1843. 

B.  B.  BOECKER,  grain  and  coal  dealer, 
Naperville,  is  a  native  of  Prussia,  born  in 
1840,  and  lived  in  his  native  land  about  twenty 
years ;  received  a  fair  education,  including  a 
high  school  course.  At  the  age  of  sixteen, 
he  began  clerking,  and  at  nineteen  he  went 
into  the  army  and  served  as  volunteer  one 
year.  In  I860,  he  came  to  the  United  States 
and  vicinity  of  Naperville,  where  a  friend  lived, 
and  worked  several  years  on  a  farm.  He  then 
went  to  Germany  and  married  Miss  Annie 
Ohn ;  returned  to  Naperville  and  farmed  two 
years.  He  then  sold  his  farm  and  engaged 
in  the  lumber  business  and  hay  press ;  con- 
tinued nine  years ;  sold  out  and  bought  his 
present  business  ;  has  served  as  Alderman  and 
Mayor,  and  is  now  the  Supervisor  of  Lisle 
Township.  He  deals  in  grain  and  coal,  and  is 
doing  a  very  thriving  business.  He  has  three 
children —Theodore,  Adolphine  and  Arnold. 
He  is  a  Democrat. 

D.  C.  BUTLER,  clerk,  with  W.  Scott  &  Co., 
Naperville,  was  born  in  Burlington,  Vt.,  in 
1825,  son  of  Roswell  and  Ruth  (Worden)  But- 


|  ler,  natives  of  Vermont,  in  which  State   they 
were  married.     Roswell  Butler  was  engaged  in 
the  lumber  business  and  conducted  a  farm.    He 
I  was  also  interested  in  a  paper-mill  and  a  flour- 
mill  ;  he  died  about  the  year  1830  ;   his  wife 
came  West  about  1849  or  1850,  and  lived  in 
Naperville  with  her  sister,  Mrs.  H.  L.  Peaslee, 
i  until  her  death,  which  occurred  about  the  year 
1868.     The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  a 
common  school  education,  and  afterward  took 
an  academic  course.     In  May,  1838,  he  came 
to  Naperville  with  his  brother-in-law,  Mr.  H.  L. 
Peaslee,  and  assisted  in  the  latter's  store  till 
1840,  when   he  returned  to  Vermont  and  at- 
tended school  two  years.     He  then  moved  to 
Chicago,  where  he  clerked  in  a  grocery  store 
two  years  ;  thence  to  Naperville,  and  again  en- 
gaged with  Mr.   Peaslee,  remaining  with   him 
until  he  sold  out  his  business,  about  the  year 
1853,  and  continuing  on  five  years  longer  in  the 
same  store  in  the  employ  of  Mr.  Peaslee's  suc- 
cessor.    In  1858,  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
H.  L.  Peaslee,  and  conducted  a  general  store 
for  a  year.     In  1861,  he  engaged  as  Sutler  in 
;  the  Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry,  but  afterward  sold 
;  his  business  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  to  Col.  Bev- 
|  eridge.  and  returned  to  Naperville  and  engaged 
!  in  the  hardware  business  two  years.     He  after- 
:  ward  engaged  as  clerk  for  Robert  Naper  tor 
two  years,  and  for  two  years  longer  with  Na- 
per's  successors,  then  as  book-keeper  for  the 
Chicago  Ale  and  Malt  Company  four  years. 
He  then  returned  to  Naperville,  clerked  two 
years  in  grocery  business  for  L.  G.  Kent,  and 
then  engaged  with  W.  Scott  &  Co.,  with  which 
firm  he  has  since  been  employed.     In  1851.  he 
married  Freedom  Herrick,  a  native  of  Vermont, 
who  came  to  Naperville  with  her  mother  about 
1  the  year  1849.     Mr.   Butler  has  been  School 
;  Trustee  two  terms,  and  was  President  of  the 
Board  of  Naperville  for  the  year  1862. 

DR.  J.  A.  BELL,  of  the  firm  of  Drs.  Bell 
&  Nauman,  Naperville,  is  a  native  of  Morgan 
County,  Ohio,  born  March  19,  1838  ;  came  to 


NAPERVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 


Illinois  with  his  parents  about  the  year  1853, 
and  settled  in  Knox  County.  He  received  his 
education  at  Hedding  Seminary,  of  Abingdon, 
Knox  County,  and  began  reading  medicine  in 
1858  with  Dr.  Andrew  McFarland,  Superintend- 
ent of  the  Insane  Asylum  of  Jasksonville,  111., 
under  whose  tuition  he  remained  until  1861. 
In  that  year,  he  enlisted  in  the  Tenth  Illinois 
Infantry  ;  was  detailed  as  Assistant  Surgeon 
in  the  general  hospital  at  Cairo  ;  served  in  that 
capacity  and  on  detached  duty  until  December, 
1861  ;  then  served  in  the  field  until  August, 
18(52,  when  he  resigned  his  position  and  re- 
turned to  Jacksonville  ;  thence  he  went  to 
Cambridge,  111.,  where  he  practiced  his  profes- 
sion until  1866,  and  in  1868  came  to  Naperville, 
where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  medicine ;  since  he  came  to  Naperville,  he 
has  taken  the  degree  of  M.  D.  at  the  Hahne- 
niiinn  Homoeopathic  Medical  College  of  Chicago. 
In  1861,  he  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Eagle,  a 
native  of  England,  who  came  to  the  United 
States  with  her  parents,  and  settled  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  Jacksonville,  111.  From  this  union 
two  children  have  been  born.  The  Doctor  is  a 
member  of  the  Illinois  State  Institute  of 
Homoeopathy. 

BISHOP  BARTHOLOMEW,  farmer,  P.  0. 
Warrensville,  is  a  native  of  Whitehall,  Wash- 
ington County.  N.  Y.,  and  was  born  in  the  year 
1817  ;  he  was  raised  on  the  farm,  and  received 
a  common  school  education.  In  1837,  he  came 
West ;  he  went  on  the  Erie  Canal  to  Buffalo,  to 
Detroit  by  the  lakes,  and,  in  company  with  sev- 
eral others,  drove  by  team  to  Lake  Michigan, 
thence  to  Chicago  by  boat ;  he  had  $75  when 
he  landed  in  Chicago,  and  felt  that  he  would 
not  give  his  $75  for  the  town.  He  footed  it  to 
Xaperville,  and  stopped  with  Mr.  Z.  Jones,  who 
was  formerly  neighbor  with  him  East.  In 
1838,  he  married  Elrnina  Jones,  daughter  of 
Mr.  Z.  Jones.  She  died  about  1848.  After 
his  marriage,  he  farmed  on  shares  a  number 
of  years,  and  then  bought  a  place  adjoining  his  | 


present  place,  but  afterward  traded  for  his 
present  place,  where  he  has  lived  for  the  past 
twenty-eight  years.  In  1850,  he  married  Miss 
Asenath  McFerren,  a  native  of  Vermont  ;  they 
were  married  in  New  York,  and  came  here  to 
Du  Page  County.  They  have  two  children — 
Henry  and  Nettie.  By  the  first  marriage  there 
were  three  children — Susan,  Darius  and  Emma. 
He  owns  200  acres  of  land  located  on  river, 
three  miles  of  Naperville.  He  is  a  Republican. 

AMOS  BUTZ,  farmer,  P.  0.  Naperville,  is  a 
native  of  Lehigh  County,  Penn.,  born  in  the 
year  1811,  was  raised  on  the  farm  and  received 
a  common-school  education.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-two,  he  married  Esther  Wenner,  a  native 
of  Lehigh  County,  Penn.  He  lived  at  home 
until  he  was  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  and  then 
bought  a  place  of  his  own,  which  he  farmed 
until  1845 ;  he  then  came  West  by  team  to 
Illinois,  and  stopped  about  a  month  at  Naper- 
ville, where  he  bought  his  present  place,  and; 
except  three  years'  residence  in  Naperville,  has 
lived  here  since.  He  owns  116  acres,  located 
one  and  a  half  miles  northwest  of  Naperville. 
He  is  a  Republican,  and  has  served  as  School 
Director  in  his  district  for  some  ten  or  twelve 
years.  By  the  marriage  there  have  been  six 
children,  five  of  whom  are  living — Abigail, 
George,  Owen  W.,  Aaron,  Eva  Louise,  Anna 
Eliza.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  As- 
sociation since  1835. 

PHILIP  BECKMAN,  harness,  hides  and 
leather,  Naperville,  is  a  native  of  Bavaria,  born 
in  1836,  and  received  a  common-school  educa- 
tion up  to  the  age  of  thirteen  ;  then  apprenticed 
to  his  trade,  and  served  three  years,  and  came 
to  America  and  stopped  nearly  two  years  in 
Cleveland  ;  thence  to  Chicago,  where  he  worked 
for  about  five  years.  In  1859,  he  came  to 
Naperville,  worked  as  jour  until  April,  1864,  for 
Martin  Ward,  when  he  bought  him  out,  and 
continued  to  the  present  time.  He  married 
Miss  Elizabeth  Pfeiffer  in  Chicago,  in  1858,  a 
native  of  Germany.  They  have  eight  children 


6 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


— Pauline,  Carl,  Mattie,  Ellen,  Libbie,  Lula, 
Bernice  and  Philip,  Jr.  Is  a  Republican. 

ANTONI  BAPST,  retired  blacksmith,  Na- 
perville,  was  born  September  25,1817,  in  Alsace, 
Germany  ;  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Ursal  Bapst. 
He  came  to  this  county  in  1846,  and  worked 
at  the  blacksmith's  trade  at  Naperville,  which 
he  began  at  the  age  of  sixteen.  In  1862.  he 
abandoned  the  business  and  moved  on  his 
present  farm  of  eighty  acres,  near  the  village, 
in  Naperville  Township.  He  was  for  a  few 
years  engaged  in  a  grocery  store  in  Naperville  ; 
was  married  in  1849  to  Caroline  Cooney,  who 
blessed  him  with  nine  children,  viz. :  Marv, 
Fannie,  Joseph,  Antoni,  Carrie,  Frank,  Louisa, 
Annie  and  Helen.  He  and  wife  are  the  arti- 
ficers of  their  own  fortune,  having  started  their 
married  life  with  $20.  They  are  members  of 
the  Catholic  Church. 

HON.  HIRAM  H.  CODY,  P.  0.  Naperville, 
is  a  native  of  Vernon  Center,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y. 
He  was  born  June  11,  1824,  and  is  the  son  of 
Hiram  Cody  and  Huldah,  n6e  Hitchcock.  His 
paternal  grandparents,  Samuel  Cody  and  Su- 
sannah, ne'e  Carroll,  were  among  the  pioneers 
of  Oneida  County.  The  former  was  a  soldier 
in  the  Revolutionar}-  army  ;  the  latter,  with 
pardonable  pride,  traced  her  lineage  to  Charles 
Carroll,  of  Carrolltou.  His  maternal  grand- 
parents. David  Hitchcock  and  Mercy,  nee  Gil- 
bert, formerly  of  Connecticut,  but  during  many 
years  residents  of  Hamilton,  Madison  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  were  universally  respected  for  their  many 
virtues.  Hiram's  parents  took  a  deep  interest 
in  his  early  eduaction,  and  intended  to  give 
him  the  advantage  of  a  thorough  course  of  study 
in  Hamilton  College,  five  miles  from  their  home. 
Their  design  was  that  he  should  enter  the  legal 
profession,  and  in  all  his  instruction,  both  at 
school  and  under  private  tuition,  this  purpose 
was  kept  in  view,  and,  being  well  known  to  him, 
made  a  very  deep  impression  upon  his  hopes 
and  aspirations  for  the  future.  A  sad  disap- 
pointment, however,  awaited  him.  His  father, 


who  was  engaged  in  mercantile  business,  was 
by  a  sudden  reverse  of  fortune  compelled  to  re- 
sume the  occupation  of  his  earl}-  life,  that  of 
shoemaking.  Hiram,  the  eldest  of  the  five 
children,  then  about  sixteen  years  of  age,  was 
expecting  to  enter  an  advanced  class  in  college 
the  following  year,  instead,  however,  he  volun- 
tarily left  his  school  and  assisted  his  father  in 
the  support  of  the  family,  pursuing  his  studies 
afterward  to  some  extent  under  private  instruc- 
tion. This  circumstance,  though  it  seemed  a 
great  calamity,  and  the  destroyer  of  his  highest 
hopes  and  aspirations  proved  to  him  a  blessing 
in  disguise,  by  inducing  his  removal  to  the 
West  and  settlement  in  Illinois.  In  1843,  with 
his  father's  family,  he  removed  to  Lisbon,  Ken- 
dall Co.,  111.,  and  one  year  later  the  family  set- 
tled at  Bloom ingdale,  Du  Page  County.  In 
1847,  Mr.  Cody  removed  to  Naperville,  having 
beenjelected  Clerk  of  the  County  Commissoners' 
Court  of  Du  Page  County.  Two  years  later, 
upon  the  adoption  of  the  constitution  of  1848, 
he  was  nominated  by  acclamation,  and  in  1849 
elected  the  first  County  Clerk  of  said  county, 
and  during  the  six  years  he  held  the  office 
he  applied  himself  to  the  study  of  law.  and 
finally,  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  after  which 
he  retired  from  public  life  and  devoted  him- 
self to  his  profession.  Politically,  his  views 
were  Democratic,  but  during  the  war  of  the  re- 
bellion his  earnest  efforts  and  eloquent  appeals 
in  behalf  of  the  Union  cause  will  ever  be  re- 
membered by  his  fellow-citizens,  and  it  was  to 
these  that  Du  Page  County  was  largely  indebt- 
ed for  her  brilliant  record  made  during  the  war. 
In  1861,  in  a  convention  assembled  without 
distinction  of  party,  he  was  nominated  and  af- 
terward almost  unanimously  elected  County 
Judge  of  Du  Page  County.  In  1869,  he  was 
elected  a  delegate  to  the  Constitutional  Con- 
vention, and  was  one  of  its  most  useful  mem- 
bers, being  elected  by  votes  irrespective  of 
party.  He  acted  with  a  small  number  of  inde- 
pendents who  in  the  convention  really  held  the 


NAPEKVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 


balance  of  power,  which  they  so  used  that  party 
spirit  was  more  nearly  banished  from  that  as- 
sembly than  from  any  deliberative  legislative 
body  that  ever  convened  in  Illinois.  He  was 
the  chairman  of  the  important  committee  on 
Revision  and  Adjustment.  In  1874,  he  was 
elected  to  succeed  the  Hon.  S.  Wilcox  as  Judge 
of  the  Fourth  Judicial  Circuit  of  Illinois  (com- 
posed of  the  counties  of  Kane,  Du  Page  and 
Kendall)  by  the  largest  majority  ever  given  in 
the  circuit,  every  town  in  his  own  county  giv- 
ing him  a  majority,  and  in  the  three  south 
towns,  which  have  been  his  home  since  1847, 
out  of  a  total  vote  of  1,021  he  received  1,007. 
During  his  official  term  as  Circuit  Judge,  the 
Appellate  Court  was  organized  and  the  State 
redistricted,  the  counties  of  Lake,  McHenry, 
De  Kalb  and  Boone  being  combined  with  Kane, 
Du  Page  and  Kendall,  forming  what  is  now 
known  as  the  Twelfth  Judicial  District.  At 
the  end  of  his  term,  the  Republicans  of  the  new 
circuit  held  a  convention  and  nominated  a  party 
ticket  for  the  three  Judges  then  to  be  elected, 
which  resulted  in  the  retirement  of  Judge  Cody 
from  the  bench,  though  he  was  largely  sup- 
ported as  an  independent  candidate  by  those  who 
were  opposed  to  making  political  nominations 
for  judicial  offices.  Although  the  district  had 
a  Republican  majority  of  about  12,000,  and 
was  well  organized,  the  Judge  lacked  but  about 
2,000  votes  of  being  successful  against  the 
regular  party  nomination.  Immediately  after 
the  election  in  1879,  he  commenced  the  practice 
of  his  profession  in  Chicago,  having  formed  a 
copartnership  with  Messrs.  B.  H.  and  N.  E. 
Gary,  the  firm  being  as  Gary,  Cody  &  Ga^, 
and  having  an  extended  and  rapidly  growing 
practice.  In  the  fall  of  1880,  Judge  Cody  was 
nominated  by  the  Democrats  first  for  the  office 
of  State  Senator  for  the  Fourteenth  Senatorial 
District,  and  soon  after  for  Representative  in 
Congress  for  the  First  Congressional  District, 
both  of  which  nominations  he  declined.  As  a 
Judge,  he  was  peculiarly  free  from  prejudices, 


and  his  thorough  investigation  of  the  law,  his 
clear  perceptions  and  his  careful,  deliberate 
and  correct  opinions  made  for  him  a  most  en- 
viable reputation  at  home  or  abroad.  During 
his  whole  term  as  County  Judge,  no  appeal  was 
|  ever  taken  from  his  decisions,  and  of  the  ap- 
j  peals  taken  during  his  term  as  Circuit  Judge 
over  81  per  cent  were  affirmed  by  the  Supreme 
Court.  Judge  Cody  was  married,  December 
31,  1846,  to  Miss  Philomela  E.  Sedgwick, 
daughter  of  Parker  Sedgwick,  M.  D.,  formerly 
of  Lowell,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  but  since  1843  a 
resident  of  Du  Page  County,  111.,  where  he  is 
widely  known  as  an  eminent  and  successful 
physician.  Mrs.  Cody  is  a  lady  of  intelligence 
and  refinement,  esteemed  for  her  earnest  piety 
and  her  true  womanly  qualities  ;  a  devoted 
wife  and  fond  mother.  They  have  from  early 
life  both  been  members  of  the  Congregational 
Church. 

HARLOW  CROSIER,  farmer,  P.  0.  Naper- 
ville,  111.,  is  a  native  of  Berkshire  County, 
Mass.,  born  in  the  year  1812  ;  was  raised  on 
the  farm  and  received  a  common-school  edu- 
cation. At  the  age  of  twenty,  he  apprenticed 
to  the  carpenter's  trade,  and  the  next  year  be- 
gan drawing  wages.  In  1837,  he  went  to  Ohio 
and  clerked  in  a  tavern  in  Mentor,  and  in  1839 
he  married  Miss  Mary  S.  Nowlen,  a  native  of 
New  York,  and  soon  after  the  marriage  came 
to  Naperville,  111.,  and  the  next  year  began 
farming  near  the  village,  and  about  two  years 
later  came  to  his  present  place,  where  he  has 
lived  since.  During  his  residence  here,  he  has 
worked  alternately  between  farming  and  build- 
ing, he  having  built  most  of  the  buildings  in 
this'  vicinity.  By  the  marriage  there  were  six 
children,  of  whom  five  are  living.  Mr.  Crosier 
is  a  Republican  in  politics.  He  owns  eighty- 
six  acres,  located  on  the  railroad,  three  miles 
west  of  Naperville. 

NATHANIEL  CRAMPTON,  farmer,  P.  0. 
Naperville,  was  born  in  Connecticut  in  1815  ; 
was  raised  on  the  farm,  received  a  very  limited 


8 


BIOGRAPHICAL : 


education,|and  at  the  age  of  twelve  years  moved 
to  Benson,  Vt.,  with  his  parents.  On  attaining  j 
his  majority,  he  came  West,  and  stopped  with 
Robert  Strong,  who  lives  in  Will  County,  111., 
near  the  Du  Page  County  line.  Here  he  re- 
mained for  a  time,  assisting  in  the  erection  of 
a  barn  ;  then  went  to  St.  Charles  and  took  a 
claim,  which  he  sold  next  season  ;  then  came 
to  this  county.  Here  he  bought  for  $400  a 
claim  of  160  acres,  located  four  miles  west  of 
Naperville,  on  the  Naperville  &  Oswego  road, 
where  he  lived  until  1878,  when  he  retired  from 
farm  life  and  moved  to  Naperville,  where  he 
has  since  resided.  On  the  farm  is  a  fine  grove, 
which  Mr.  Crampton  set  out  about  the  year 
1870.  In  1839,  he  married  Lucy  Dudley,  a 
native  of  Connecticut.  They  have  had  five 
children,  three  of  whom  are  living,  viz. :  Mil- 
ton, Rosetta  and  May.  Mr.  Crampton  is  a 
zealous  member  of  the  Congregational  Church ; 
has  held  the  office  of  Supervisor  for  his  town- 
ship and  President  of  the  Du  Page  County 
Agricultural  Society. 

EDGAR  G.  CRANE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Eola, 
111.,  is  a  native  of  Naperville  Township,  Du 
Page  Co.,  111.  He  was  born  in  the  year  1837, 
and  is  the  third  of  seven  children  born  to  David 
and  Catharine  W.  (Stolp)  Crane,  who  were  na- 
tives of  Wayne  County,  N.  Y.  They  came  West 
in  1835,  and  settled  on  the  present  place,  where 
he  lived  until  his  death,  June  2,  1849.  Mrs. 
Crane  lived  on  the  place  a  number  of  years, 
when  she  married  Mr.  Edgar  Galloway,  and 
moved  to  Wayne  County,  N.  Y.,  where  she  now 
lives.  Our  subject  was  raised  on  the  farm  ;  he 
received  a  common-school  course  of  study.  On 
becoming  of  age,  he  went  by  team  to  California, 
and  lived  there  and  in  Oregon  for  seven  j-ears. 
He  was  principally  engaged  in  mining.  In 

1866,  he  returned  home,  and,  in  the  spring  of 

1867,  went  to  Montana  and  mined  for  a  year  and 
a  half;  he  then  returned  and  bought  out  the 
heirs  to  the  place.     In  January.  1869,  he  mar- 
ried  Miss   Salinda    M.  Griswold,   a  native  of 


Wayne  County,  N.  Y.  By  the  marriage  there 
have  been  five  children,  of  whom  three  are  liv- 
ing— George  S.,  Edith  May  and  Charles  F.  He 
owns  243  acres  located  on  the  west  county  line, 
three  miles  northeast  of  Aurora. 

W.  M.  CRAMPTON,  farmer,  P.  0.  Naper- 
ville, is  a  native  of  Du  Page  County,  111.,  born 
in  the  year  1844,  and  is  the  third  of  five  chil- 
dren born  to  Nathaniel  and  Lucy  H.  (Dudley) 
Crampton.  Our  subject  was  raised  on  the  pres- 
ent place,  and  received  a  common-school  and 
academic  course  of  study.  In  1862,  he  entered 
the  Post  Quartermaster's  Department  as  clerk, 
and  was  located  at  Springfield,  Mo.  In  1864, 
he  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-sixth 
Illinois  Infantry,  Company  D,  and  became  Ser- 
geant of  his  company,  and  served  until  the  close 
of  the  war,  when  he  came  home  and  occupied 
one  of  his  father's  farms,  adjoining  the  present, 
and  farmed  there  until  1873,  when  he  went  by 
railroad  to  California,  and  lived  there  for  five 
years,  during  which  time  he  was  engaged  as  a 
clerk  with  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  Com- 
pany, and  located  at  Oakland  and  San  Fran- 
cisco, though  he  always  lived  in  the  latter 
place.  He  then  returned  East,  and  occupied 
the  present  place,  where  he  has  lived  since.  In 
1869,  he  married  Miss  Minnie  A.  Kimball,  a  na- 
tive of  Wisconsin  ;  she  came  to  Naperville,  111., 
with  her  parents.  By  the  marriage,  there  are 
two  children — Genevieve  and  Florence.  Mr. 
Crampton  is  Republican  in  politics.  In  Janu- 
ary, 1882,  he  was  elected  President  of  the  Du 
Page  Count}'  Agricultural  Society. 

M.  C.  DUDLEY,  attorney,  Naperville,  is  a 
native  of  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  born  October  7,  1820, 
and  is  the  fifth  of  a  family  of  nine  children 
born  to  Asa  and  Levina  (Olcott)  Dudley,  who 
were  natives  of  Vermont  and  Connecticut.  In 
May,  1839,  he  with  his  family,  wife  and  five  chil- 
dren, came  West  and  settled  in  Bloomingdale 
Township,  where  one  of  his  married  daughters, 
Mrs.  Kent  lived.  He  occupied  a  piece  of  land 
and  took  the  claim  and  bought  of  Government, 


NAPERVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 


and  farmed  the  same.  Mrs.  D.  died  in  winter 
1862-3,  after  which  he  lived  with  his  children, 
and  in  1868  died  at  the  home  of  his  daughter, 
near  Norwood  Park,  in  Cook  Count}'.  He  was 
aged  eighty -three,  and  was  one  of  the  early 
County  Collectors  ;  was  a  Baptist.  Our  sub- 
ject was  educated  in  New  York,  principally. 
He  early  began  clerking  in  a  general  merchan- 
dise store.  At  first,  when  he  came  West,  he 
assisted  on  the  farm,  and  began  teaching  ;  he 
then  worked  about  two  years  in  a  store  at 
Peoria,  when  he  returned  home  and  married 
Miss  Lucinda  Willey,  a  resident  of  Du  Page 
County  ;  then  entered  a  claim  and  followed 
farming  until  1853,  when  he  was  elected  County 
Clerk,  and  served  until  1861.  During  the 
latter  part  of  his  term  he,  in  company  with 
David  Hate,  engaged  in  general  merchandising 
in  Naperville,  firm  of  31.  C.  Dudley  &  Co.,  and 
continued  until  about  1868,  when  the  business 
was  closed  up.  In  1869,  Mr.  D.  was  elected 
County  Judge,  serving  until  1873,  since  which 
time  he  has  practiced  his  profession.  During 
his  terms  of  office,  he  read  law,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  practice.  While  County'  Judge,  he 
was  appointed  Master  in  Chancery.  His  busi- 
ness is  principally  in  that  and  the  County 
Court.  He  has  had  born  to  him  five  children, 
three  of  whom  are  dead,  the  other  two,  daugh- 
ters, are  living,  Ida  and  Eva.  He  is  a  Baptist 
and  a  Bepublican. 

ELI  H.  DITZLEB,  Naperville,  of  the  firm 
of  Ditzler  &  Hosier,  dealers  in  general  mer- 
chandise, was  born  in  Stark  County,  Ohio,  in 
1841,  second  child  of  a  family  of  four  born  to 
Jonathan  and  Esther  ( Alspaugh)  Ditzler,  natives 
of  Pennsylvania.  Jonathan  Ditzler,  who  was  a 
carpenter  by  trade,  removed  with  his  family  to 
this  county  in  1844  or  1845,  and  settled  in 
Naperville,  where  he  followed  his  trade  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  September  18,  1880. 
His  wife  is  still  living  on  the  old  homestead. 
Our  subject  received  a  fair  education,  and  at 
the  age  of  fifteen  engaged  as  clerk  in  the  gen- 


eral store  of  W.  Scott  &  Co.,  where  he  remained 
until  1861.  In  that  year,  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany E,  Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry.  Reserved  three 
years,  during  which  time  he  participated  in  the 
battles  of  Beverly  Ford,  Rappahanuock  Station, 
Fair  Oaks.  Gettysburg,  Boonesboro,  and  all  the 
other  engagements  in  which  his  regiment  took 
part.  During  his  last  year  of  service,  he  was 
detailed  as  Orderly  to  Gen.  Chapman.  In  Oc- 
tober, 1864,  he  returned  to  Naperville  and  re- 
sumed his  former  occupation  until  February, 
1867,  when  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
Joseph  Hilligas  in  a  general  merchandising 
business.  In  1870,  Mr.  Hilligas  sold  his  in- 
terest in  the  business  to  Alvin  Scott,  who,  in 
1873,  sold  to  Mr.  Hosier,  the  business  being 
since  conducted  under  the  firm  name  of  Ditzler 
&  Hosier.  In  the  spring  of  1882,  he  was  ap- 
pointed Treasurer  of  Lisle  Township;  has 
served  as  Village  Treasurer  for  some  time.  In 
1870,  he  married  Celia  A.  Babcock,  a  native  of 
Ohio,  and  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  a  res- 
ident of  Cook  County,  111.,  who  has  borne  him 
six  children,  viz.:  Hugh  W.,  H.  lone,  Wenona 
A.,  Guy  E.,  Lyman  B.,  J.  Elmo  and  Bell  Eloise. 
3Ir.  Ditzler  is  a  Republican,  and  polled  his  first 
vote  while  in  the  army. 

XAVIER  DRENDEL,  farmer,  P.  0.  Naper- 
ville, is  a  native  of  Alsace,  France,  now  Ger- 
many, and  was  born  in  the  year  1829.  He  was 
brought  up  a  farmer,  and  received  a  common 
school  education.  He  came  to  the  United 
States  of  America  in  the  year  1846  with  his 
parents.  Xavier  and  Theresa  (Rhode)  Drendel ; 
they  were  natives  of  France,  and  settled  in 
Milton  Township,  Du  Page  Co.,  111.,  and  they 
lived  there  a  number  of  years,  and  then  moved 
to  a  farm  near  by,  located  in  Lisle  Township, 
where  he  died  February  15,  1872.  Mrs.  Dren- 
del owns  the  old  homestead  in  Lisle,  and  lives 
with  her  son-in-law,  Mr.  Swartz.  Our  subject 
was  seventeen  years  of  age  when  his  folks 
came  to  the  United  States  of  America  ;  he  lived 
at  home  with  his  parents  until  he  was  twenty- 


10 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


five  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  California 
and  lived  there  two  years  ;  he  followed  mining, 
and  met  with  fair  success  ;  he  went  via  Pana- 
ma, and  returned  by  the  Nicaragua  route.  In 
the  fall  of  1857,  he  married  Miss  Elizabeth 
Winkler,  a  native  of  Alsace,  France  ;  she  came 
to  the  United  States  of  America  with  her  parents 
in  1845,  and  settled  in  Will  County,  111.  By 
the  marriage  there  have  been  eight  children, 
seven  of  whom  are  living,  four  boys  and  three 
girls.  After  his  marriage,  he  lived  on.  the  old 
homestead,  and  in  1869  came  to  his  present 
place,  and  has  lived  there  since.  He  owns  200 
acres  of  land  located  two  miles  west  of  Naper- 
ville.  He  is  a  Democrat. 

R.  H.  DICKINSON,  farmer,  P.  0.  Naper- 
ville,  is  a  native  of  Otsego  County,  N.  Y.,  born 
in  the  year  1834 ;  he  was  raised  on  the  farm 
and  received  a  common  school  education,  and 
taught  a  short  period,  on  becoming  of  age.  He 
began  business  on  his  own  account  as  news 
man,  and  two  years  later  he  became  Deputy 
Route  Agent  on  the  Syracuse,  Binghamton  & 
New  York  Railroad,  which  position  he  held 
until  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  Twenty- 
seventh  New  York  Volunteer  Infantry,  Com- 
pany D,  and  served  two  years.  He  was  in  the 
first  battle  of  Bull  Run  and  Gaine's  Mills.  After 
his  first  year's  service  he  was  detailed  as  Mail 
Agent  under  Gen.  Slocum.  After  he  was  mus- 
tered out,  he  remained  with  the  command  as 
News  Agent  a  number  of  months.  He  returned 
home  and  engaged  with  the  United  States  Ex- 
press Company  and  resided  in  Binghamton, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1868  came  West  prospect- 
ing, and  in  August  following  located  on  his 
present  place.  In  1863,  he  married  Miss  Edna 
R.  Bennett,  a  native  of  Broome  Count}-,  N.  Y. 
They  have  two  children — Lewis  E.  and  Lee  A. 
He  owns  100  acres  located  on  the  railroad,  two 
miles  west  of  Naperville. 

JOHN  DRISSLER,  grocer,  Naperville,  is  a 
native  of  Lehigh  County,  Penn.,  born  in'1813. 
His  parents  were  poor  and  his  education  was 


limited  to  one  month's  attendance  at  the  dis- 
trict school.  When  about  twelve  3Tears  of  age, 
began  working  among  his  neighbors.  When 
he  became  eighteen  years  of  age,  he  appren- 
ticed to  the  blacksmith  trade,  at  which  he 
served  two  years  and  a  half;  then  engaged  in 
farming  a  few  years,  after  which  he  followed 
teaming  about  ten  years.  In  1845,  he  came  to 
Naperville,  where  he  worked  a  farm  on  shares, 
and  also  engaged  in  teaming  to  Chicago.  From 
1851  to  1865,  he  was  engaged  in  the  furniture 
business,  keeping  also  a  stock  of  groceries,  and 
in  1865  sold  out  the  furniture  stock,  and  en- 
gaged in  the  grocery  business  exclusively.  In 
1876,  he  sold  out  his  business,  and  in  1880 
opened  his  present  place,  where  he  has  since 
been  engaged  in  the  grocery  trade.  In  1835, 
he  married  Mary  Gilbert,  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, who  died  March  8,  1872,  leaving  one 
child — William,  now  a  member  of  the  police 
force  in  Chicago.  In  May,  1874,  he  married 
Mrs.  Mary  Raisley,  formerly  Miss  Mary  Stucker 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  She  is  the  mother 
of  five  children,  one  boy  and  four  girls,  by  her 
first  marriage.  Mr.  Drissler  is  an  adherent  of 
the  Republican  party. 

GEORGE  EHRHARDT,  boots  and  shoes, 
Naperville,  of  the  firm  of  Ehrhardt  &  Brother, 
dealers  in  boots  and  shoes,  was  born  in  Alsace, 
France,  now  German}-.  He  was  apprenticed 
to  the  shoemaker's  trade  at  the  age  of  fifteen, 
and  served  three  years.  He  then  worked  at  his 
trade  till  twenty  years  of  age,  when  he  entered 
the  French  Army.  While  in  the  army,  he 
worked  at  his  trade  for  his  regiment,  remaining 
till  1852,  when  he  emigrated  to  the  United 
States.  In  the  spring  of  1853,  he  came  to 
Naperville,  where  he  has  since  remained,  en- 
gaged in  the  boot  ane  shoe  business,  in  part- 
nership with  his  younger  brother,  Jacob,  whose 
sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  In 
1858,  he  married  Louisa  Kagler,  a  native  of 
Alsace,  France,  now  Germany,  who  has  borne 
him  two  children — Julia  and  Carolina.  Mr. 


NAPERVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 


11 


Ehrhardt  is  a  Democrat  and  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  Evangelical  Church. 

JACOB  EHRHARDT,  boots  and  shoes,  is 
a  native  of  Alsace,  France,  born  in  1831.  At 
the  age  of  fifteen,  he  was  apprenticed  to  the 
shoemaker's  trade,  at  which  he  served  three 
years.  He  then  worked  with  his  father  until 
1854.  In  that  year,  he  emigrated  to  the  United 
States,  and  joined  his  brother,  George,  in  Na- 
perville,  with  whom,  after  working  a  few  years 
at  his  trade,  he  entered  into  partnership  in  the 
boot  and  shoe  business.  In  1864,  the  brothers 
built  a  store  in  Naperville,  where  they  have 
since  carried  on  a  retail  boot  and  shoe  busi- 
ness, doing  a  good  trade.  He  married,  in  1868, 
Mary  Catherine  Sturm,  a  native  of  Alsace. 
From  this  union  three  children  have  been  born, 
viz. :  Emilia,  Minnie  and  Henry.  Mr.  Ehr- 
hardt has  held  the  office  of  City  Trustee.  He 
is  a  Republican  and  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
Evangelical  Church. 

JOHN  EHRHARDT,  of  the  firm  of  J.  Ehr- 
hardt &  Co.,  manufacturers  and  retail  dealers 
in  boots  and  shoes,  is  a  native  of  Alsace,  France 
(now  Germany),  born  September  12,  1841.  His 
father  was  a  shoemaker,  and  subject  learned 
that  trade,  beginning  when  fourteen  years  of 
age.  In  1859,  subject  came  to  the  United 
States,  and  settled  in  Naperville,  where  his 
brothers,  who  had  preceded  him,  then  lived. 
He  worked  at  his  trade  with  his  brother  till 
July,  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  C, 
Seventh  Illinois  Infantry,  was  chosen  Corporal 
of  his  company,  and  remained  in  service  until 
the  close  of  the  war.  He  participated  in 
the  engagements  of  Fort  Donelson,  Pittsburg 
Landing,  Corinth,  was  in  the  Atlanta  cam- 
paign, the  "  march  to  the  sea "  and  through 
the  Carolinas,  and  was  with  Gen.  Corse  at  Ala- 
toona  Pass.  In  1865,  he  returned  to  Naper- 
ville, worked  at  his  trade  till  1873  ;  then  opened 
a  shop  and  engaged  in  business,  in  company 
with  Mr.  Gushart.  In  1867,  he  married  Maria 
Nadelhoffer,  who  was  born  in  Alsace  and  came 


;  to  the  United  States  in  1860.  They  are  the 
parents  of  two  children,  one  of  whom  is  liv- 
ing, viz.,  Maria  S.  Mr.  Ehrhardt  is  a  member 
of  the  German  Lutheran  Church.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican. 

HON.  LEWIS  ELLSWORTH,  agriculturist, 
P.  0.  Naperville,  is  a  son  of  Nathan  and  Bet- 
sey  B.  (Palmer)  Ellsworth.  He  was  born  at 
Walpole,  N.  H.,  July  22,  1805,  and  lived  in  his 
native  State  until  his  eighteenth  year,  when  he 
moved  to  Rutland  County,  Vt,  where  he  learned 
the  tailor's  trade.  In  1827,  he  went  to  Troy, 
N.  Y.,  and  engaged  in  the  merchant  tailoring 
business.  In  1836,  he  sold  his  business  and 
made  a  trip  West,  buying  an  improved  Govern- 
ment claim  of  some  four  or  five  hundred  acres, 
and  in  1837  he  opened  a  general  store  in  Na- 
perville. During  this  year,  he  also  built  a 
frame  house  on  his  land,  and  occupied  the 
same  with  his  family  in  October.  In  1848,  he 
sold  his  general  store  business,  and  in  1850  en- 
gaged in  the  nursery  business,  which  he  has  con- 
ducted until  the  present  time.  In  December, 
1828,  he  married  Miss  Chloe  M.  Skinner,  a  na- 
tive of  New  Lebanon,  N.  Y.  She  died  October 
16,  1876.  Of  the  five  children,  two  are  living. 
In  1839,  Mr.  Ellsworth  was  elected  the  first 
Probate  Judge  of  Du  Page  County,  and  served 
four  years.  He  is  deeply  concerned  in  the  sub- 
ject of  agriculture,  and  from  its  earliest  days 
in  Illinois  he  has  taken  a  leading  part.  He  was 
one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  Union  Agricult- 
ural Society  (which  was  the  first  held  in 
Northern  Illinois)  and  subsequently  became  its 
Vice  President  and  President.  He  was  one  of 
the  organizers  of  the  county  society  and  also 
one  of  the  constituent  members  of  the  State 
Agricultural  Society  organized  at  Springfield 
in  1853,  and  served  as  its  President  during  the 
years  1859-60  ;  also  at  present  a  member  of 
the  State  Board  of  Agriculture. 

WILLIAM  FEY,  farmer,  P.  0.  Naperville, 
was  born  October  7, 1819,  in  Schuylkill  County, 
Penn. ;  is  the  son  of  Rudolph  and  Eve  (Snyder) 


12 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


Fey.  natives,  the  former  the  same  county  as 
the  subject,  and  the  latter  Bucks  Count}'. 
They  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  viz. : 
William,  George,  Joseph,  Paul  and  Lewis.  The 
father  was  a  weaver  by  trade  ;  the  parents 
were  Lutherans.  Mr.  Fey  had  some  school 
advantages  and  has  always  been  a  farmer  ;  was 
married,  in  1841,  to  Esther  Hoy,  the  union  re- 
sulting in  eleven  children,  all  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing— Albert,  Henry,  William,  Lydia  (Mrs. 
Abert  Rickert.  who  died  December  11,  1877), 
Laura  (Mrs.  Charles  Lefler),  Elizabeth  (Mrs. 
Henry  Houser),  Emma  (Mrs.  Joseph  Good), 
George,  Lewis,  Morgan  and  Anna.  Our  sub- 
ject came  to  Illinois  in  1854,  settling  at  Naper- 
ville,  and  soon  after  rented  a  farm  in  Lisle 
Township.  In  1855,  he  bought  145  acres,  a 
part  of  his  present  farm  of  251,  on  which  he 
settled  and  has  remained  since.  He  started 
with  scarcely  anything  but  stout  hands  and  a 
willing  heart,  having  experienced  man}'  hard- 
ships in  Pennsylvania.  He  has  been  no  office 
seeker,  yet  has  served  in  some  of  the  smaller 
offices.  He  has  always  been  a  temperance  ad- 
vocate, and  has  reared  his  large  family  without 
the  use  of  coffee  or  tea.  He  nor  none  of  his 
boys  ever  used  tobacco,  a  very  rare  case 
indeed.  The  family  are  members  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Association  at  Naperville  ;  vote  the  Re- 
publican ticket. 

THOMAS  FINLEY,  dealer  in  ice,  Naper- 
ville, was  born  in  Massachusetts  in  1822.  Is 
the  second  child  of  a  family  of  seven  children 
born  to  Alexander  and  Elizabeth  (McCray)  Fin- 
ley,  natives  of  the  North  of  Ireland.  Alexander 
Finley,  subject's  father,  came  to  the  United 
States  with  his  wife  and  one  child  about  the 
year  1821,  landed  at  Boston,  Mass.,  and  settled 
in  Meadville,  Penn.  In  1839,  came  to  Naper- 
ville, where  he  followed  farming,  and  died  in 
1856  ;  his  wife  died  in  1858.  Subject  received 
a  common-school  education,  and  lived  with  his 
parents  on  the  farm  till  1850,  when  lie  organ- 
ized a  company  of  thirteen  men,  and  went  by 


the  overland  route  to  California,  where  he  re- 
mained four  years  engaged  in  mining.  He  then 
returned  home,  but  soon  after  started  on  his 
second  trip  to  California,  taking  with  him  forty- 
four  horses,  of  which  number  he  had  but  seven 
when  he  reached  his  destination,  the  rest  hav- 
ing either  died  or  been  stolen  on  the  way. 
After  remaining  in  California  three  years  en- 
gaged in  mining,  he  returned  home  in  1857. 
bought  a  farm  in  York  Township,  this  county, 
|  occupied  it  three  years,  then  sold  it  and  bought 
j  a  place  near  Warrenville,  this  county,  where 
I  he  farmed  for  six  years,  then  sold  out  and  came 
to  his  present  place,  where  he  has  since  fol- 
lowed farming.  In  1875,  he  built  an  ice-house, 
and  has  since  been  engaged  in  the  ice  business. 
In  1858,  he  married  Mrs.  Butterfield,  formerly 
Miss  Ann  Bennett,  a  native  of  this  county,  her 
father  being  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  ;  they 
have  a  family  of  three  children — Charles  H., 
Samuel  A.  and  Frances.  Mr.  Finley  is  a 
supporter  of  the  Democratic  party. 

JOSEPH  S.  FERRY,  farmer,  P.  0.  Aurora, 
111.,  is  a  native  of  Washington  County,  N.  Y.; 
he  was  born  in  the  year  1829,  and  is  the  young- 
est of  three  children  born  to  Sylvanus  and 
Rhoda  (Wilson)  Ferry  ;  they  were  natives  of 
Massachusetts  and  New  York.  He  was  a  tan- 
ner, and  moved  to  New  York  when  a  young 
man,  and  married  there.  In  the  spring  of  1 835, 
they  moved  to  Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  and  occupied 
a  place  belonging  to  his  brother-in-law,  and 
worked  at  his  trade  in  the  town.  In  1 838,  they 
moved  to  Warrensville,  in  Du  Page  Co.,  111., 
and  rented  his  brother-in-law's  (Joseph  Wilson's) 
place.  The  next  year  he  bought  a  claim,  and 
soon  afterward  Mr.  Ferry  died.  The  family 
continued  on  the  place  until  about  1845,  and 
Mrs.  Ferry  lived  with  her  son  thereafter  until 
her  death  in  1879.  Our  subject  was  raised  on 
the  farm,  and  received  but  a  limited  course  of 
study  in  the  district  schools.  When  he  was 
sixteen  years  of  age,  he  bought,  with  the  help 
of  his  uncle,  fifty-three  acres  of  land,  and,  with 


NAPERVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 


13 


his  mother  and  sister,  occupied  the  place,  which 
he  farmed  with  a  yoke  of  oxen.  About  1850, 
he  sold  the  place  and  bought  120  acres  close 
by,  and  farmed  it  until  1868,  when  he  moved  to 
Aurora  to  obtain  school  facilities  for  his  family, 
and  lived  there  six  years,  during  which  time  he 
built  and  sold  property.  He  then  came  to  his 
present  place,  and  has  lived  here  since.  He 
owns  600  acres,  which  is  divided  into  three  ad- 
joining farms,  located  two  and  a  half  to  three 
miles  east  of  Aurora.  In  1855,  he  married  Miss 
Sophronia  B.  Kenyon,  a  native  of  Washington 
County,  N.  Y.  She  came  to  Du  Page  County, 
111.,  with  her  parents  about  1853.  They  have 
three  children —Adelaide,  Jennie  and  William. 
Mr.  F.  attributes  his  success  to  industry  and 
economy.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 

ROBERT  FREEMAN,  retired,  Naperville, 
was  born  in  Meadville,  Penn.,  February  21, 
1809.  He  learned  the  trade  of  carpenter  and 
joiner,  and  in  1833  moved  to  Chicago,  where 
he  followed  his  trade  for  ten  years,  after  which 
he  moved  to  his  farm,  located  in  Du  Page  and 
Will  Counties,  part  of  which  he  had  bought  as 
early  as  1837.  He  followed  farming  until 
1876,  when  he  built  his  present  elegant  brick 
residence.  Mr.  Freeman  has  been  thrice  mar- 
ried— in  1841,  to  Miss  Adaline  Bordman,  a  na- 
tive of  New  York  ;  she  died  September  10, 
1859 ;  of  their  children,  two  are  living — 
Mrs.  Emma  M.  Wescott,  of  Naperville,  and 
Eliza  Jane  Morris,  of  Keya  Paha,  Nebraska. 
He  married,  December  11,  1861,  Miss  C.  J. 
Dewey,  a  native  of  New  York  ;  she  died 
March  14,  1866,  leaving  two  children — Arthur 
R.  and  Ella  C.,  living  at  home.  The  present 
Mrs.  Freeman,  formerly  Mrs.  Brown,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Du  Page  County,  111.;  her  maiden  name 
was  Miss  F.  B.  Wescott.  By  the  present  mar- 
riage there  is  one  child — Jessie.  Though  not 
an  office  holder,  Mr.  Freeman  has  been  an  act- 
ive partisan,  an  Old-Line  Whig,  a  strong  anti- 
slaver3'  man,  and  a  Republican  in  politics.  In 
1820.  he  became  a  Presbyterian  and  continued 


in  his  faith  until  he  came  to  Naperville,  when 
he  joined  the  Episcopalian  Church,  in  the  af- 
fairs of  which  he  has  taken  an  active  interest 
D.  N.  GROSS,  merchant,  Naperville,  is  a  na- 
tive of  this  county,  born  in  Lisle  Township 
December  1J,  1837,  and  is  the  sixth  child  of  a 
family  of  seven  born  to  George  Conrad  and 
Salome  (Dather)  Gross,  natives  of  Bavaria, 
Germany,  he  born  in  Limberg,  in  July,  1796, 
she  in  Giersbach,  July  13,  1804.  George  Con- 
rad Gross  was  married  in  his  native  land,  May 
28,  1825,  where  two  of  his  children  were  born. 
In  1832,  he,  with  his  family,  emigrated  to  the 
United  States,  and  located  in  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  followed  farming  until  1835  ;  then 
came  to  Illinois  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Lisle 
Township,  this  county,  where  he  lived  until 
1844,  when  he  moved  to  a  farm  in  the  town  of 
Naperville,  where  he  died  in  March,  1850.  His 
widow,  a  number  of  years  after  his  death,  mar- 
ried Jacob  Snibley,  and  lived  in  Lisle  Town- 
ship until  her  death  in  May,  1864.  Our  subject 
began  working  for  himself  at  the  age  of  fifteen, 
and  lived  with  his  brother.  When  seventeen 
years  old,  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  carpenter 

\  and  joiner  trade,  and  served  with  the  late  John 
Collins,  of  Naperville,  three  and  one-half  years, 
and,  having  learned  his  trade,  worked  with  his 
employer  until  the  breaking-out  of  the  late 
war.  In  September,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany E,  Eighth  Illinois  Cavalr}',  was  detailed 
as  Orderly  to  Gen.  Sumner,  and  served  until 
Jnne  30,  1862,  when  he  was  wounded  in  the 
battle  of  White  Oak  Swamp,  Va.,  and  remained 
in  the  hospital  in  Baltimore  until  December  13, 
1862,  when  he  was  discharged,  the  severity  of 

'  his  wound  having  necessitated  the  amputation 
of  his  foot.  During  his  term  of  service,  he  par- 
ticipated in  the  engagements  of  Yorktown, 
Williarasburg,  on  the  Chickahominy,  Fair  Oaks, 
Savage  Station,  being  wounded  the  last  day  of 
the  Seven  Days'  fight.  Mr.  Gross  was  an  eye 
witness  of  the  naval  battle  between  the  Merri- 

1  mac  and  the  Monitor.     On  deing  discharged, 


14 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


he  returned  to  Naperville.  In  1863,  was 
elected  County  Treasurer.  Was  elected  to  that 
office  three  terms,  but,  owing  to  the  removal  of 
the  county  seat,  served  but  five  years.  In 
1869,  he  received  the  appointment  of  Postmas- 
ter, which  position  he  held  until  the  spring  of 
1882,  when  he  bought  a  mercantile  business  in 
Brownsville,  Mo.,  which  he  conducts  at  the 
present  lime,  though  he  still  retains  his  resi- 
dence in  Naperville.  He  married,  January  4, 
1864,  Mary  E.  Dudley,  a  native  of  Lisle  Town- 
ship, this  county.  They  have  five  children — 
Bertha  C.,  Cheeny  C.,  Dean  D.,  Mary  S.  and 
Fred  A.,  and  also  living  with  the  family,  Ade- 
line M.  Smith,  an  adopted  child  of  Mrs.  Dud- 
ley. Mrs.  Gross'  sister,  now  a  missionary,  will 
also  become  one  of  the  family.  Her  mother, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Mary  Barrows,  organ- 
ized and  taught  the  first  public  school  in  Chi-  ! 
cago. 

HOWARD  H.  GOODRICH,  attorney,   Na- 
perville, is  a  native  of  this  county,  born  in  Lisle 
Township  September  25,  1852,  was  raised  on 
the  farm,  and  attended  the  district  schools  till 
he  was  seventeen  years  of  age,  when  he  en- 
tered  the  Beloit,  Wis.,   College,  which  he  at- 
tended one  3'ear,  then,  upon  the  removal  of  the 
Northwestern  College  to  Naperville,  he  entered 
that  institution,  where  he  completed  his  classi- 
cal course,  graduating  in  1876  with  the  degree 
of  M.  A.,  and  the  honor   of  valedictorian   of  j 
his  class.     After  his  graduation  he  taught  dis-  ! 
trict  schools  one  term.     In  the  spring  of  1877,  : 
he  began  reading  law  with  Judge  H.  H.  Cody,  : 
and  the  same  year  attended  the  Union  College 
of  Law,  Chicago  ;  in  1879,  he  passed  an  exam-  ( 
ination  by  the  Appellate  Court,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  by  the  Supreme  Court  in  ses- 
sion at  Mount  Vernon,  111.  In  1880,  he  received  ' 
the  degree  of  A.  M.     Began  the  practice  of  his 
profession  at  Naperville,  and  soon  after  entered 
into  partnership  with  Samuel  W.  Smith,  who 
however  withdrew  from  the  partnership  Janu- 
uarj-  1,  1882,  and  went  to  Iowa.     Mr.  Goodrich 


is  the  eldest  child  of  a  family  of  four  born  to 
Charles  H.  and  P.  Jane  (Turner)  Goodrich. 

FRANK  S.  GETSCH,  of  the  firm  of  Strauss 
&  Getsch,  manufacturers  of  the  Naperville 
plows,  Naperville,  is  a  native  of  this  county, 
born  in  Milton  Township  in  October,  1850, 
third  child  of  a  family  of  six  children  born  to 
Anthony  and  Philisitus  (Hilts)  Getsch,  resi- 
dents of  this  county  ;  subject  was  raised  on 
the  farm,  and  at  twelve  years  of  age  hired 
out  by  the  month,  and  worked  on  the  farm  of 
L.  Meacham  a  year  and  three  months  :  thence 
to  Kankakee  County,  111.,  where  he  worked  on 
a  farm  for  a  year.  He  then  returned  home, 
where  he  remained  a  year  ;  then  in  1865  en- 
listed in  Company  H,  Twenty-third  Illinois  In- 
fantry, and  remained  in  service  till  the  close  of 
the  war  ;  then  came  home,  and  worked  on  a 
farm  till  1866,  when  he  went  to  Danby  (now 
Prospect  Park).  There  he  apprenticed  to  the 
blacksmith  trade,  at  which  he  served  three 
years  and  four  months,  then  came  to  Naper- 
ville, where  he  worked  in  the  fork  shops;  worked 
a  year  in  plow  works  in  Chicago,  also  a  year  in 
South  Elgin  Fork  Shops,  and  finally  in  1876, 
became  partner  in  present  business.  In  May, 
1876,  he  married  Frances  Bapst,  a  native  of 
Naperville  ;  they  have  two  children,  viz.,  Will- 
iam and  Edwin. 

DAVID  B.  GIVLER,  editor  Clarion,  Naper- 
ville, is  a  native  of  Ashland  Count3r,  Ohio  ;  born 
November  20, 1841,  and  is  the  fifth  in  a  family  of 
seven  children  born  to  Solomon  and  Leah 
(Brown)  Givler.  They  were  natives  of  Lan- 
caster County,  Penn.;  he  was  a  farmer  and 
moved  to  Ohio,  settling  on  a  farm  in  Wayne 
County  ;  thence  to  Ashland  County,  where  they 
farmed  until  1851  ;  then  came  to  Illinois,  and 
settled  on  a  farm  in  the  vicinity  of  Naperville, 
where  he  lived  until  his  death,  in  December, 
1868.  He  took  an  active  interest  in  politics, 
and  was  a  Republican  ;  member  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Church.  Mrs.  Givler  is  living  in  Na- 
perville with  her  son,  David  B.  Our  subject 


NAPERVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 


15 


was  raised  on  the  farm,  where  he  lived  until 
1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  Seventh  Illinois 
Infantry,  Company  0  ;  served  during  the  war ; 
was  in  the  battles  of  Fort  Henry,  Fort  Donel- 
son,  Pittsburg  Landing,  Corinth,  Alatoona  Pass 
and  the  Atlanta  campaign,  and  was  with  Sher- 
man at  the  surrender  of  Johnston.  He  returned 
in  1865,  and  farmed  for  one  year;  he  then  worked 
as  clerk  in  the  grain  warehouse  at  Naperville 
one  year.  Tn  1868,  he  bought  the  Du  Page 
County  Press,  and  has  published  since,  having, 
in  1869,  changed  the  name  to  the  Naperville 
Clarion.  January  24,  1864,  he  married  Miss 
Abbie  Matter,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  (Mr. 
G.  married  while  home  from  the  army  on  fur- 
lough.) They  have  six  children,  three  sons  and 
three  daughters.  Mr.  G.  has  served  as  Justice 
of  the  Peace,  Police  Magistrate,  Collector,  etc., 
etc. 

WALTER  L.  GOOD,  Naperville,  house  and 
carriage  painter,  is  a  native  of  Lehigh  County, 
Penn.,  born  in  1843  ;  son  of  Charles  and  Mary 
Ann  (Miller)  Good,  natives  of  Lehigh  County, 
Penn.,  and  who  were  the  parents  of  eleven 
children,  subject  being  the  third.  Charles 
Good,  subject's  father,  was  raised  on  a  farm  ; 
learned  the  tailoring  trade.  In  1846,  he  came 
to  Naperville,  where  he  learned  the  painter's 
trade,  which  he  followed  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  Naperville  in  the  spring  of  1867  ; 
his  widow  married  Mr.  Jacob  Trumbauer,  and 
now  resides  in  Polo,  Ogle  County,  111.  Walter 
L.  was  raised  in  Naperville,  received  a  fair  ed- 
ucation, and,  when  eleven  years  of  age,  began 
working  with  his  father  at  the  painter's  trade, 
remaining  till  he  was  seventeen  years  of  age. 
He  then  went  to  Chicago,  where  he  worked  for 
three  years ;  then  enlisted  in  Company  H, 
Seventeenth  Illinois  Cavalry  ;  was  chosen  Cor- 
poral ;  afterward  promoted  to  a  Sergeancy,  and 
mustered  out  after  a  two  years'  service.  His 
regiment  operated  principally  in  Missouri,  and, 
though  in  no  pitched  battles,  was  constantly 
employed  among  the  guerrillas  ;  was  ten  weeks 


on  the  Price  raid,  fighting  in  the  battles  of  Lex- 
ington, Independence  and  others.  At  the  end 
of  his  service,  he  returned  to  Naperville  and 
worked  at  his  trade,  with  his  father,  until  the 
death  of  the  latter,  since  which  time  he  has 
worked  on  his  own  account.  In  1867,  he  mar- 
ried Sarah  Rickert,  a  native  of  Geneva,  111., 
who  has  borne  him  one  child — Charles  W.  Mr. 
Good  has  held  the  office  of  Village  Trustee  for 
some  time  ;  he  is  a  Republican. 

MICHAEL  HINES,  Naperville,  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  was  born  in  Londonderry,  Ireland, 
April  9,  1803,  son  of  Michael  and  Jane  (Walk- 
er) Hines,  who  emigrated  to  Canada  and  set- 
tled on  a  farm  near  the  Vermont  State  line. 
At  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  our  subject  was 
apprenticed  in  Montreal,  Canada,  to  his  trade, 
and  served  three  years.  He  then  worked  for  a 
time  at  Grand  Isle,  in  Lake  Champlain,  and 
in  Vermont.  In  1834,  he  came  West,  stopped 
in  Chicago  about  a  year,  and,  in  1835,  came  to 
Naperville,  and  engaged  in  business  in  part- 
nership with  a  friend,  Samuel  Talmadge.  He 
afterward  bought  out  Talmadge's  interest,  and 
continued  business  alone,  being  very  success- 
ful ;  he  built  several  stores  on  water  street, 
which  were  swept  away  in  the  ice  gorge  during 
the  big  flood,  his  loss  being  over  $10,000.  He 
married  Lucetta  Stephens  daughter  of  Capt. 
John  Stephens,  who  was  one  of  the  old  pioneers 
of  this  count}',  and  who  served  during  the 
Black  Hawk  war  ;  the}'  have  had  five  children, 
of  whom  three  are  living — Thomas  S.,  agent  of 
the  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific  Railroad  at 
Moline,  111. ;  has  been  in  the  employ  of  that  com- 
pany since  his  discharge  from  the  army  ;  he 
served  three  years  in  the  Eighth  Illinois  Cav- 
alry ;  Mrs.  Holman,of  Creston,  Iowa  ;  and  Mrs. 
Smith,  of  Naperville.  In  March,  1850,  he  started 
by  the,  overland  route  for  California,  in  company 
with  Stephen  J.  Scott,  and  accomplished  the 
journey  in  four  months  and  seventeen  days. 
After  mining  for  two  years  in  California,  he  re- 
turned home  via  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  and 


16 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


New  York  ;  while  on  the  way,  he  bought  a  par- 
rot in  the  city  of  Menargo,  said  to  be  at  that 
time  forty-two  years  old.     This   parrot   lived 
with  the  family  in  Naperville  till   it  died,  in  | 
1882,  being,  therefore,  seventy-two  years  old  ; 
Mr.  Hines  has  had  it  stuffed.     Mr.  Hines  has 
been  Presidentof  the  Board  of  Village  Trustees  ;  j 
was  two  years  Trustee,  and  is  now  serving  his 
third  term  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  ;  he  is  a 
Democrat.     While  living  in  Chicago,  he  bought  l 
a  block  of  land  on  La  Salle  street,  containing  j 
one-half  acre,  for  $150,  and  sold  it  the  follow-  j 
ing  year  for  $1,150. 

JAMES  J.  HUNT,  hardware  and  agri- 
cultural implements,  Naperville,  is  a  native  of 
Crawford  County,  Penn.;  was  born  in  the  year 
1824,  and  is  the  fourth  child  in  a  family  of  nine 
children  born  to  James  N.  Y.  and  Sarah  (Jewell) 
Hunt,  natives  of  Vermont.  He,  a  blacksmith, 
moved,  when  our  subject  was  six  years  of  age> 
to  Erie,  Penn.  Our  subject  received  a  common- 
school  education  ;  at  eighteen,  went  into  his 
father's  shop,  and  at  nineteen  he  visited  the 
West,  spending  one  summer  in  Naperville  ; 
then  returned  home.  He  married  Miss  Nancy 
Converse,  a  native  of  Erie  County,  Penn.,  in 
1843 ;  she  died  in  1872,  in  Colorado,  where  she  | 
had  gone  for  her  health.  After  his  marriage,  j 
he  lived  in  Erie  one  year,  then  came,  in  fall  of  ! 
1844,  with  his  father,  mother  and  six  children  j 
to  Naperville.  Subject  worked  one  year  here 
in  plow  shop,  and.  in  1846,  opened  a  blacksmith 
shop  upon  the  present  site  of  his  store,  and  con- 
tinued about  twelve  years.  Soon  after  coming 
here,  his  father  and  mother  moved  to  De  Kalb 
County,  where  the}'  died.  He  was  elected 
Sheriff  in  1856,  and  has  served  one  term  since. 
He  engaged  in  the  livery  business  as  early  as 
1855,  and  was  identified  with  the  business  until 
about  1861.  He  then  sold  out  his  business,  en- 
listed in  the  Thirteenth  Infantry,  and  was 
elected  Captain  of  a  company.  [He  had  pre- 
viously held  the  office  of  Captain  of  a  militia 
company  of  Naperville,  which  he  had  raised.] 


He  took  his  company  to  Dixon,  111.,  where  he 
turned  his  office  over  to  Judge  Blanchard.  He 
had  held  the  office  of  Major  in  militia  of  Penn- 

_sylvania,  where  he  raised  a  company.  He  re- 
turned home  from  Dixon  and  raised  another 
company,  and  notified  Gov.  Gates,  who  an- 
swered that  he  should  disband.  He  bought 
new  stock,  having  sacrificed  his  property  to  go 
to  the  army,  and  continued  the  livery  business 
about  one  year.  About  1861,  he  engaged  in  his 
present  business,  buying  a  small  stock  of  goods 
from  another  man.  The  business  was  small, 
and  his  sons  conducted  the  same,  but  when  the 
war  was  over  he  engaged  regularly  in  the  busi- 
ness, which  at  first  was  principally  a  tin  shop, 
but  gradually  grew  to  what  it  is  now.  In  1858, 
he  built  the  present  building,  where  he  carries 
on  business.  He  was  formerly  a  Whig,  but  is 
now  a  Republican.  Has  had  nine  children,  four 
of  whom  are  living.  He  was  married,  Septem- 
ber 3,  1874,  to  Miss  Lucia  A.  Davis,  a  native  of 
New  York  ;  no  children  from  second  marriage. 
The  four  children  living  are  Frank  W.,  partner 
with  his  father  ;  Charles  C.,  in  father's  store  ; 
James  E.,  now  in  Dakota  ;  Eva  E..  at  home. 
Mr.  Hunt  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace  and 
Police  Magistrate  over  twenty  years  ;  during 
the  entire  time,  never  had  a  verdict  changed  by 
Circuit  Court,  nor  lost  a  prisoner  during  his 
term  as  Sheriff.  He  has  liberally  supported 
the  enterprises  of  this  community. 

GEORGE  H.  HUNT,  proprietor  Naperville 
Creamery,  is  a  native  of  Madison  County,  N. 
Y.;  he  was  born  March  6,  1847  ;  his  father, 
Anson  Hunt,  was  a  farmer,  and  George  was 
raised  on  bis  father's  farm,  and  received  a  dis- 
trict school  and  academic  course  of  study,  ob- 
taining a  good  commercial  education.  In  1864, 
his  father  engaged  in  the  creamery  business, 
his  being  the  first  creamery  in  Madison  County. 
Our  subject  assisted  in  his  father's  business. 
At  the  age  of  twenty  he  married  Miss  Estella 

j  Tuttle,  of  Madison  County,  N.  Y.,  and  after  the 
marriage  he  began  as  foreman  in  a  creamery, 


NAPEBVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 


19 


and  continued  in  that  employ  in  Madison  and 
Boone  Counties  until  1873,  when  he  took  a  trip 
West,  stopping  one  year  as  an  officer  in  the 
State  Reform  School  of  Wisconsin,  at  Wauke- 
sha.  He  then  engaged  as  foreman  of  C.  W. 
Golds'  Creamery  at  Elgin,  111.,  where  he  re- 
mained for  three  years,  when  in  1874  he  came 
to  Naperville  and  rented  a  building,  and  con- 
ducted a  creamery  for  three  years,  then  built 
his  present  factory,  36x60  feet  and  two  stories 
high,  and,  being  built  after  his  own  direc- 
tions, is  a  model  of  convenience.  Mr.  Anson 
Hunt  died  here  in  Naperville  in  1878.  Mrs. 
Hunt,  formerly  Miss  Lydia  Wilcox,  is  living 
here  with  her  son. 

N.  B.  HOSLER,  general  store,  Naperville,  is  a 
native  of  Lancaster  County,  Penn.,  born  in  1831, 
fifth  child  of  a  family  of  six  born  to  Benjamin 
and  Elizabeth  (Beamerderfer)  Hosier,  both  na- 
tives of  Lancaster  County,  Penn.  Jacob  Hosier, 
the  father  of  subject,  moved  to  Schuylkill 
County,  Penn.,  in  1831,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming.  In  1844,  came  to  this  county,  and 
followed  farming  till  1870,  when  he  retired  from 
active  life,  and  died  in  1879  ;  his  wife  died  in 
1866.  Subject  worked  on  the  farm  till  1857, 
when  he  married  Abigail  Butts,  a  native  of 
Lehigh  County,  Penn.,  who  died  in  the  fall  of 
1870,  leaving  seven  children,  six  of  whom  are 
living  at  home.  After  his  marriage  he  rented 
a  farm,  which  he  worked  three  years.  In  1866, 
he  engaged  as  clerk  with  Mr.  M.  Brown,  of 
Naperville,  with  whom  he  remained  until  the 
spring  of  1869  ;  then  engaged  in  general  mer- 
chandising in  Bloomingdale,  this  county,  for 
two  years,  and  in  1872  became  partner  in  the 
business  in  which  he  is  at  present  engaged. 
He  ran  a  threshing  machine  sixteen  years,  was 
also  engaged  in  bu3'ing  produce  fora  number  of 
years. 

W.  H.  HILLEGAS,  of  Hillegas  &  Co..  hard- 
ware, agricultural  implements,  etc.,  Naperville, 
is  a  native  of  Pottsville.  Sehuylkill  County, 
Penn.  ;  born  in  1840,  and  is  the  seventh  in  a 


family  of  eight  children  born  to  Joseph  and 
Sarah  Willtrout  Hillegas  ;  they  were  natives  of 
Berks  and  Schuylkill  Counties,  Penn.  He  was 
a  gunsmith  by  trade,  which  he  followed  up  to 
about  1840,  since  which  he  has  been  farming. 
In  1856,  the  family  came  to  Naperville  and 
bought  a  farm  one  mile  west  of  the  village, 
and  occupied  the  same,  where  our  subject  lived 
for  two  years.  He  then  engaged  as  a  clerk 
with  Mr.  A.  Friedly,  in  the  hardware  business, 
at  Naperville,  and  continued  with  him  until 
1867,  when,  in  company  with  Mr.  Louis  Reiche, 
bought  the  business,  and  has  conducted  the 
same  since,  firm  being  W.  H.  Hillegas  &  Co. 
In  1865,  Mr.  Hillegas  enlisted  for  one  year,  or 
during  the  war,  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty- 
sixth  Regiment  Illinois  Infantry,  Company  D  ; 
was  Orderly  Sergeant,  and  served  until  dis- 
charged in  September  following,  and  returned 
to  Naperville  and  took  his  position  in  the  store. 
In  1862,  he  married  Miss  Mary  Hartman,  a 
native  of  Lancaster  Count}',  Penn.,  born  1840, 
and  came  to  Du  Page  County,  111.,  with  her 
parents  when  she  was  two  years  of  age.  They 
have  three  children,  viz.,  Ida  May,  Charles  W. 
and  Harvey  H.  Is  a  Republican,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Evangelical  Church  since  1857,  tak- 
ing an  active  interest  in  the  Sabbath  school,  of 
which  he  has  been  Secretary  a  number  of  years. 
HERMAN  HAMMERSCHMIDT,  farming, 
P.  0.  Naperville,  is  a  native  of  Westphalia, 
Prussia ;  he  was  born  in  the  year  1830.  He 
received,  in  addition  to  a  common  school  educa- 
tion, two  years'  attendance  at  college.  When  he 
was  eighteen  years  old,  he  came  with  his  brother 
to  the  United  States,  and  bought  a  farm  in 
Naperville  Township,  Du  Page  Co.,  111.,  and 
some  eight  years  later  Herman  bought  his 
present  place  and  has  lived  here  since.  In 
1856,  he  married  Miss  Emma  Van  Oven,  a 
native  of  Westphalia,  Prussia.  She  came  to 
the  United  States  with  her  married  sister  in 
1852.  By  the  marriage  there  have  been  ten 
children.  He  is  a  Republican,  and  has  served 


20 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


as  Assessor  for  four  years  ;  he  has  also  served 
as  School  Trustee.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
German  Lutheran  Church,  of  which  he  has 
been  Trustee  a  number  of  years,  and  has  taken 
an  active  interest.  He  owns  eight3'  acres  locat- 
ed three  miles  west  of  Naperville  and  six  from 
Aurora. 

S.  B.  HILL,  farmer,  P.  0.  Eola,  111.,  is  a  na- 
tive of  the  State  of  Maine,  and  was  born  in 
the  city  of  Calais  in  the  year  1823.  He  was 
raised  on  the  farm,  and  received  a  common- 
school  education.  When  he  was  eighteen  years 
of  age,  he  came  West  to  Chicago,  and  traveled 
transient,  stopping  at  Galena  and  in  the  pine- 
ries of  Wisconsin.  He  then  came  to  Warrens- 
ville  in  1842,  and  rented  a  farm.  He  also  ran 
a  thresher,  in  company  with  Mr.  Daniel  Warne, 
until  1849,  when  he  went  to  California.  He 
went  with  a  company  of  twenty-five  men,  they 
driving  overland  by  ox  teams.  He  lived  about 
three  years  in  California,  during  which  time  he 
followed  mining  and  kept  a  butcher's  shop  in 
the  mountains.  He  returned,  via  Panama,  to 
Du  Page  County,  and  bought  his  present  place. 
He  married  Miss  Caroline,  daughter  of  John 
Warne,  of  Michigan.  She  came  to  Du  Page 
County  in  1834  with  her  parents.  By  the  mar- 
riage there  have  been  six  children,  of  whom 
three  are  living — Annie,  now  Mrs.  Paxton,  liv- 
ing in  this  county;  Howard,  at  home  ;  Lorin,  at 
home.  After  his  marriage,  he  lived  on  his 
farm,  where  he  has  lived  since.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican in  his  politics.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  M.  E.  Church.  He  owns  425  acres,  located 
in  Naperville  and  Winfield  Townships,  two  and 
one-half  miles  north  of  Eola.  He  first  bought 
about  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  and  has 
added  the  rest  since. 

CHARLES  JENKINS,  farmer,  P.  0.  Naper- 
ville, 111.,  is  a  native  of  Allegany  County,  N.  Y. 
He  was  born  in  July,  1826  ;  was  raised  on  the 
farm,  and  received  a  common-school  education. 
When  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age.  he  began 
working  by  the  month  for  himself,  and  at  the 


I 


age  of  nineteen  he  came  West  and  stopped 
about  six  months  in  Du  Page  County,  111.  He 
then  worked  about  one  year  in  Kane  County, 
when  he  again  came  to  Du  Page  County,  and 
worked  by  the  month  until  the  spring  of  1849. 
He  then  worked  on  the  shares  one  year,  and  in 
1850  went  overland  by  team  to  California,  and 
lived  there  for  two  years,  during  which  time  he 
worked  at  mining.  Returning  by  the  Nicar- 
agua route,  he  rented  his  present  place,  and 
two  years  later  bought  it.  Mr.  Jenkins  first 
voted  for  Gen.  Taylor  and  has  been  a  Repub- 
lican since  the  organization  of  the  party.  He 
has  held  the  offices  of  Township  Trustee,  Road 
Commissioner,  and  has  served  as  Supervisor 
for  a  number  of  years.  In  May,  1852,  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Harriet  H.  Thatcher,  a  native  of 
Wayne  County,  N.  Y.  She  came  West  with 
her  parents  in  1839.  By  the  marriage  there 
are  three  children.  He  owns  219  acres  of  land, 
located  three  miles  west  of  Naperville. 

H.  W.  KNICKERBACKER,  Naperville,  is  a 
native  of  Rensselaer  County,  N.  Y.,  born  No- 
vember 20,  1813,  and  was  raised  on  a  farm. 
At  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  began  reading  law, 
and  in  October,  1833,  he  moved  to  Chicago, 
where  his  brother  lived  (Abram  V.,  Assistant 
Superintendent  with  Capt.  Allen  in  building  the 
harbor);  our  subject  went  in  the  store  of  P.  F. 
W.  Peck,  and  in  May,  1834,  he  came  to  Naper- 
ville and  purchased  a  claim  adjoining  the  town; 
he  then  went  East  and  married,  returning  to 
his  claim  in  the  fall  and  built  a  frame  house, 
considered  at  that  time  the  best  in  Northern 
Illinois;  though  not  very  pretentious,  he  lived 
on  his  claim  until  1843,  when,  upon  the  death 
of  his  wife,  he  went  East,  in  the  spring  of  1844, 
and,  in  order  not  to  lose  his  residence,  he  re- 
turned in  the  fall  and  voted  for  Henry  Clay. 
His  first  wife  was  Miss  Sarah  Groesbeck,  a  na- 
tive of  New  York  ;  the}-  had  three  children,  all 
living.  He  engaged  in  mercantile  business  in 
Lansingburg,  N.  Y.,  and  continued  for  twenty 
years.  In  1847  or  1848,  he  married  Miss 


NAFERVTLLE  TOWNSHIP. 


21 


Clarissa  A.  Seelye,  a  native  of  New  York.  In 
1868,  they  came  to  their  farm  here  at  Naper- 
ville,  where  she  died  in  1875,  after  which  he 
went  East,  and  next  year,  he  went  to  Adrian, 
Mich.,  where  he  engaged  in  mercantile  busi- 
ness for  about  one  year;  he  then  again  returned 
to  Naperville,  where,  in  1877,  he  married  Miss 
N.  C.  Cunningham,  a  native  of  Jonesboro, 
Tenn.,  daughter  of  Kev.  J.  W.  Cunningham,  and 
engaged  as  Preceptress  and  Professor  of  En- 
glish Literature  in  the  Northwestern  College  of 
Xaperville.  Mr.  K.  was  the  first  Assessor  in 
this  county.  During  the  war,  he  resided  in 
Lansingburg,  N.  Y.;  he  took  an  active  part, 
devoting  his  time  and  money  to  forwarding 
military  affairs.  He  used  his  influence  with 
Governor  to  establish  a  hospital  at  that  joint. 
He  had  been  the  principal  officer  of  the  agri- 
cultural society,  and  through  his  influence  they  j 
gave  the  location  for  the  hospital  on  which  the  j 
Government  erected  buildings  costing  over 
$100,000,  and  during  the  war  our  subject  made 
daily  visits  with  the  surgeons,  his  object  being 
to  cheer  the  patients,  who  became  greatly  at- 
tached to  him.  Is  a  Freemason;  was  a  Whig, 
and  is  at  present  a  Republican,  and  a  "  no 
license  "  advocate,  also  a  member  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church. 

CHARLES  H.  KAYLER,  Naperville  Marble 
Works,  Naperville,  is  a  native  of  Germany,  was 
born  in  1837.  In  1843,  the  family  emigrated 
to  the  United  States  and  settled  at  Cleveland 
Ohio,  where  Charles  H.  lived  till  he  was  twenty- 
three  years  of  age,  his  father  being  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits.  At  the  age  of  eighteen 
our  subject  was  apprenticed  to  the  marble-cut- 
ting trade,  at  which  he  served  three  years,  under 
his  brother  John,  who  conducted  the  business. 
After  completing  his  apprenticeship,  he  worked 
at  the  trade  as  journeyman  till  1861,  when  he 
enlisted  in  the  Sixth  Ohio  Cavalry,  Company  C, 
and  served  till  the  close  of  the  war.  During 
his  term  of  service,  he  participated  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Winchester  and  Port  Republic,  and  in 


all  the  engagements  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley, 
where  his  regiment  operated  under  command  of 
Gens.  Fremont  and  Pope.  At  the  close  of  the 
war,  he  returned  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  worked 
at  his  trade  till  1866;  he  then  came  to  Chicago 
and  engaged  as  baggage- master  on  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad,  which  position 
he  held  for  six  years.  He  then  removed  to 
Naperville,  where  he  engaged  in  the  marble 
business.  He  employs  from  four  to  six  work- 
men, and  does  an  annual  business  of  from  $16,- 
000  to  $20,000.  His  establishment,  which  is 
the  only  one  of  the  kind  in  the  county,  turns 
out  well-executed  work,  which  finds  ready  sale; 
he  has  furnished  many  elegant  jobs  for  the  city 
of  Chicago.  Mr.  Kayler  has  been  twice  mar- 
ried. In  1860,  he  married  Prudence  P.  Stevens, 
a  native  of  Ohio,  who  died  in  1865,  leaving 
three  children,  viz.,  Clarence,  Oscar  and  Byron. 
In  1872,  he  married  Emma  B.  Bolliman,  a  na- 
tive of  Naperville,  who  has  borne  him  two  chil- 
dren— Robert  and  Lulu. 

FREDERICK  KAILER,  clothing  and  gents' 
furnishing.  Naperville,  a  native  of  this  county, 
born  in  Naperville  in  1841  ;  is  the  second  child 
of  a  family  of  seven.  His  parents,  Jacob  and 
Dorotha  (Degen)  Kailer,  natives  of  Alsace,  Ger- 
many, came  to  the  United  States  about  the 
year  1839,  and  to  Naperville  in  1840.  Jacob 
Kailer,  who  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade,  died  in 
January,  1852  ;  his  widow,  now  Mrs.  Louis  Wen- 
delberg,  resides  in  Chicago.  Frederick  received 
a  fair  education,  and  worked  on  the  farm  till 
1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  E,  Fifty- 
fifth  Illinois  Infantry  ;  was  elected  Sergeant  ; 
was  in  the  battles  of  Shiloh.  siege  of  Vicks- 
burg,  Arkansas  Post,  Lookout  Mountain,  also 
served  in  the  Atlanta  campaign  and  the  march 
to  the  sea.  The  regiment  was  veteranized  in 
1864,  and  he  returned  to  Naperville.  Soon 
afterward,  he  went  to  Chicago  and  engaged  in 
the  butcher  business  for  a  number  of  years.  In 
1868,  he  opened  a  clothing  store  in  Naperville. 
where  he  has  since  remained  engaged  in  that 


22 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


business.  In  1870,  he  married  Melvina  Snyder, 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  from  this  mar- 
riage five  children  have  been  born.  Mr.  Kailer 
is  a  Republican,  and  a  member  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Church. 

WILLIAM  KING,  farmer,  P.  O.  Naperville, 
is  a  native  of  Germany,  born  in  the  year  1829. 
He  received  a  common-school  education,  and, 
at  the  age  of  eighteen,  came  to  America.  In 
1848,  he  arrived  in  Bloorningdale  Township, 
Du  Page  County,  where  he  had  relatives  living, 
and  the  following  year  he  engaged  by  the  j 
month  on  a  farm  about  five  miles  south  of  Na-  i 
perville,  where  he  remained  about  three  years,  j 
In  1852,  in  company  with  a  party  of  forty -four, 
headed  by  Dr.  Barnes  and  Thaddeus  Swift,  he 
started  overland  with  ox  teams  for  California. 
At  Fort  Laramie,  the  party  divided,  Mr.  King 
joining  a  company  bound  for  Oregon.  The 
company  had  considerable  trouble  with  the  In- 
dians, who  stole  their  oxen,  requiring  them  to 
abandon  some  of  their  wagons,  and  in  the  l:lava 
beds  "  (since  made  historic  by  the  Indians  un- 
der Capt.  Jack)  their  vanguard  were  massacred 
by  the  Indians.  Mr.  King  remained  in  Oregon 
and  California  about  five  years,  during  which 
time  he  followed  mining  and  butchering — re- 
turning by  water  via  Nicaragua  route.  Janu- 
ary 22,  1857,  he  married  Miss  Hypsa  Royce  ; 
she  was  a  native  of  New  Hampshire  and  was 
raised  in  New  York,  daughter  of  Jonathan 
Royce,  who  came  to  the  vicinity  of  Naperville 
in  1835,  and  was  largely  interested  in  farming. 
After  marriage,  they  settled  on  a  farm  he  had 
bought,  and  farmed  until  1870  ;  he  then  moved 
to  Naperville,  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  brick  and  tile  in  company  with  Mr.  George 
Martin,  they  making  the  first  tile  in  the  county. 
After  some  six  years,  Mr.  King  withdrew 
from  the  business,  and  has  lived  retired  since, 
his  farming  interests,  amounting  to  some  four 
hundred  acres  located  a  few  miles  from  Naper- 
ville, being  managed  by  tenants.  Politically, 
Mr.  King  is  independent,  though  generally  in 


harmony  with  the  Republican  party.     In  1875, 
he  was  elected  Supervisor  of  the  town  of  Lisle,  ' 
and  was  re-elected  successively  for  six  terms. 

ADAM  KELLER,  farmer,  P.  O.  Naperville, 
is  a  native  of  Bavaria,  Germany,  and  was  born 
in  the  year  1831.  His  father  was  a  forrester, 
and  Adam  assisted  in  the  business,  and  on  be- 
coming of  age  he  came  to  America.  He  had 
received  a  district  school  education.  He  came 
through  to  Naperville,  where  he  expected  to 
meet  his  brother,  but  the  latter  had  gone  to 
Minnesota.  Adam  worked  on  the  farm  in  this 
vicinity  by  the  year  until  1860,  when  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Barbara  Weigand,  a  native  of  Bava- 
ria, Germany.  She  came  to  the  United  States 
with  her  parents  when  she  was  a  child.  Her 
parents,  John  and  Barbara  (Pfister)  Weigand, 
were  natives  of  Bavaria,  Germany.  They  came 
to  the  United  States  in  1848,  and  settled  in 
York  Township,  Du  Page  Co.,  111.,  where  he 
farmed  until  his  death  in  1861.  His  first  wife, 
Barbara  Pfister,  died  in  Germany  ;  the  second 
wife,  Cuigunde  Waltz,  also  died  in  Germany, 
and  the  third  wife,  Gertrude  Fleeman,  survives 
him,  and  is  living  in  the  old  home.  After  the 
marriage  he  rented  farms  (three)  for  about  nine 
years.  He  then  bought  152  acres  where  he 
now  resides,  and  has  since  added  eighty-nine 
acres,  having  in  all  241  acres,  located  on  the 
river  two  miles  northwest  of  Naperville.  Mr. 
Keller  came  to  this  vicinity  $9  in  debt,  and  has 
earned  all  he  has  by  his  labor  and  management. 
He  is  Democratic  in  his  politics,  though  he 
votes  generally  independent.  He  has  served 
three  years  as  Road  Commissioner,  and  is  now 
serving  as  Supervisor  of  the  township.  By  the 
marriage  there  have  been  nine  children — seven 
girls  and  two  boys. 

WILLIAM  J.  LAIRD,  police,  Naperville, 
was  born  in  Naperville  April  12.  1835,  and  is 
the  youngest  of  two  children  born  to  William 
and  Philinda  (Stevens)  Laird.  William  Laird, 
our  subject's  father,  came  west  to  Naperville 
with  his  brother  George  in  1832,  opened  a  store 


NAPEKVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 


23 


and  traded  with  the  Indians  till  the  fall  of  1833, 
then  went  to  Fox  River  and  took  a  claim  a  mile 
above  Aurora,  but  owing  to  the  Indians  claim-  ; 
ing  the  land  he  abandoned  it,  and  removed  to  j 
Montgomery  County,  111.,  where  betook  a  claim 
and  where  he  afterward  died.  Our  subject's 
mother,  daughter  of  John  and  Polly  (Taylor) 
Stevens,  came  to  Naperville  with  her  parents 
about  the  year  1832,  where  they  took  a  claim 
and  afterward  conducted  a  hotel.  John  Stevens 
was  born  in  Rindge,  N.  H.,  September  2,  1785, 
removed  when  quite  young  with  his  parents  to 
Hartland,  Vt..  where  he  afterward  married  Miss 
Polly  Taylor,  a  native  of  that  place — born  April 
23,  1786.  He  moved  to  Enosburg,  Vt.,  thence 
in  1832  to  Naperville,  111.,  where  he  bought  a 
claim  and  afterward  ran  a  hotel  there.  He 
died  May  3,  1862.  During  his  life  he  had 
worked  at  his  trade — carpentering — farmed  and  ; 
engaged  in  the  hotel  business.  His  wife,  our  j 
subject's  grandmother,  died  January  23,  1873.  j 
Of  their  eightchildren,  three  are  now  living.  Our 
subject's  mother,  after  the  death  of  his  father, 
returned  to  her  father's  place  near  Naperville, 
where  she  lived  until  January,  1844,  when  she 
married  Mr.  Hiram  Fowler,  a  native  of  Berk- 
shire County,  Mass.,  born  in  1798,  came  to  this 
vicinity  in  1833,  and  bought  a  claim  three  miles 
from  Naperville,  which  he  occupied  a  number 
of  years,  then  retired  from  active  life,  and  is 
now  living  in  the  town  of  Naperville.  The  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  was  raised  in  Naperville,  re- 
ceived an  ordinar3"  education  in  the  common 
school?,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he  was 
apprenticed  to  the  harness-maker's  trade,  at 
which  he  served  three  years.  He  soon  after 
opened  a  shop  in  Naperville,  where  he  followed 
his  trade.  In  May,  1861,  he  was  appointed 
police,  which  position  he  held  until  1863,  when 
he  was  co'mmissioned  as  recruiting  officer  for 
the  Seventeenth  Illinois  Cavalry.  He  raised 
twenty-eight  men,  joined  his  regiment  at  St. 
Charles,  was  appointed  Second  Lieutenant  of 
Company  H  January  22,  1864,  and  promoted 


to  the  rank  of  First  Lieutenant  August  8, 1865. 
Company  H,  Seventeenth  Illinois  Cavalry,  was 
organized  by  Capt.  L.  C.  Matlack  January 
22,  1864,  at  St.  Charles,  111.  Our  subject 
served  as  guard  for  prisoners  at  Alton,  111., 
thence  went  to  Glasgow,  Mo.,  and  served  in 
guerrilla  warfare  ;  joined  Gen.  Swing's  army  in 
defense  of  Jefferson  City  ;  engaged  in  the  fights 
at  Independence  and  Osage,  Mo. ;  was  on  the 
forty-three  da3~s'  march,  for  which  the  command 
received  the  thanks  of  the  Missouri  Legislature; 
was  present  at  the  surrender  of  the  rebel  Gen. 
Jeff  Thompson  at  Chalk  Bluff,  Ark. ;  s.erved  ^n 
the  Kansas  frontier,  and  marched  to  the  relief 
of  Gen.  Dodge,  who  was  endangered  by  the  In- 
dians, and  was  discharged  at  Camp  Butler, 
Spiingfield,  111.,  December  21, 1865.  After  the 
war  he  returned  to  Naperville,  and  engaged  in 
the  harness-making  business  until  1873  or  1874, 
when  his  shop  was  destroyed  by  fire.  He  was 
appointed  police  on  his  return  from  the  army, 
and  also  served  as  Deputy  Sheriff  eight  years. 
In  1858,  he  married  Miss  Marie  Vosburg,  a 
native  of  Milwaukee,  Wis.  They  have  had 
three  children,  two  of  whom  are  living — Arthur 
W.  and  Edward  S. ;  Louie  L.  was  killed  on  a 
train  at  Riverside.  111.  Upon  the  organization 
of  the  Naperville  Light  Guards,  Company  K, 
Third  Regiment  Illinois  Infantry,  in  1877,  Mr. 
Laird  was  appointed  Second  Lieutenant,  and  is 
now  serving  his  second  term  as  Captain  of  the 
company. 

NORMAN  LENT,  blacksmith,  Naperville, 
was  born  in  Bradford  Couhty,  Penn.,  June  17, 
1826,  son  of  Egbert  and  Polly  (Stocking) 
Lent.  Egbert  Lent,  born  in  Peekskill,  N.  Y.; 
was  a  carpenter  and  wagon-maker  by  trade,  and 
died  about  the  year  1847;  his  wife,  born  in 
Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  is  now  living  with  her 
daughter  in  Iowa,  and  is  eighty  years  of  age; 
of  their  eleven  children,  ten  are  still  living. 
Subject  received  but  a  limited  education  ;  at 
the  age  of  thirteen  moved  with  his  parents  to 
Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.,  and  when  nineteen 


24 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


years  old  was  apprenticed  to  the  blacksmith 
trade  ;  served  four  years,  and  then  worked  at 
his  trade  as  journeyman  two  years.  In  1851, 
he  came  to  Illinois,  worked  at  his  trade  in  St. 
Charles  for  one  year,  and  March  2,  1852,  came 
to  Naperville,  where  be  worked  as  journeyman 
three  years.  He  then  went  into  partnership 
with  Willard  &  Loomis,  but  after  one  year 
withdrew  from  the  firm,  and  has  since  carried 
on  business  on  his  own  account.  He  married 
on  July  4,  1848,  Miss  Caroline  M.  Richmond,  a 
native  of  Vernon,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.  From 
this  marriage  eleven  children  have  been  born, 
of  whom  seven  are  living,  viz..  Elgin  E.,  Edwin 
W.  and  George  W.,  all  engaged  in  the  black- 
smithing  business  in  Correctionville,  Woodbury 
Co.,  Iowa  ;  Emma  J.  (wife  of  Mr.  Thompson,  a 
farmer  of  Cherokee,  Iowa),  Lillian,  Walter  and 
Minnie,  at  home.  Mr.  Lent  is  a  Republican. 

SAMUEL  LONG,  farmer,  P.  0.  Naperville, 
is  a  native  of  Leliigh  County,  Penn.,  and  was 
born  in  the  year  1819.  His  father  was  a  miller, 
and  Samuel  was  brought  up  to  the  business 
until  he  became  sixteen  years  of  age,  when  he 
began  working  at  farming,  and  on  becoming 
seventeen  he  apprenticed  to  tailoring,  and 
served  for  four  years  ;  he  then  worked  as  a 
journeyman  for  a  number  of  years,  and  about 
1843  came  to  Illinois,  and  settled  in  Naperville, 
and  worked  on  the  farm.  In  1848,  he  married 
Miss  Martha  Nitz,  a  native  of  Lehigh  County, 
Penn.,  who  came  to  this  county  with  her  par- 
ents about  the  same  time  he  came.  The  fol- 
lowing year  after  his  marriage,  he  began  work 
at  his  trade  in  Naperville,  opened  a  shop,  and, 
a  year  later,  in  company  with  Mr.  Weaver,  he 
opened  a  clothing  store,  he  buying  Mr.  Wea- 
ver's interest  a  few  years  later,  and  conducted 
the  business  until  1863,  when  he  sold  out  and 
bought  the  present  place  where  he  has  lived 
since.  By  the  marriage  there  have  been  four- 
teen children,  eleven  of  whom  are  living.  He 
is  Republican,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Evan- 
gelical association  for  upward  of  forty  years. 


He  owns  158  acres  located  six  miles  southwest 
of  Naperville,  and  four  and  one-half  miles 
southeast  of  Aurora. 

FREDERICK  LONG,  furniture  and  under- 
taker. Naperville,  is  a  native  of  Wurtemberg, 
German}-,  born  in  1837.  In  1853,  he  came  to 
America  and  stopped  with  his  brother  in  Chi- 
cago, who  had  come  to  the  country  previously, 
and  the  same  year  he  hired  on  a  farm  near 
Wheeling,  remaining  one  and  one-half  years. 
In  1856,  he  came  to  Naperville  and  apprenticed 
to  the  cabinet  trade  with  Mr.  Butts  and  served 
for  three  years,  then  worked  as  journeyman 
for  two  years  longer.  He  then  began  on  his 
own  account,  opening  a  shop  on  the  south  side 
of  the  river  and  doing  business  in  a  small  way, 
putting  in  all  his  time,  and  in  1866  he  bought 
his  present  location  and  built  the  buildings, 
and  has  conducted  the  business  since  ;  has  one 
building  100  feet  deep,  two  stories,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1882  he  added  two  stories,  22x40 — now 
doing  a  business  of  over  112,000.  In  the  spring 
of  1861  he  married  Miss  Amelia  Beidelman,  a 
native  of  Illinois.  They  have  one  adopted  son 
whom  they  took  when  but  six  weeks  of  age.  Is 
a  Republican. 

GEORGE  MARTIN,  farmer,  P.  0.  Naper- 
ville, was  born  in  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  in  the 
year  1826,  only  child  of  George  and  Elizabeth 
(Christie)  Martin,  who  were  natives  of  Scotland. 
George  Martin,  Sr.,  was  engaged  in  the  grain 
business,  running  vessels  between  the  Baltic 
and  Black  Seas  to  ports  in  England  and  Scot- 
land. In  1833,  the  family  came  to  America, 
and  in  June  of  that  year,  stopped  with  Mark 
Beaubien  in  the  old  pioneer  hotel,  Soginnash. 
of  Chicago.  From  this  point,  Messrs.  Martin 
&  Christie  started  on  a  prospecting  tour  to 
Ottawa,  and  returned  via  the  Naper  settlement, 
where  Mr.  Martin  bought  a  claim  of  Capt. 
Joseph  Naper.  having  thirty  acres  fenced  and 
broken  ;  the  unimproved  portion  included  all 
the  land  desired,  west  of  the  river,  there  being 
no  settlers  there  then.  The  family  occupied 


NAPEKVILLE  TOWXSHIP. 


25 


the  claim  in  August,  living  in  a  log  house  until 
spring,  when  the}'  occupied  their  new  frame 
house,  which  was  the  first  frame  house  in  what 
now  constitutes  Du  Page  County.  Mr.  George 
Martin,  Sr.,  improved  and  lived  on  the  farm 
until  his  death  in  1841  ;  his  wife  also  remained 
on  the  old  homestead  until  her  death  in  1872. 
Both  were  life-long  members  of  the  Presbyte-  • 
rian  Church,  and  were  active  and  liberal  in 
their  support  to  its  cause.  He  was  a  man  of 
fine  education;  a  Liberal  in  his  native  land,  he 
joined  the  Liberal  party  in  his  new  home,  and 
lived  enjoying  the  respect  and  confidence  of 
all  who  knew  him.  George  Martin,  Jr.,  came 
with  his  parents,  and  has  always  lived  on  the 
old  homestead.  He  received  the  advantages 
of  the  district  and  select  schools  of  his  vicinity, 
and,  in  addition  to  the  management  of  his  farm- 
ing interest,  has  been  identified,  first  in  the 
mercantile  business  in  Naperville,  and,  later,  in 
company  with  the  Hon.  J.  G.  Wright,  estab- 
lished the  Producers'  Bank  of  Martin  & 
Wright.  He  has  also  engaged  himself  in  laying 
out  several  additions  to  Naperville.  which  in- 
clude all  that  portion  of  the  city  lying  south 
and  west  of  the  river.  He  is  at  present  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  brick  and  drain 
tile  on  his  place,  which  has  grown  to  be  an  ex- 
tensive business,  his  works  being  the  largest  in 
the  State.  Mr.  Martin  also  owns  a  fine  stone 
quarry,  located  on  his  farm,  which,  though  not 
fully  developed,  gives  ample  proof  of  an  inex- 
haustible supply  of  the  finest  of  building  stone. 
In  1854,  Mr.  Martin  married  Miss  Sibelia  Rid- 
dler,  a  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Alexander  Rid- 
dler,  of  Peoria.  There  are  four  children — 
Elizabeth,  Kittie,  George  and  Carrie. 

J.  F.  METZ,  farmer,  P.  0.  Naperville,  is  a 
native  of  Du  Page  County,  111.,  born  in  the  year 
1849,  and  is  the  fourth  of  seven  children  born 
to  Adam  and  Elizabeth  (Knapp)  Metz,  who 
were  natives  of  Germany  and  Warren  County, 
Penn.  He  came  to  America  with  his  par- 
ents when  he  was  but  one  year  of  age;  they 


settled  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  When  he  became 
of  age,  he  came  to  Illinois  and  worked  on 
the  canal,  and  about  1840  married  and  began 
farming,  renting  the  first  few  years;  he  then 
bought  a  place  of  the  Government,  and  in  1849 
went  to  California,  overland,  with  a  company 
from  this  vicinity.  He  was  gone  three  years, 
and  was  engaged  in  mining;  returning,  he  oc- 
cupied his  place,  which  he  had  bought  of  the 
Government,  and  farmed  there  until  1875,  when 
he  removed  to  Naperville,  where  he  died  in 
March,  1879.  Mrs.  Metz  is  living  at  the  old 
home  in  Naperville.  Our  subject  was  raised 
on  the  farm,  and  received  a  common-school 
education.  In  1870,  he  married  Miss  Mary 
Grove,  a  native  of  Cumberland  County,  Penn.; 
she  came  to  Du  Page  County,  111.,  with  her 
parents  in  1865.  By  the  marriage,  there  have 
been  six  children,  of  whom  five  are  living — • 
Edna,  Emery  A.,  Arthur  A.,  Sherman  G.  and 
Elsie  M.  He  owns  104f  acres  located  one  a 
half  miles  southwest  of  Naperville.  He  is  Re- 
publican in  politics. 

E.  MUSSELMAN,  grain  dealer,  Naperville, 
is  a  native  of  Northampton  County,  Penn., 
born  in  1816,  and  lived  in  his  native  county 
until  1847.  His  father  was  a  weaver.  Our  sub- 
ject learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  and  followed 
the  same  during  the  summers  and  teaching 
school  during  the  winters.  He  was  apprenticed  • 
when  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  served  with 
his  employer  six  or  seven  years.  He  received 
a  district  school  education,  and  was  fond  of 
books,  studying  the  higher  branches  at  home. 
At  about  the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  began  teach- 
ing, which  he  did  during  the  winters  for  some 
ten  years.  In  1839,  he  married  Miss  Catharine 
Billiard,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who  died 
January  31,  1882;  they  had  eight  children,  six 
living.  In  1847,  the  came  to  Du  Page  County, 
and  settled  at  Naperville.  and  engaged  at  his 
trade  for  a  number  of  years  in  this  and  Will 
Counties,  and  then  about  1855  became  a  minis- 
ter of  the  Evangelical  Association,  traveling  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


the  interest  of  the  Association  for  fifteen  years. 
He  then  located  at  Xaperville,  and  worked  at 
his  trade  of  carpenter  for  several  years.  Dur- 
ing the  past  five  years  has  been  engaged  in 
his  present  business,  buying  and  shipping 
grain  and  dealing  in  coal.  He  is  now  Justice 
of  the  Peace,  an  office  he  formerly  held  in  Will 
County. 

JOSEPH  MEANS,  deceased,  was  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  born  near  Pittsburgh  in  the 
year  1795,  and  was  raised  a  farmer,  and  in  the 
year  1834  came  West  to  Illinois,  and  made  a 
claim  to  the  present  place,  which  he  began  im-- 
proving  and  cultivating.  In  1840,  he  married 
Miss  Mary  Vaughan,  a  native  of  Vermont;  she 
died  in  1853.  In  1855,  he  married  Miss 
Abia  Vaughan,  a  sister  of  the  first  wife, 
and  a  native  of  Vermont,  by  which  marriage 
there  were  born  four  children,  two  of  whom  are 
living — Archibald  and  Nancy.  Mr.  Means 
died  on  the  old  homestead  in  1872.  Mrs. 
Means  has  lived  on  the  homestead  since. 

LEVI  M ANBECK,  gardener,  Naperville,  is  a 
nativeof  Berks  County.  Penn.,  was  born  in  1820, 
and  was  raised  to  farming,  receiving  a  common 
school  education.  In  1847,  he  came  to  Du  Page 
Count}-  and  farmed,  and  teamed  in  the  meantime 
to  Chicago,  always  making  his  home  in  Naper- 
ville. In  January,  1847,  he  married  Miss  Han- 
nah Hoy,  a  native  of  Schuylkill  County,  Penn., 
from  which  union  have  been  born  two  children: 
Mrs.  Ida  Hafle,  residing  near  Freeport,  111.,  and 
Celia,  at  home.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Church  and  a  Republican. 

PHILIP  OKCUTT,  contractor,  builder  and 
undertaker,  Naperville,  was  born  in  Mont- 
gomery County,  N.  Y.,  in  that  portion  since 
annexed  to  Hamilton  County,  that  State,  De- 
cember 12,  1819  ;  was  raised  on  the  farm,  and 
received  a  limited  education  in  the  common 
schools.  His  father  was  a  carpenter,  and  from 
him  subject  learned  the  trade  at  home ;  he 
also  acquired  the  shoemaking  trade,  working 
at  the  latter  during  the  winter  and  at  carpen- 


tering in  the  summer  seasons  for  fifteen  years. 
In  1844,  he  came  to  Illinois,  where  he  stayed 
with  his  brother  Daniel,  and  farmed  and  worked 
at  carpentering.  In  1846,  he  married  Laura 
Gates,  a  native  of  New  York,  who  came  to- 
Illinois  with  her  parents  at  an  early  date  ;  she 
died  November  15,  1859,  leaving  four  children, 
viz.,  John  P.,  merchant  and  Deputy  Postmaster 
at  Oilman,  111.  ;  Thomas  (in  Iowa) ;  Frank, 
Assistant  Cashier  in  post  office,  Chicago  ;  Fred, 
at  home.  After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Orcutt 
bought  a  piece  of  land  one  and  a  quarter  miles 
west  of  Naperville,  on  which  he  lived  till  about 
the  year  1855,  when  he  moved  to  Naperville 
and  there  engaged  in  the  lumber  business,  also 
contracting  and  building.  About  the  year 
1859  he  discontinued  the  lumber  business.  In 
the  fall  of  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Company  H, 
Ninth  Illinois  Cavalry,  and  remained  in  service 
three  years,  his  regiment  operating  in  the  West 
with  Grant's  army.  He  returned  to  Naperville 
in  1864;  afterward  worked  in  North  Carolina, 
where  he  assisted  in  the  construction  of  seven 
bridges  over  the  Neuse  River  ;  returned  to 
Naperville  in  1865,  where  he  has  since  followed 
contracting  and  building.  His  second  wife, 
Anna  Ingalls,  whom  he  married  December  11, 
1868,  is  a  native  of  New  York,  and  came  to 
Illinois,  with  her  parents,  when  a  child  ;  she  has 
borne  him  two  children,  of  whom  one  is  living, 
viz.,  Daniel.  Mr.  Orcutt  is  a  Republican. 

H.  L.  PEASLEE,  retired,  Naperville,  is  a 
native  of  Burlington,  Vt,  born  1810,  second 
child  born  to  Robert  and  Amanda  Loomis 
Peaslee,  natives  of  New  Hampshire  and  Ver- 
mont. Our  subject  engaged  as  clerk  in  the 
mercantile  business  in  his  native  town  at  about 
the  age  of  sixteen,  and  clerked  until  he  was 
nineteen  or  twenty,  when  he  took  a  position  as 
teller  in  the  bank  of  Burlington,  where  he  re- 
mained about  two  years.  He  then,  in  company 
with  his  brother- iu-law,  Amos  W.  Butler,  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business,  conducting  a 
generalstore,  until  about  1834-35.  InMay,  1836, 


NAPERVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 


27 


he  and  wife  came  West  to  Chicago,  where  he 
had  relatives.  Harmon  &  Loomis  having  es- 
tablished a  store  in  Naperville  about  1835,  our 
subject  took  charge  of  it,  which  he  conducted 
until  1841,  when,  owing  to  sickness  in  his 
family,  he  returned  to  Vermont,  where  he  re- 
mained two  years ;  then  came  to  Chicago  and 
assisted  Mr.  Harmon  in  wholesale  grocery  for 
several  years.  In  1845,  he  came  to  Naperville, 
where  he  and  Mr.  Loomis  engaged  in  general 
merchandising,  continuing  about  ten  years, 
when  the  business  was  sold  to  Mr.  Yount.  He 
then,  in  company  with  others,  established  a 
deposit  bank,  known  as  the  Producers'  Bank, 
with  which  he  was  connected  about  three  years. 
He  then  engaged  in  merchandising,  with  the 
object  of  establishing  his  son,  Luther  L.,  in 
business ;  and  soon  after,  his  son  enlisted  in 
the  One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Illinois  Infantry, 
he  holding  the  office  of  Second  Lieutenant,  and 
served  through,  with  his  command,  to  Atlanta, 
where  he  resigned  and  came  home,  owing  to 
the  failure  of  his  father's  health.  Our  subject 
continued  the  business  a  few  years  after  his 
son  went  into  the  arm}-,  and  then  sold  out,  and 
has  lived  retired  ever  since,  excepting  a  few 
years  which  he  devoted  to  the  management  of 
Mr.  Loomis'  business,  during  the  latter's  trip 
to  Europe.  Upon  the  organization  of  the  coun- 
ty, he  was  made  Coroner  and  Justice  of  the 
Peace.  In  July,  1831,  he  married  Miss  Amelia 
M.  Butler,  at  the  latter's  home  in  Essex,  Vt. 
They  have  had  five  children — three  living — 
Luther  L.,  of  Chicago  ;  Horace  H.,  merchant 
at  Naperville,  and  Harriet  L.,  now  Mrs.  W.  H. 
Moore,  of  Peru,  111.  Mrs.  Peaslee  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Roswell  Butler  and  Ruth  Wardner.  He 
was  a  merchant  and  lumberman,  and  previous 
to  our  subject's  moving  West,  Mrs.  Peaslee 
came  West  and  lived  with  her  daughter  twenty- 
two  years,  and  died  here  in  Naperville  about 
the  year  1868. 

H.  H.   PEASLEE,  proprieter  of  Du   Page 
County    Cash  Store,  Naperville,  is  a  .native  of 


this  county,  born  in  Naperville  in  August,  1846, 
son  of  H.  L.  Peaslee.  Subject  was  raised  in 
his  native  village,  where  he  received  a  fair  edu- 
cation. His  father  was  a  merchant,  and  H.  H. 
was  early  trained  in  mercantile  business,  be- 
ginning when  quite  young,  and  assisting  his 
father  until  the  latter  closed  out  his  business. 
In  1865,  he  went  to  Chicago,  engaged  as  clerk 
with  King,  Harmon  &  Co.,  wholesale  dr}'  goods, 
etc.,  and  in  1868  went  to  Chelsea,  Iowa,  opened 
a  hardware  store  on  his  own  account,  and  re- 
mained in  business  there  till  1869,  when  he  sold 
out  to  his  partner,  and  returned  to  Naperville. 
Thence  he  went  to  Memphis,  Tenn.,  where  he 
engaged  as  collector  for  an  ice  company  ;  the 
same  year  he  entered  the  retail  store  of  Field, 
Leiter  &  Co.,  Chicago,  as  clerk,  and  at  the  end 
of  the  first  year  was  given  charge  of  a  depart- 
ment, and  soon  after  became  a  general  sales- 
man, having  charge  of  the  woolen  department, 
in  which  he  was  assisted  by  seven  salesmen. 
In  1874,  owing  to  ill  health,  occasioned  bjr 
overwork,  he  resigned  his  position  with  Field, 
Leiter  &  Co.,  visited  Colorado  for  a  few  months, 
and  in  1875  came  to  Naperville,  where  he  has 
since  been  engaged  in  his  present  business.  Ill 
1873,  he  married  Nellie  Threadgold,  daughter 
of  Capt.  Theadgold,  a  seafaring  man  ;  she  was 
born  in  the  East  Indies  ;  sailed  with  her  father 
till  she  was  fifteen  years  of  age,  then  settled  in 
Jeresy  City,  where  she  was  educated  ;  she  and 
her  married  sisters  moved  to  Chicago,  where 
she  resided  at  the  time  of  her  marriage.  From 
this  union  two  children  have  been  born,  of 
whom  one  is  living,  viz.,  Henry  L. 

WILLIAM  PIERCE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Aurora, 
111.,  is  a  native  of  England,  born  in  the  county 
of  Kent  in  the  year  1817,  eldest  of  eight  chil- 
dren born  to  William  and  Ruth  (Stephensou) 
Pierce,  who  were  natives  of  Kent  and  Notting- 
hamshire, England.  He  was  raised  on  the  farm, 
and  when  about  sixteen  years  of  age  he  entered 
the  army  and  remained  a  soldier  until  about 
the  year  1817,  having  served  for  nine  years, 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


and  fought  with  Wellington  at  the  battle  of 
Waterloo,  was  at  the  siege  of  Antwerp  and  the 
other  battles  of  those  days.  In  1832,  the  fam- 
ily came  to  America,  and  located  in  Wayne 
County.  N.  Y.,  where  he  farmed,  and  in  1835 
moved  to  Ohio,  locating  in  Summit  County, 
where  he  farmed  until  his  death  in  the  year 
1875.  She  died  in  Ohio  about  the  year  1850. 
Our  subject  was  raised  on  the  farm,  and  at  the 
age  of  sixteen,  was  apprenticed  to  the  black- 
smith trade.  In  1839.  came  to  Illinois,  and 
worked  at  farming  in  Du  Page  County  until 
the  fall;  he  then  began  threshing  in  Kendall 
County,  and  in  the  spring  of  1840,  he  worked 
at  his  trade  on  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal 
until  the  fall  of  that  year,  when  he  came  to  Du 
Page  County  again  and  worked  at  farming, 
until  the  fall  of  1842,  when  he  went  to  Iowa, 
and  worked  at  his  trade  in  various  places,  and 
in  the  summer  of  1843,  he  came  here  to  his 
present  place,  which  he  bought  at  the  land  sale 
in  the  winter  of  1842-43,  and  farmed  here 
until  the  fall  of  1844,  when  he  went  to  Michigan 
and  carried  on  the  lumber  business,  and  in  the 
fall  of  1845  he  returned  to  his  farm.  In  1848, 
he  married  Miss  Susan  Davis,  a  native  of  Ver- 
mont; she  came  to  Du  Page  County  with  her 
parents  when  young;  she  died  in  1849.  He 
then  followed  his  trade  in  Aurora  until  1852, 
when  he  married  Miss  Margaret  Regan,  a 
native  of  Canada.  She  came  to  Aurora  with 
her  parents.  In  1853,  they  came  back  to  the 
farm  and  have  lived  here  since.  They  had  six 
children,  two  sons  and  four  daughters.  Mr. 
Pierce  first  voted  for  Martin  Van  Buren  for 
President,  and  has  been  a  Eepublican  since 
organization  of  the  party.  He  has  230  acres 
of  land  located  on  the  line  of  Kane  and  Du 
Page  Counties,  four  miles  southeast  of  Aurora. 
J.  H.  PAXTON,  retired  farmer,  P.  O.  Eola, 
111.,  is  a  native  of  Maury  County,  Tenn.,  born 
in  the  year  1822,  and  is  the  sixth  of  twelve 
children  born  to  Thompson  and  Cynthia  (Potts) 
Paxton.  They  were  natives  of  North  Carolina, 


he  born  January  23,  1783,  and  she  January  16, 
1790.  They  married  March  6,  1816.  He  was 
a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  fought  under 
Gen.  Jackson  against  the  Creek  Indians.  His 
brother,  James  Paxton,  was  in  the  battle  of 
New  Orleans.  They  moved  to  Maury  County, 
Tenn.,  soon  after  their  marriage.  He  had  a 
small  farm  and  worked  at  his  trade  of  cabinet- 
making,  he  carrying  on  a  shop.  They  moved  to 
Fountain  County,  Ind.,  about  the  year  1830.  and 
he  carried  on  farming  on  a  large  scale  there 
until  1833.  In  1832,  he  came  to  Illinois,  and 
made  claim  to  a  large  track  of  land,  probably 
over  six  hundred  acres,  and  the  next  year 
brought  his  family  and  settled  on  the  place  in 
a  log  cabin.  He  was  a  colonizationist  in  his 
views  on  the  negro  question  and  a  strong  anti- 
slavery  man,  and  voted  the  only  vote  in  Cook 
County  for  James  G.  Birney,  the  anti-slavery 
candidate.  Mr.  Paxton  kept  a  station  of  the 
Underground  Railroad,  and  frequently  assisted 
in  effecting  the  escape  of  the  slaves.  His  house 
was  a  place  of  public  worship  and  Sabbath 
school.  He  was  a  Presbyterian  until  the  latter 
years  of  his  life  he  joined  the  Christian  Church. 
He  died  September  12,  1859,  and  his  wife  died 
March  19,  1853.  Our  subject  lived  with  his 
parents  until  he  was  about  twenty  years  of 
age.  In  addition  to  the  district  schools,  he 
attended  Granville  Academy,  111.,  he  intending 
to  prepare  for  college,  but  owing  to  his  health 
he  turned  to  farming  after  two  years'  attend- 
ance. He  began  working  with  his  brother,  in 
partnership,  on  the  claim,  and  on  coming  to 
Illinois  he  farmed  on  his  father's  claim,  and 
later  went  with  his  father  and  others  and  deeded 
the  land.  March  31,  1846,  he  married  Miss 
Miranda  Pitcher,  a  native  of  New  York.  She 
died  in  April,  1847.  July  4,  1850,  he  married 
Miss  Olive  E.  Fowler,  a  native  of  York  Town- 
ship, Du  Page  County.  January  27,  1869,  he 
married  Miss  Sarah  Ann  Crosier,  a  native  of 
New  York.  By  the  first  marriage  there  was 
one  child,  since  deceased.  By  the  second  mar- 


NAPERVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 


29 


riage  there  were  seven  children,  six  living. 
There  are  no  children  by  the  present  marriage. 
After  deeding  his  land,  he  followed  farming 
until  he  was  taken  sick,  and  left  the  farm  and 
lived  for  ten  years  in  Aurora,  and  then  came 
back  to  the  old  farm  and  has  lived  on  the 
place  since.  During  the  past  three  years,  he 
has  been  confined  to  the  house,  owing  to  an 
illness. 

JAMES  P.  PAXTON,  farmer,  P.  0.  Eola, 
111.,  is  a  native  of  Fountain  County,  Ind. ;  he 
was  born  in  the  year  1831.  His  parents  came 
to  Du  Page  County,  111.,  in  1835,  and  settled 
on  the  present  place.  Our  subject  was  raised 
on  the  farm.  He  received  a  common  school 
education,  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  took 
charge  of  his  father's  place  and  has  managed 
the  farm  ever  since.  His  father  deeded  him 
1 80  acres,  and  after  his  death  he  paid  the  other 
heirs  a  sum  of  money.  He  bought  some  200 
acres  since,  and  has  deeded  a  portion  to  his  son. 
He  now  owns  280  acres  located  six  miles  north- 
east of  Aurora.  Mr.  Paxton  has  been  thrice 
married.  His  present  wife  was  Miss  Nettie  M. 
Olmstead,  a  native  of  Canada.  She  moved 
with  her  parents  to  Kendall  County,  111.,  in 
1856.  They  were  married  in  Aurora,  March 
26,  1868.  By  the  first  wife  there  is  one  child 
living — Frederick  E.  By  the  present  marriage 
there  are  four  children — Nellie  L.,  Edward  S., 
J.  Everette  and  Roy  N.  Mr.  Paxton  is  a  Re- 
publican in  politics.  He  has  served  as  Asses- 
sor and  School  Director,  and  belongs  to  the 
Congregational  Church.  His  first  wife  was 
Emeline  McPherren,  a  native  of  Whitehall, 
N.  Y.,  who  came  to  Du  Page  County  with 
her  parents,  who  lived  in  Bloomingdale  Town- 
ship. She  was  married  July  5,  1856,  and  died 
October  31,  1859,  aged  twenty-six  years. 

PROF.  C.  F.  RASSWEILER,  A.  M..  teacher  of 
mathematics,  Northwestern  College,  Naperville, 
was  born  in  Allentown,  Penn.,  in  1846,  young- 
est child  of  a  family  of  five  born  to  Henry  and 
Catharine  B.  (Hoffman)  Rassweiler,  natives  of 


Prussia.  Henry  Rassweiler,  the  father  of  sub- 
ject, was  married  in  Prussia,  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1831  and  settled  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  he  followed  his  trade — that  of  a 
weaver.  In  1850,  he  came  to  Illinois  and 
settled  in  Stephenson  Count}',  where  he  en- 
gaged in  weaving,  while  the  male  members  of 
his  family  followed  farming.  He  is  now  seven- 
ty-seven and  his  wife  seventy-nine  years  of 
age  ;  they  live  retired  in  the  village  of  Dakota, 
Stephenson  Co.,  111.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
early  assisted  his  father  in  weaving,  and,  hav- 
ing received  a  fair  education,  began  teaching 
school  at  the  age  of  sixteen.  When  seventeen 
years  of  age,  he  entered  the  Northwestern  College 
at  Plainfield,  111.,  but  was  unable  to  attend 
regularly,  on  account  of  ill-health,  for  the  next 
three  years  or  more,  but  afterward  attended 
regularly  and  graduated  in  1870,  having  taught 
in  the  college  part  of  the  time  during  his  at- 
tendance in  order  to  meet  the  expenses  of  his 
tuition.  After  graduating,  he  made  a  regular 
engagement  with  the  college,  acting  as  tutor 
for  several  years,  then  Assistant  Professor  of 
Mathematics  until  1879,  when  he  left  the  col- 
lege for  a  two  years'  furlough,  which  time  he 
spent  in  California  managing  a  branch  office  of 
the  Western  Publishing  House,  Chicago,  with 
which  establishment  he  has  been  connected 
since  1875.  On  his  return  from  California,  in 
1881,  he  became  Professor  of  Mathematics  in 
the  college,  which  position  he  now  holds.  In 
1871,  he  married  Lizzie  E.  Harlacher,  a  native 
of  Wisconsin,  daughter  of  Rev.  Joseph  Har- 
lacher, now  of  Cedar  Falls,  Iowa.  From  this 
union  three  children  have  been  born,  viz.,  George 
F.,  Katie  M.  and  Inez  Josephine. 

PROF.  H.  H.  RASSWEILER,  A.  M.,  nat- 
ural science,  Naperville.  The  eldest  of  a 
family  of  seven  children.  Is  a  native  of  Or- 
wigsburg,  Schuylkill  Co.,  Penn.,  born  April  3. 
1842.  In  1857,  the  family  removed  to  Illinois 
and  settled  in  Stephenson  County,  where  they 
engaged  in  farming.  Subject,  at  the  age  of 


30 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


seventeen,  began  teaching  in  the  district 
schools  of  Stephenson  County,  and  also  assist- 
ed his  father  on  the  farm.  When  he  became 
twenty  years  of  age,  he  entered  the  North- 
western College  at  Plainfield,  111.,  and,  by 
teaching  during  the  college  vacations  and  act- 
ing as  tutor  in  the  college,  he  earned  sufficient  j 
money  to  give  him  a  thorough  collegiate  edu-  i 
cation.  He  graduated  in  1868,  and  was  ap- 
pointed Professor  of  Mathematics  and  Natural 
Science,  which  position  he  maintained  till  the  j 
spring  of  1881,  when,  owing  to  the  increase  in 
his  classes  in  natural  science,  he  resigned  his 
position  as  Professor  of  Mathematics,  and  has 
since  given  his  attention  solely  to  the  natural 
science  department.  In  1868,  he  married  a  ] 
former  classmate  of  his,  S.  Victoria  Harlacher, 
a  native  of  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  who  has  borne 
him  two  children,  viz.,  Lorena  Belle  and  Harry 
Clinton.  Prof.  Rassweiler  has  been  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Sunday  School  in  connection 
with  the  college  since  its  organization  in  1870; 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Illinois  Conference 
Evangelical  Association;  was  licensed  in  1876 
and  ordained  in  1880.  The  Professor's  par- 
ents, Philip  and  Dora  (Haeseler)  Rassweiler, 
were  natives  of  Germany.  Philip  came  to 
the  United  States  when  a  young  man  and  set- 
tled in  Lehigh  County,  Penn.,  where  he  learned 
the  weaving  trade,  and  afterward  worked  with 
his  wife's  father  in  Orwigsburg,  Schuylkill 
Co.,  Penn.  Was  married  in  1841;  in  1844, 
moved  to  Millersburg,  Penn.,  and,  in  1857,  to 
Illinois,  where  he  has  since  followed  farming. 
His  wife  came  to  America  with  her  parents, 
who  were  weavers,  and  settled  in  Schuylkill 
County,  Penn. 

A.  McS.  S.  RIDDLER,  cashier  for  W.  Scott 
&  Co.,  bankers,  Naperville,  is  a  native  of  the 
city  of  New  York  ;  born  in  1837  ;  second  child 
of  a  family  of  nine  children  born  to  John  J. 
and  Elizabeth  (Sanderson)  Riddler,  natives  of 
Scotland,  where  they  were  married,  and  where 
also  their  eldest  child  was  born.  John  J. 


Riddler  alid  family  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1837  ;  lived  one  year  in  New  York  City, 
thence  moved  to  Chicago  ;  thence,  in  1838,  to 
Flag  Creek,  Cook  Co.,  111.,  where  he  carried  on 
farming ;  in  1840,  moved  to  Du  Page  County  ; 
thence,  in  1844,  to  the  village  of  Naperville. 
In  1843,  he  became  Deputy  Recorder,  and,  in 
1847,  was  elected  Recorder,  serving  in  that 
office  from  1850  to  1854.  Was  engaged  in 
mercantile  business  in  Naperville ;  was  Post- 
master there  fiom  1856  to  1860,  and  thereafter 
held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  until 
his  death,  in  1866.  His  widow  lives  on  the 
old  homestead  in  Naperville.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch  received  a  fair  education,  and, 
when  thirteen  years  old,  entered  his  father's 
store  in  Naperville.  In  1855,  secured  a  posi- 
tion as  clerk  in  a  store  in  Omaha,  Neb.,  wbich 
he  resigned  in  1859  on  account  of  ill  health, 
and  returned  to  Naperville,  where  he  secured 
the  office  of  Treasurer,  and  was  elected  Clerk 
in  1861.  In  September,  1861,  he  enlisted  in 
Company  E,  Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry;  served 
three  years  and  ten  months,  and  was  mustered 
out  in  July,  1865,  as  First  Lieutenant,  having 
attained  to  that  rank  by  successive  promotions 
from  Fifth  Corporal.  During  his  time  of  serv- 
ice, he  participated  in  the  battles  of  Beverly 
Ford  and  Hazel  Run,  W.  Va.,  South  Mountain, 
Antietam,  Gettysburg  and  other  engagements 
in  which  his  regiment  took  part.  Returned  to 
Naperville  at  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was 
elected  Village  Clerk  in  1866,  which  office  he 
held  till  1873.  In  1867,  he  engaged  as  clerk 
in  Dr.  Daniels'  drug  store,  where  he  remained 
until  1872,  when  he  took  his  present  position, 
cashier  for  the  banking  firm  W.  Scott  &  Co. 
He  has  filled  the  offices  of  Village  Trustee  for 
three  years  and  President  of  the  Board  one 
year.  In  1874,  he  married  Mary  D.  Collins,  a 
native  of  Naperville,  daughter  of  John  Collins, 
one  of  the  early  residents  of  this  vicing. 

LOUIS  REICHE,  hardware  and  agricultural 
implements,   tin   manufacturer,    Naperville,  is 


NAPERVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 


31 


a  native  of  Hoenstein,  Saxony,  born  in  1839, 
and  is  the  fifth  in  a  family  of  eight  children 
born  to  Fritz  G.  and  Caroline  (Eidam)  Reiche, 
natives  of  Saxony.  In  1850,  the  family  came 
to  the  United  States  and  bought  a  farm  in  Cook 
County,  which  they  occupied,  but  afterward 
sold  to  a  railroad  company  and  bought  another 
place  near  the  Indiana  line,  and  farmed  until 
about  1867,  since  which  time  he  has  lived  re- 
tired, being  now  eighty-one  years  of  age.  Mrs. 
Reiche  died  in  Chicago  about  1860.  Our  sub- 
ject lived  with  his  parents  until  he  was  eighteen 
years  of  age.  At  sixteen,  he  was  apprenticed 
to  the  tinner's  trade,  in  Chicago,  serving  about 
two  years ;  then  came  to  Naperville  in  1857, 
and  finished  his  trade,  working  as  journeyman 
several  years  in  Chicago  and  other  places.  In 
1863,  he  came  back  to  Naperville  and  worked 
for  Mr.  Fridley,  and  in  1867  he  and  Mr.  W. 
H.  Hillegas  formed  a  partnership  and  bought 
the  business  which  they  have  continued  since. 
In  1864,  he  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Hickel,  a 
native  of  France,  who  came  to  Du  Page  County, 
111.,  with  her  parents,  when  quite  young.  The}' 
have  two  children — Otto  and  Edwin  ;  also,  liv- 
ing with  them,  is  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  George 
Hickel  (deceased).  Is  a  member  of  the  Lu- 
theran Church,  and  independent  in  politics. 

SAMUEL  H.  RICKERT,  fanner,  P.  0.  Na- 
perville, is  a  native  of  Schuylkill  County,  Penn., 
born  in  the  year  1841,  and  is  the  younger  of 
two  children  born  to  John  and  Rebecca  (dow- 
ser) Rickeft,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  who,  in 
1845,  moved  west  by  teams  to  Cleveland  ;  thence 
by  lake  to  Chicago  ;  thence  to  Naperville,  and 
bought  a  farm  southwest  of  the  town,  where 
they  farmed  until  his  death  in  1847  ;  she  re- 
mained on  the  place  a  few  years,  and  married 
Mr.  John  Messner,  and  they  moved  to  Brook- 
ville,  Ogle  Co.,  111.,  where  he  died  ;  she  is  liv- 
ing in  Brookville  at  the  present  time.  Our 
subject  lived  at  home  until  he  was  twenty-one. 
On  becoming  of  age,  he  married  Miss  Elizabeth 
Hummel,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who  came 


to  Ogle  County  with  her  parents.  After  mar- 
riage they  rented  a  farm,  and  the  next  year  oc- 
cupied a  place  of  his  own  in  Ogle  County,  and 
farmed  six  years ;  he  then  bought  a  place  in 
Du  Page  Countyr  and  lived  on  the  place  for 
three  years.  He  then  moved  to  Naperville, 
where  he  lived  four  years  ;  then  bought  a  farm, 
and  farmed  it  some  three  years.  He  then  went 
to  Nebraska,  where  he  lived  about  one  year, 
and  returned  to  Du  Page  Count}-,  and  rented 
his  present  place,  and  two  years  later  bought 
the  same.  In  1865,  he  enlisted  in  the  Fifteenth 
Illinois  Infantry,  Company  K,  and  served  about 
seven  months.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 
By  the  marriage  there  have  been  three  children 
— Amelia  C.,  John  C.  and  Gertrude  H.  Mr. 
Rickert  owns  a  number  of  fine  stock,  and  a  fine 
seven-year-old  Clydesdale  stallion.  He  owns 
115  acres,  located  one  mile  north  of  Naperville. 

DANIEL  N.  RESSLER,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Naperville,  is  a  native  of  Du  Page  County, 
111.,  born  on  his  present  place  in  the  year 
1847,  and  is  the  fourth  of  eight  children  born 
to  Joseph  and  Susan  (Swilley)  Ressler,  who 
were  natives  of  Lancaster  County,  Penn. 
They  married  there,  and  came  to  Du  Page 
County,  111.,  in  1842,  where  they  lived  until 
their  death — he,  in  July,  1881,  and  she,  in 
May,  1879.  He  was  a  miller  in  his  native 
State,  but  followed  farming  in  the  West. 
Our  subject  was  raised  on  his  present  place, 
and,  in  addition  to  the  common  schools,  at- 
tended the  Northwestern  College,  at  Plain- 
field,  111. ,  a  number  of  terms.  In  his  twenty- 
second  year,  he  married  Miss  Hannah  Rick- 
ert,  a  native  of  Kane  County,  111.  After  the 
marriage,  he  rented  his  father's  farm  a  few 
years,  and  then  moved  to  Iowa,  where  he 
farmed  in  Black  Hawk  County  for  four  years. 
He  then  returned  to  Du  Page  County,  111., 
and  rented  his  father's  farm  again,  and,  after 
his  father's  death,  he  bought  his  present 
place,  being  the  old  homestead.  He  owns 


32 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


eighty  acres,  located  two  miles  southwest  of 
Naperville.  By  this  marriage  there  have 
been  five  children,  four  of  whom  are  living — 
Oscar,  Wilson  and  William,  and  Robert. 

WILLARD  SCOTT,  Sr,  banker,  Naperville, 
was  born  at  Unadilla,  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April 
20, 1808.  His  father,  Stephen  J.  Scott,  was,  in 
early  life,  a  sea-faring  man,  having  been  the 
owner  and  master  of  a  schooner  bearing  his 
name,  and  engaged  in  the  coast  trade  along  the 
eastern  shore  of  our  country.  The  mother, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Hadassah  Trask,  was 
a  relative  of  Gen.  Israel  Putnam,  of  Revolution- 
ary fame.  They  were  married  in  Connecticut, 
and  moved  from  Hartford  to  Unadilla,  Otsego 
Co.,  N.  Y.  In  1816.  the  family  moved  to  Mary- 
land, where  they  lived  about  ten  years.  During 
this  time,  Willard  Scott,  Sr.,  received  his  edu- 
cation, which  was  confined  to  the  district  school 
course  of  study,  except  a  short  special  course 
in  mathematics.  His  desire  was  to  be  a  sailor, 
as  his  father  before  him,  but  abandoned' the 
idea,  yielding  to  his  mother's  entreaties,  to 
whom  a  sailor's  life  seemed  full  of  peril.  In 
1825,  his  father  determined  on  seeking  a  new 
home  in  the  West.  The  family  visited  New 
York,  and  then  started  for  St.  Joe,  Mich.  At 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  the  father  shipped  the  household 
goods,  going  with  them  by  sail  vessel  to  De- 
troit, and  Willard,  with  the  family,  started  over- 
land through  Canada.  At  Detroit,  the  family 
went  by  schooner  for  St.  Joe,  save  Willard, 
who,  in  company  with  a  man  from  Ohio,  crossed 
the  country  in  order  to  meet  the  goods  which 
had  been  sent  in  advance.  "  The  journey  was  a 
perilous  one,  there  being  no  habitation  save  i 
the  Indians,  and  no  route  marked  except  by  I 
blazed  trees  and  Indian  trails,  through  the 
dense  Michigan  forests.  They  arrived  ten  days 
ahead  of  the  boats,  during  which  time  they  j 
lived  on  corn  and  potatoes  obtained  from  a 
Frenchman  who  lived  on  an  island  in  the  river. 
Not  liking  the  east  side  of  the  lake,  the  family 
crossed  and  built  a  habitation  with  posts,  poles  i 


and   blankets,  at  Gross  Point,  now  Evanaton, 
theirs  being  the  first  house  at  the  place.     In 

1829,  July  16,  at  Holderman's  Grove,  our  sub- 
ject  was   married   to  Caroline  Hawley.     Her 
father,  Pierce  Hawley,  moved  from  Vermont  to 
Vincennes,  Ind.,  in   1818,  and  later  moved  to 
Illinois,   living   at   various   places,   settling  at 
Holderman's  Grove  in    1825.     In   the   fall   of 

1830,  Willard,   with  his  father,  father-in-law, 
and  their  families,  settled  at  the  junction  of  the 
two  branches  of  the  Du  Page  River,  three  miles 
south  of  Naperville.     At  that  time,  Cook  Coun- 
ty included  the  present  counties  of  Lake,  Mc- 
Henry,  Du  Page  and  Will.     Chicago  was  the 
voting  place,  and  of  the  thirty-two  votes  polled 
that  year,  the  father  of  our  subject  heads  the 
list.     In  1832,  the  Black  Hawk  War  broke  out, 
and    Willard's   knowledge   of  the   habits  and 
wiles  of  the  Indians  made  him  a  useful  man  to 
the  settlers  during  those  perilous  months.     In 
the  spring  of  1838,  he  removed  to  the  village 
of  Naperville,  where  his  father  had  preceded 
him  the  previous  year.     He  built  the  Naper- 
ville Hotel,  which  he  conducted  for  eight  yeai-s. 
He   then   commenced  merchandising,  and  for 
nearly  twenty  3Tears,  most  of  the  time  with  his 
eldest  son,  Thaddeus  (since  deceased,  leaving 
one  son,   Willard  H.),  continued   the  business 
by  which  the  firm  name  of  Willard  Scott  &  Co. 
has  been  made  historical.     After  the  late  war 
of  the  rebellion,  he  retired  from  active  business 
life  as  a  merchant,  in  which,  however,  he  has 
been  succeeded  by  his  son,  Willard  Scott,  Jr., 
who   continues   the  business  under  the  same 
firm  name.     During  the  time  of  his  residence 
in  Naperville,  he  has  been  President,  first,  of 
the  Du  Page  County  Bank  and  afterward  of 
the  Bank  of  Naperville,  and  since   he  retired 
from  mercantile  life  has  been  doing  business  as 
a  private  banker  ;  an/1  the  banking  house  of 
Willard  Scott  &  Co.,  is  considered  one  of  the 
absolutely  safe  institutions  of  its  class  in  North- 
ern Illinois.     An  attendant  of  the  Congrega- 
tional   Church,    his    religious   views    may    be 


NAPERVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 


classed  as  orthodox,  except  for  a  strong  lean- 
ing toward  the  belief  of  the  final  salvation  of 
all,  through  the  Savior.  In  politics,  he  is  a 
Democrat ;  voted  for  Jackson,  loved  Douglas. 
and  with  him  believed  in  •'  obeying  the  laws 
and  supporting  the  Constitution."  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Scott  have  both  been  residents  of  Illinois 
for  more  than  half  a  century,  and  all  that  time 
have  lived  near  Chicago.  They  have  seen  and  ! 
helped  to  produce  the  remarkable  progress  of 
this  section,  and  now  move  around  amid  their 
children,  grandchildren  and  neighbors,  enjoy- 
ing the  confidence,  esteem  and  respect  of  every- 
body. 

REV.  A.  A.  SMITH,  A.  M.,  President 
Northwestern  College,  Naperville,  is  a  native 
of  Berkshire  County,  Mass.,  born  November 
23, 1806.  His  early  life  was  spent  on  a  farm, 
and  there  began  his  thirst  for  knowledge. 
His  means  and  the  times  were  not  favorable 
for  obtaining  an  education,  but  he  was  fond 
of  books,  and  spent  many  hours  by  the  fire- 
side in  study.  However,  he  obtained  a  few  ] 
short  terms  of  instruction  at  the  district  ' 
schools,  and,  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  began 
teaching  during  winter,  later  attending  two  j 
terms  at  an  academy  in  Lenox,  Mass.  At  | 
the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  moved  to  Ashtabu- 
la  County,  Ohio,  where  he  was  alternately 
engaged  in  teaching  and  studying;  was  also 
for  a  short  pariod  in  the  mercantile  business. 
He  taught  first  in  the  public  school,  and  then 
in  an  academy;  then  attended  Oberlin  Col- 
lege for  a  year  or  more,  and,  in  1838,  began 
teaching  in  the  Grand  River  Institute,  finally 
becoming  its  President,  and  continuing  with 
the  institution  until  1857,  when  he  resigned 
and  became  Principal  of  the  Greensburg 
Seminary,  which  position  he  held  for  five 
years.  While  there,  he  received  the  honor- 
ary degree  of  A.  M.  from  the  Farmers  Col- 
lege of  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  In  1862,  he  was 
called  to  Plainfield,  111.,  as  the  President  of 


the  Northwestern  College,  and  has  continued 
in  his  position  since.  May  23, 1833,  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Eliza  Cowles,  a  native  of  Litchfield 
County,  Conn.,  born  in  1808.  They  have 
one  child.  While  in  Ashtabula  County, 
Ohio,  Mr.  Smith  was  licensed  to  preach  by 
the  Congregational  Conference,  and  was  or- 
dained a  minister  while  at  Greensburg. 

HENRY  COWLES  SMITH,  A.  M.,  Pro- 
fessor, Northwestern  College,  Naperville, 
was  born  in  Ashtabula  County,  Ohio,  in  the 
year  1839,  only  child  of  the  Rev.  A.  A.  Smith, 
A.  M.,  and  Eliza  Cowles,  with  whom  he  has 
always  made  his  home.  He  received  a  dis- 
trict and  academic  course  of  study,  and,  at 
the  age  of  eighteen,  began  teaching  in  the 
Greensburg  Seminary.  In  1860,  he  entered 
Oberlin  College,  graduating  in  1863.  Mr. 
Smith  is  a  natural  musician,  and,  early  in 
life,  matured  to  a  more  than  ordinary  musi- 
cian, as  early  as  the  age  of  fifteen  beginning 
to  give  instructions  in  vocal  and  instrumen- 
tal music.  After  graduating  from  Oberlin 
College,  he  came  to  Plainfield,  111.,  and  en- 
gaged as  teacher  of  music  in  the  college,  and 
in  1869  he  became  Professor  of  Languages, 
Latin  and  Greek.  Since  1870,  he  has  been 
Professor  of  Latin  and  Music.  In  July, 
1863,  he  married  Miss  Mary  H.  Dreisbach,  of 
Circleville,  Ohio;  they  have  had  five  children: 
Annie  May  (died),  Fannie  Eyre,  Mattie  Eliza, 
Lucy  Jewett,  Henry  Augustine  and  Charles 
Arthur. 

G.  W.  SINDLINGER,  Professor  of  Greek 
in  Northwestern  College,  Naperville,  was 
born  in  Tioga  County,  Penn. ,  March  5,  1843 ; 
was  raised  on  the  farm,  where  he  remained 
with  his  parents,  who  were  in  moderate  cir- 
cumstances, until  he  was  twenty  years  of  age. 
He  attended  the  common  schools,  and  after- 
ward a  select  school,  and.  being  desirous  of 
obtaining,  a  thorough  education,  devoted  him- 
self zealously  to  his  studies.  At  nineteen 


34 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


years  of  age,  he  began  the  business  of  life, 
teaching  public  school  in  winter  and  working 
at  the  carpenter's  trade  during  the  summer. 
He  came  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Freeport, 
where  he  followed  teaching  and  carpentering 
till  the  summer  of  1864,  when  he  enlisted  in 
Company  G,  Ninety-second  Illinois  Mounted 
Infantry,  and  remained  in  service  ten  months. 
Soon  after  enlisting,  and  while  on  their  way 
to  join  their  regiment,  which  was  with  Sher- 
man, the  new  recruits  were  detached  to  serve 
under  Maj.  Cox,  with  Gen.  Thomas,  and  took 
part  in  the  three  days'  engagement  at  Nash- 
ville, afterward  engaging  in  a  six  weeks' 
campaign  in  pursuit  of  Hood  through  Ten- 
nessee and  Alabama.  He  returned  to  Nash- 
ville, thence  by  steamer  to  Louisville,  thence 
by  train  to  Crestline,  Ohio,  thence  via  Harris  - 
burg  and  Baltimore  to  Annapolis,  Md.,  thence 
by  steamer  to  Fortress  Monroe,  thence  to 
Beaufort  and  Newbern,  N.  C. ,  thence  on  a 
campaign  to  Goldsboro,  N.  C.,  engaging  in 
the  battle  of  Kingston,  and  at  Goldsboro 
joined  his  regiment,  continuing  in  the  com- 
mand until  the  surrender  of  Johnston.  The 
day  previous  to  the  entrance  of  the  army  into 
Raleigh,  the  Ninety-second  Kegiment  was  on 
the  advanced  guard,  and  were  repulsed  by 
the  rear  guard  of  Johnston's  army,  subject 
having  a  narrow  escape  from  being  captured. 
He  returned  to  Freeport,  111. ,  after  the  war, 
with  $1,000,  which  he  determined  to  devote 
to  the  procuring  of  an  education.  In  the  fall 
of  1865,  he  entered  the  Northwestern  Col- 
lege, and  graduated  in  the  classical  course  in 
1869,  making  three  terms  during  vacations. 
He  then  took  charge  of  the  public  schools  of 
Naperville,  and,  after  remaining  there  two 
years,  resigned  his  position  on  account  of  ill 
health,  and  went  to  Weston,  Mo.,  where  he  ' 
taught  two  years  as  Assistant  Principal  in  , 
the  public  schools  of  that  place.  Thence  he 
went  to  Holden,  Mo. ;  was  Principal  of  pub-  l 


lie  schools  there  for  two  years;  then  traveled 
a  year  for  his  health.  In  1876,  he  came  to 
Naperville,  engaged  as  Assistant  Professor  in 
the  Northwestern  College;  and,  in  1880,  was 
appointed  to  his  present  position,  Professor  of 
the  Greek  Language  in  that  institution.  In 
1870,  he  married  Miss  A.  M.  M.  Pfeiffer,  a  na- 
tive of  Pittsburgh,  Penn. ;  they  have  one 
child,  Edna  G. 

PHILLIP  STEUBLEE,  Postmaster,  deal 
er  in  seeds,  plants,  etc.,  Naperville,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Warren  County,  Penn.,  born  in  1832, 
second  in  a  family  of  four  children  born  to 
George  and  Salonia  (Stocker)  Strubler. 
They  were  natives  of  Alsace,  France,  and 
were  married  there,  and  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1832,  locating  in  Wiirren,  Penn., 
where  he  followed  rafting  on  the  Alleghany. 
In  1837,  he  came  to  Naperville  and  worked 
at  his  trade  of  shoemaking,  walking  to  Chi- 
cago for  leather;  continued  his  trade  here  a 
number  of  years,  when  he  engaged  in  farm- 
ing, living  in  town,  and,  after  a  few  years, 
rented  his  land;  continued  to  reside  here 
until  death,  September  28,  1868;  she  died 
August  16, 1871.  Our  subject  lived  in  Na- 
perville until  1854,  when  he  went  to  Califor- 
nia via  New  York  and  Panama,  and  remained 
about  five  years  engaged  in  mining  the  first 
eighteen  months,  after  which  he  was  on  a 
ranch  and  followed  teaming.  In  1859,  he 
returned  to  Naperville,  and  engaged,  in  com- 
pany with  his  brother  George,  in  livery  and 
staging,  which  they  followed  about  ten  years, 
and,  about  1859  or  1860,  they  took  the  agency 
of  the  American  Express  Company.  In  1866, 
our  subject  was  elected  Sheriff  of  the  coun- 
ty, and  served  one  term.  At  the  end  of  the 
ten  years,  our  subject  sold  the  livery  busi- 
ness to  his  brother,  and,  in  connection  with 
his  agency  of  .express,  he  engaged  in  the 
fruit  and  seed  business.  On  April  26,  his 
name  was  sent  to  the  United  States  Senate, 


NAPEKVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 


37 


and  he  received  the  appointment  of  Post- 
master of  Naperville.  In  I860,-  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Maria  Mottinger,  a  native  of 
Ohio,  and  came  with  her  parents  to  this 
vicinity  when  she  was  young.  They  have 
four  children — Linnie  M.,  Clinton  P.,  Oliver 
W.  andArlette.  Is  a  Republican;  has  served 
several  terms  in  Town  Council;  also  as  As- 
sessor of  Corporation. 

CHAELES  SCHULZ,  tobacconist  and  bar- 
ber, Naperville,  was  born  in  Prussia  in  1829, 
son  of  Carl  and  Henrietta  (Geistler)  Schulz, 
natives  of  Prussia.  Carl  Schulz  was  a  com- 
missioned Government  Pilot  on  the  Baltic 
Sea  for  upward  of  forty  years,  and  is  now  a 
pensioner,  living  retired.  Charles  received 
an  ordinary  education  in  the  schools  of  his 
native  land,  and,  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  was 
apprenticed  to  the  barber's  trade  in  Stettin, 
Prussia.  After  learning  his  trade,  he  worked 
as  journeyman  in  a  number  of  the  leading 
cities  of  Germany.  From  Berlin  he  went  tD 
London,  England,  where  he  stayed  two  years; 
thence  to  Liverpool,  remaining  there  a  year; 
and  thence,  in  1852,  to  America,  and  settled 
in  New  York  City.  He  worked  as  a  journey- 
man barber  in  New  York  for  three  and  a  half 
years,  then  opened  a  shop  of  his  own,  which 
he  carried  on  for  a  year  and  a  half,  then  sold 
out  and  came  to  Chicago,  intending  to  locate 
permanently  there,  but,  not  liking  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  city  at  that  time,  came  to 
Naperville  and  opened  a  shop,  and  has  since 
conducted  business  there.  In  1859,  he  add- 
ed the  tobacco  and  cigar  business;  in  1873, 
sold  out  the  barber  business  to  one  of  his  ap- 
prentices, and  devoted  his  entire  attention  to 
the  tobacco  and  cigar  trade,  which  grew  to 
large  proportions,  he  traveling  and  selling 
goods  in  the  adjoining  counties.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1874,  the  frame  building  owned  by  Mr. 
Schulz,  containing  the  tobacco  store  and  bar- 
ber shop,  was  destroyed  by  fire,  he  suffering 


a  loss  of  about  $10,000,  insurance  only  $1,- 
000.  After  the  fire,  he  purchased  the  good 
will  of  his  former  barber  business  and  opened 
a  shop,  keeping  also  a  stock  of  tobacco  and 
cigars;  improved  the  site  of  his  former  bus- 
iness place,  to  which  he  added  a  lot,  and 
built  his  present  two-story  brick  block,  30x- 

j  70,  located   corner   of    Main    and   Jefferson 

j  streets,  now  occupied  by  the  post  office  and 
his  tobacco  and  barber  business.  In  New 
York,  in  1855,  he  married  Eliza  Jeep,  a  na- 

I  tive  of  Hanover,  Germany,  who  has  borne  him 

!  five  children,  of  whom  three  are  living,  viz., 
Bertha,  Robert  and  Emma.  In  January, 

|  1882,  Mr.  Schulz  visited  his  parents,  who  are 
living  in  Prussia;  his  father  is  now  eighty - 

!  one,  his  mother  seventy-nine  years  of  age. 
JOHN  F.  STROHEKER,  blacksmith,  Na- 

',  perville,  was  born  in  Wurtemberg,  Germany, 
in  1838.  His  mother  died  when  he  was 
seven  years  old,  and,  two  years  after  his  fa- 
ther and  family  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  and  settled  in  Wayne  County,  Ohio, 
where  they  lived  about  eight  years;  thence 
removed  to  Plainfield,  111.,  where  they  lived 
one  year,  and,  in  1855,  came  to  Naperville. 
Jacob,  subject's  father,  who  had  followed 
farming  in  Ohio,  began  weaving  carpet  and 
doing  general  labor  in  Naperville  after  he 
came  there;  since  1877,  however,  he  has  been 
engaged  exclusively  in  weaving.  John  F. 
worked  at  farming  and  teaming  for  a  year, 
and,  in  the  fall  of  1856,  was  apprenticed  to 
N.  Lent,  blacksmith,  of  Naperville,  under 
whom  he  served  two  years;  he  then  worked 
at  his  trade  as  journeyman  at  Joliet,  Plain- 
field,  Aurora  and  Kaneville,  111.  At  the  lat- 
ter place,  August  8, 1861,  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany A,  Fifty-second  Illinois  Infantry,  and 
was  chosen  Corporal.  In  the  battle  of  Pitts- 
burg  Landing,  he  received  a  wound  in  the 
left  thigh,  and  came  home  to  Naperville,  and, 
June  18  following,  again  joined  his  regiment, 


38 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


and  participated  in  the  battles  of  luka  and 
Corinth,  and  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
Sergeant  January  17,  1864,  the  regiment 
disbanded,  and  he  came  home,  but  re-enlisted 
for  three  years,  and  took  part  in  the  battles 
of  Eesaca,  in  the  Atlanta  campaign  and  the 
march  to  the  sea,  and  through  the  Carol  inas. 
In  July,  1865,  he  returned  home  to  Naper- 
ville,  and,  three  days  afterward,  went  to  work 
at  his  trade.  In  November  of  the  same  year, 
he  opened  a  shop  at  Turner  Junction,  remain- 
ing there  till  1867,  when  he  went  to  Kane- 
ville  and  worked  as  journeyman  for  a  year, 
after  which  he  opened  a  shop  there.  After 
running  a  shop  in  Kaneville  for  two  years 
and  a  half,  he  came  to  Naperville,  built  a 
house,  and,  one  year  later,  bought  his  pres- 
ent shop,  where  he  has  ever  since  carried 
on  business.  February  22,  1862,  he  mar- 
ried Maria  Good,  a  native  of  Pennsylva- 
nia, who  has  borne  him  two  children — 
Charles  F.  and  William  S.  Mr.  Stroheker 
is  a  Republican;  is  a  pensioner;  in  1876,  he 
organized  the  Naperville  Light  Guards,  num- 
bering seventy-two  members,  of  which  force 
he  was  Captain  for  two  years. 

GILES  E.  STEONG,  farmer,  P.  O.  Auro- 
ra, 111.,  is  a  native  of  Tompkins  County,  N. 
Y. ,  born  in  the  year  1827,  eldest  of  five  chil- 
dren born  to  William  J.  and  Caroline  Blod- 
gett  Strong;  they  were  natives  of  Tompkins 
County,  N.  Y.,  and  Massachusetts,  though 
she  lived  in  New  York  at  the  time  of  her 
marriage.  In  1834,  they  came  West  by  the 
lakes,  and  lived  in  the  vicinity  of  Naperville, 
and,  in  the  fall,  he  made  a  claim  in  Section 
30,  which  he  sold  in  the  spring  of  1835,  and 
made  a  claim  on  Section  20,  settled  on  it  and 
lived  there  until  the  year  1857,  when  he  sold 
out  to  his  son,  G.  E.,  and  moved  to  Aurora, 
where  he  has  lived  since.  While  living  in 
Du  Page  County,  Mr.  Strong  served  as  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace,  and  also  as  County  Com- 


missioner. Mrs.  Strong  died  in  Aurora  in 
1878.  Our  subject  was  raised  on  the  farm. 
In  addition  to  a  common  school  course  of 
study,  he  attended  several  terms  at  the  Col- 
legiate Institute  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.  On  be- 

I  coming  twenty-one,  he  drove  an  ox  team  to 

I  California,  where  he  lived  about  six  years, 
during  which  time  he  followed  mining,  team- 
ing, and  also  carried  on  a  ranch  a  few  years. 
In  1855,  he  returned  home  via  Panama  and 
New  York,  and  lived  at  home  until  October 
of  that  year,  when  he  married  Miss  Frances 
M.  Crane,  and  rentod  his  father's  farm,  and 
the  next  year  he  went  to  Kansas  and  Nebras- 
ka, taking  a  quarter  section  claim  in  the  lat- 
ter State,  and  also  made  a  quarter-section 
claim  in  Kansas.  He  returned  home  the 
same  year,  and  went  to  California  to  settle 
up  his  business,  via  Panama;  returned  same 
route  the  following  spring,  and  bought  his 
father's  farm,  and  has  lived  here  ever  since. 
By  the  marriage  there  have  been  four  chil- 
dren, three  living — Edward  C.,  Wilbur, 
(died),  Nettie  E. ,  Mervin  W.  He  is  a  Repub- 
lican. 

L.  S.  SHAFER,  contractor  and  builder, 
planing-mill,  Naperville,  is  a  native  of  Dau- 
phin County,  Penn.,  born  in  1837.  When 
quite  young,  he  began  working  in  a  wagon 
shop,  at  which  he  continued  until  he  was 
eighteen  years  old,  when  he  went  to  Dixon, 
111.,  and  worked  there  as  a  carpenter  about 
six  months;  then  to  Naperville;  thence  to 

i  Kansas,  remaining  one  year,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Naperville;  thence  to  Indiana,  and 

I  again  to  Naperville.  In  September,  1861,  he 
enlisted  in  the  Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry,  Com- 
pany E,  and  served  three  years  and  one 
month,  being  First  Sergeant  when  discharged; 
was  in  battles  of  Williamsburg,  seven  days' 
fight  around  Richmond,  South  Mountain, 
Gettysburg  and  the  other  engagements  of  his 
regiment  After  the  war,  he  returned  to  Na- 


NAPEBVILLB  TOWNSHIP. 


perville  and  became  the  foreman  and  machin- 
ist in  the  agricultural  works,  where  he  re- 
mained about  five  years.  He  then  erected 
his  present  saw-mill,  and  conducted  it,  in 
connection  wi  th  his  business  as  a  contractor  and 
builder,  he  building  many  of  the  best  build- 
ings in  the  city.  In  1866,  he  married  Miss 
Hannah  Naugle,  a  native  of  Cumberland 
County,  Penn. ;  they  have  four  children,  two 
living — Elizabeth  and  Adelia. 

S.  E.  SHIMP,  farmer  and  auctioneer,  P. 
O.  Naperville,  is  a  native  of  Lancaster 
County,  Penn.,  born  in  the  year  1831,  and  is 
the  eldest  of  eleven  children  born  to  William 
and  Nancy  Eberly  Shimp;  they  were  natives 
of  Pennsylvania;  he  was  a  farmer,  and  died  on 
his  old  homestead  in  Pennsylvania  in  the  year 
1878;  Mrs.  Shimp  is  living  in  Pennsylvania,  at 
the  old  homestead.  Our  subject  was  raised  on 
the  farm,  and  attended  a  few  months  at  the  dis- 
trict schools.  In  1851,  he  went  to  Ohio  and 
apprenticed  to  the  blacksmith's  trade  in 
Wooster,  and  served  for  three  years.  He 
then  came  to  Illinois  and  stopped  at  Plain- 
field,  where  he  followed  his  trade  for  three 
years,  when  he  moved  to  Naperville  and  fol- 
lowed his  trade  until  the  spring  of  1861, 
when  he  married  Miss  Catharine  L.  Kline,  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania,  who  came  to  Du  Page 
County  with  her  parents  when  she  was  young. 
After  the  marriage,  he  settled  on  a  farm  in 
Naperville  Township,  and  has  farmed  most  of 
the  time  since.  In  1861,  he  was  elected 
Sheriff,  and  served  for  two  years.  He  then- 
came  to  his  present  place,  and,  in  1876,  was 
again  elected  Sheriff,  and  has  been  re-elected 
twice  since.  In  1876,  he  moved  to  Wheaton, 
and  lived  there  until  1880,  when  he  came  to 
the  farm.  Mr.  Shimp  first  voted  for  Franklin 
Pierce,  but  has  been  a  Republican  since  the 
formation  of  that  party.  By  the  marriage 
there  have  been  eleven  children,  of  whom 
eight  are  living.  During  the  past  twenty- 


three  years,  Mr.  Shimp  has  followed  the  bus- 
iness of  auctioneer. 

GEORGE  SIMPSON,  farmer,  P.  O.  Na- 
perville, is  a  native  of  Vermont,  born  at  Al- 
burg  in  the  year  1837,  and  is  the  youngest  of 
eight  children  born  to  George  and  Tamer 
(Bell)  Simpson;  they  were  natives  of  England; 
they  married  there,  and  came  to  the  United 
States  about  the  year  1831,  and  settled  in 
Vermont,  where  they  farmed  until  1837, 
when  they  moved  to  Clinton  County,  N.  Y. , 
and  farmed  there  until  about  the  year  1852, 
when  they  came  to  Illinois  and  settled  in 
Du  Page  County,  where  they  farmed  until 
their  death — he  in  1857,  and  she  in  1875. 
Our  subject  was  raised  on  the  farm,  and  re- 
ceived a  common-school  education.  His  fa- 
ther died  when  he  was  in  his  twenty-first  year, 
and  he  took  the  home  farm,  buying  out  the 
heirs,  and  farmed  the  place  until  about  1873, 
when  he  rented  it  out,  and  purchased  and  oc- 
cupied the  place.  In  1871,  he  married  Miss 
De  Etta  C.  Marlet,  a  njitive  of  Otsego 
County,  N.  Y. ;  she  died  in  1876;  they  had 
two  children,  only  one  of  whom  is  living, 
Grace  E.  In  1880,  he  married  Miss  Etta 
Ferry,  a  native  of  Du  Page  County,  111.; 
they  have  one  child,  viz..  Birdie.  He  owns 
251  acres  in  this  county,  located  on  the  rail- 
road, two  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Naperville. 

ANDREW  STOOS,  farmer,  P.  O.  Naper- 
ville, is  a  native  of  Alsace,  France  (now  Ger- 
many); he  was  born  in  the  year  1828;  he  re- 
ceived a  common-school  education,  and,  at 
the  age  of  fifteen,  he  apprenticed  to  the  wag- 
on-maker's trade,  and  served  three  years;  he 
then  went  to  Paris,  where  he  worked  at  his 
trade  until  1851.  He  then  came  to  the  Unit- 
ed States,  landing  at  New  Orleans,  in  which 
rity  he  worked  at  his  trade  about  nine  months; 
he  then  went  to  St.  Louis,  whence  he  left  for 
Chicago,  but  stopped  off  at  Naperville  and 
went  to  work  in  the  plow  factory,  where  he 


40 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


worked  for  nine  years.  He  then  started  a 
wagon  shop  of  his  own,  which  he  conducted 
for  five  years.  He  then  traded  his  business 
for  his  farm,  and  occupied  the  place,  and  has 
farmed  here  since.  In  1856,  he  married  Miss 
Jennie  Kreyder,  a  native  of  Alsace,  France, 
who  came  to  the  United  States  with  her  par- 
ents and  settled  in  Du  Page  County.  By 
this  marriage  there  have  been  ten  children, 
nine  of  whom  are  living.  He  owns  200  acres 
of  land,  located  one  and  a  half  miles  west  of 
Naperville.  He  is  Democratic  in  his  poli- 
tics, and  has  served  as  Road  Commissioner 
for  three  years. 

WILLIAM  SIMPSON,  farmer,  P.  O.  Na- 
perville, is  a  native  of  Vermont,  born  in  Al- 
burg  in  the  year  1832,  and  is  the  sixth  of  eight 
children  born  to  George  and  Tamer  (Bell) 
Simpson.  He  was  raised  on  the  farm,  and 
received  a  common-school  education.  When 
he  became  of  age,  he  began  work  on  his  own 
account,  working  at  carpentering,  which  bus- 
iness he  continued  for  some  twelve  years,  - 
and  then  occupied  his  present  place,  and  has 
farmed  since.  In  1863,  he  married  Miss 
Adelia  Ferry,  a  native  of  Du  Page  County. 
By  the  marriage  there  are  three  children — 
Edgar  G.,  Carrie  and  Oscar.  He  owns  145 
acres  of  land,  located  on  the  railroad  three 
miles  west  of  Naperville.  He  has  been  Re- 
publican in  politics. 

GEORGE  STRUBLER,  livery,  feed  and 
sale  stable,  Naperville,  was  born  in  Warren 
County,  Penn.,  in  1829;  is  the  eldest  of  a 
family  of  four  children  born  to  George  and 
Sallie  (Stucker)  Strubler.  He  came  to  Na- 
perville when  seven  years  of  age;  received  a 
fair  education,  and,  when  twenty  years  old, 
began  teaming  to  Chicago.  In  1853,  he  was 
elected  Constable  of  Naperville,  which  posi- 
tion he  has  ever  since  held,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  eight  years,  when  he  acted  as  Police, 
Constable  and  Collector  of  Naperville;  has 


been  Village  Treasurer  two  years,  Deputy 
Sheriff  two  years  under  P.  Strubler,  and  six 
years  under  Kline.  In  1850,  he  married 
Wilhelmina  Meyers,  a  native  of  Pennsylva- 
nia, who  came  to  Illinois  with  her  parents; 
she  died  in  1859,  leaving  one  child,  Charles 
G.  In  ]860,  he  married  his  second  wife, 
Leo  Hartman,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who 
has  borne  him  two  children,  viz.,  Frank  and 
Edward.  Mr.  Strubler  is  a  Republican.  He 
began  the  livery  business  in  the  fall  of  1856, 
and  has  ever  since  carried  it  on. 

ALFRED  SHAFFER,  contractor  and 
builder,  Naperville,  was  born  in  Dauphin 
County,  Penn.,  September  7,  3>'81,  and  re- 
ceived an  ordinary  education  in  the  district 
schools  of  his  native  State.  When  eighteen 
years  of  age,  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  car- 
penter and  cabinet-making  trade,  at  which 
he  served  three  years,  and  worked  one  year  at 
his  trade  in  Western  Pennsylvania.  In  the 
spring  of  1854,  he  came  to  Chicago,  where 
he  followed  his  trade  for  about  six  months  ; 
thence  to  Naperville,  where  he  remained  three 
years;  he  then  went  East  to  his  home,  and, 
after  a  stay  of  six  months,  returned  to  Naper- 
ville, where  he  remained  till  1858.  He  then 
moved  to  Kansas,  worked  there  four  months, 
then  went  to  St.  Paul;  thence  to  St.  Louis; 
thence  to  Beardstown,  and,  in  1860,  returned 
to  Naperville.  In  1865,  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany D,  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-sixth  Illi- 
nois Infantry,  and  served  till  the  close  of  the 
war;  enlisted  as  a  soldier,  but  was  detailed 
to  work  at  his  trade,  and  worked  principally 
at  Chattanooga  and  Memphis.  At  the  close 
of  the  war,  he  returned  to  Naperville,  where 
he  has  since  been  in  business;  since  1862, 
has  been  working  on  his  own  account,  taking 
contracts  of  building.  He  married,  July  5, 
1861,  to  Elizabeth  Stover,  a  native  of  York 
County,  Penn.,  who  has  borne  him  five  chil- 
dren, three  of  whom  are  living,  viz.,  Emma 


XAPERVILLK  TOWNSHIP 


41 


S.,  Edmond  C.  and  Lewis  F.  Mr.  Shaffer 
is  a  supporter  of  the  Republican  party. 

MATTHIAS  A.  STEPHENS,  contractor 
and  builder,  Naperville,  was  born  in  Lehigh 
County,  Penn.,  in  1839;  his  parents,  Jacob 
and  Judia  (Leibig)  Stephens,  were  also  natives 
of  that  county,  and  now  reside  at  Allentown, 
Penn.  Subject,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  began 
working  in  the  iron  mines,  and  finally  became 
overseer  of  a  mine.  When  twenty-one  years 
of  age,  he  went  West,  to  Tiffin,  Ohio,  where 
he  worked  in  a  grist-mill  for  a  year,  then 
came  to  Naperville,  to  which  place  he  had 
been  recommended  by  a  young  man  whom  he 
met  in  Tiffin,  Ohio.  He  arrived  in  Naper- 
ville in  April,  1861,  and  worked  on  a  farm 
about  one  and  a  half  years,  then  enlisted  in 
Company  B,  One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Regi- 
ment Illinois  Infantry,  and  served  until  the 
close  of  the  war.  During  his  time  of  serv- 
ice, he  participated  in  the  battles  of  Resaca, 
Lost  Mountain,  Burnt  Hickory,  New  Hope 
Church,  Peach  Tree  Creek  and  Savannah, 
being  in  the  Atlanta  campaign,  march  to  the 
sea  and  through  the  Carolinas.  After  the 
war;  he  returned  to  Naperville,  and,  in  July, 
1865,  married  Elizabeth  Yost,  a  native  of 
Naperville,  who  has  borne  him  five  children, 
four  of  whom  are  living:  Ida  M.,Emma  L.  (de- 
ceased), Nora  L.,  Josie  L.,  and  Sherman  H. 
After  his  marriage,  he  learned  the  carpenter' s 
trade,  at  which  he  worked  as  journeyman 
seven  years;  he  then  formed  a  partnership 
with  C.  B.  Schuster,  with  whom  he  engaged 
in  the  contracting  and  building  business  four 
years;  then  with  Abraham  Kinsey  four  years, 
since  which  time  he  has  carried  on  business 
himself. 

NICHOLAS  STENGER,  deceased,  was 
born  in  Germany  in  1830,  and  came  to  the 
United  States  with  his  parents,  who  settled 
at  Naperville.  In  July,  1852,  he  married 
Elizabeth  Snibley,  born  in  Germany  in  1831, 


daughter  of  Jacob  and  Louisa  (Dather)  Snib- 
ley, natives  of  Germany,  who  emigrated  to 
the  United  States  in  1832,  and  located  in 
Warren  County,  Penn.  Jacob  Snibley,  who 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  removed  from 
Pennsylvania  to  this  county  with  his  family 
in  1835,  and  settled  two  miles  east  of  Naper- 
ville; his  first  wife  died  in  1850,  leaving  ten 
children  ;  the  same  year,  he  went  with  a 
company  raised  in  this  vicinity  to  Califor- 
nia, traveling  with  teams  by  the  overland 
route;  he  remained  in  California  two  years, 
and  returned  to  this  county,  making  the  re- 
turn trip  via  the  water  route;  he  died  in  June, 
1863;  his  second  wife,  Saloma  Dather,  sister 
of  his  first  wife,  died  in  1864  The  subject 
of  this  sketch,  who  was  engaged  in  the  brew- 
ing business  in  company  with  his  brother 
John,  died  December  31, 1865.  Of  his  seven 
children,  five  are  living.  Mrs.  Stenger  has 
recently  purchased  the  old  homestead  where 
her  parents  first  settled.  She  now  resides  in 
Naperville. 

SIMON  STRAUSS,  Strauss  &  Getsch, 
manufacturers  of  the  Naperville  Plows,  Na- 
perville. This  gentleman,  one  of  the  old  pio- 
neer plowmen  of  Du  Page  County,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Lehigh  County,  Penn.,  born  in  1819; 
he  was  raised  on  the  farm,  and,  at  the  age  of 
eighteen,  apprenticed  to  the  blacksmith's 
trade,  and  worked  at  the  trade  \intil  1847, 
when  he  came  West  and  opened  a  shop  in 
Naperville,  and,  about  two  years  later,  he  be- 
gan work  in  the  plow  shop  of  A.  S.  Jones, 
where  he  remained  for  seven  years,  after 
which  he  resumed  business  on  his  own  ac- 
count, doing  business  successively  at  Bloom- 
ingdale,  Lisle  Station  and  Barber  Corners. 
At  the  latter  place,  he  purchased  ninety  acres 
of  land  and  farmed  nearly  two  years.  He 
then  returned  to  Naperville  and  worked  in 
the  plow  shop  there,  then  conducted  by 
Boughton  &  Co.,  for  three  years,  after  which 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


he  established  his  present  business,  and,  in  ! 
1876,  associated  in  partnership  with  himself 
Mr.  Getsch.  The  firm  make  the  old  Naper- 
ville  or  Jones  Plow,  v.'hieh  is  celebrated  for 
its  light  draught  and  efficient  work.  It  is  | 
particularly  adapted  to  this  soil,  and  has  for 
the  past  four  or  five  years  been  awarded  the 
premium.  Mr.  Strauss  was  married,  in  1843, 
to  Miss  Catharine  Butz,  a  native  of  Lehigh 
County,  Penn. ;  she  died  about  1860;  they 
had  five  children.  In  1862,  he  married  Miss 
Mary  Frost,  a  native  of  Lebanon  County, 
Penn. 

WILLIAM  SHIMP,  carriage  manufact- 
urer, Naperville,  is  a  native  of  Lancaster 
County,  Penn.,  born  September  24,  1833; 
was  raised  on  the  farm,  and  received  a  dis- 
trict-school education.  When  he  was  eight 
years  of  age,  his  father  died,  and  he  lived 
with  neighbors  until  he  was  about  sixteen, 
when  he  went  to  Wooster,  Ohio,  where  his 
uncle  lived,  and  learned  the  carriage-maker's 
trade,  after  which  he  worked  as  a  journey- 
man in  Terre  Haute  and  Greencastle,  Ind. , 
and  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa.  About  1857,  he 
came  to  Naperville,  and,  a  few  years  later,  he 
engaged  in  business  for  himself.  In  1861, 
he  enlisted  in  the  Fifty-fifth  Illinois  Infantry, 
and  was  elected  Second  Lieutenant  in  Com- 
pany B..  "While  in  Camp  Douglas,  he  saw 
the  Forty-second  Illinois  Infantry  preparing 
to  move,  and  determined  to  try  and  join  it; 
he  made  application,  and  finally  was  told  to 
pick  his  company;  he  viewed  the  regiment, 
and  decided  on  Company  H ;  the  Colonel  and 
Adjutant  of  the  regiment  disputed  as  to  his 
pluck,  and  the  Adjutant,  a  very  large  man, 
stepped  up  and  gave  him  a  blow  on  the  breast; 
the  little  I  ieutenant  sprang  at  him,  and 
stated,  if  the  Adjutant  raised  a  hand,  he  j 
would  knock  him  over;  the  officer  stepped 
back,  and  said  he  would  make  a  soldier;  he  en- 
tered the  company  as  private,  and.  later,  was 


made  a  Sergeant;  the  Adjutant  became  Col- 
onel, and  was  always  a  good  friend  to  Sergt. 
Shimp;  the  latter's  old  Company  B,  of  the 
Fifty-fifth,  was  in  the  battle  of  Pittsburg 
Landing,  and  lost  every  officer  and  twenty - 
eight  men.  Mr.  Shimp  served  in  the  Forty- 
second  three  years  and  two  months,  and  was 
in  the  battles  of  Corinth,  siege  of  Nashville, 
Stone  River,  Chickamauga,  the  Atlanta  cam- 
paign, and  other  engagements.  In  1864,  he 
returned  to  Naperville,  and  has  continued  his 
business  here  since.  In  1861,  he  married 
Miss  Louisa  E.  Moyer,  a  native  of  North- 
ampton County,  Penn. ;  she  died  May  3, 
1879;  they  had  nine  children,  eight  of  whom 
are  living,  viz.,  Andrew,  Alice.  David,  Will- 
iam, Abbie,  Dollie,  Ida  and  Burd;  Louisa 
died. 

JACOB  SALFISBERG,  proprietor  of  the 
Naperville  Quarry,  Naperville,  was  born  in 
Switzerland  in  1834.  He  received  an  ordi- 
nary education,  and,  at  the  age  of  seventeen 
years,  apprenticed  to  the  miller's  trade, 
served  two  years,  and  afterward  worked  at  his 
trade  in  his  native  land.  In  1854,  the  fam- 
ily emigrated  to  the  United  States  and  settled 
in  Oswego,  111.,  where  his  father  died;  his 
mother  now  resides  in  Aurora,  111.  Subject 
worked  at  his  trade  in  Oswego,  111. ,  for  five 
years;  then  went  to  Chicago,  where  he  tend- 
ed a  flour  and  feed  store  for  a  year;  he  then 
went  to  Aurora,  111.,  where  he  manufactured 
lime  for  eight  years;  thence,  in  December, 
1868,  to  Naperville,  and  purchased  his  pres- 
ent quarry  property,  consisting  of  seven  and 
three-fourths  acres,  underlaid  with  the  well- 
known  Naperville  stone.  He  married,  on 
January  4,  1859,  Anna  Salfisberg,  a  native  of 
Switzerland,  who  has  born  him  nine  chil- 
dren. Mr.  Salfisberg  is  a  Republican. 

T.  J.  SPRAGUE,  M.  D.,  Naperville,  was 
born  in  1855  in  Du  Page  Township,  Will 
Co.,  111.,  where  his  parents,  T.  J.  and  Lydia 


NAPERVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 


'Swift)  Sprague,  now  reside.  He  received  a 
rudimentary  education  in  the  district  schools, 
and  afterward  attended  the  Loekport;  High 
School.  In  1875,  he  began  reading  medicine 
with  Dr.  William  Hanley,  of  Loekport;  in 
1876,  entered  the  Rush  Medical  College,  and 
graduated  in  February,  1879.  He  began  the 
practice  of  his  profession  in  Chicago,  in  part- 
nership with  his  preceptor,  Dr.  William  Han- 
ley,  who  had  moved  to  that  city,  remaining 
in  Chicago  till  October  of  the  same  year; 
thence  he  moved  to  Rockford,  HI.,  where  he 
carried  on  a  drug  store  in  addition  to  his 
practice  till  February,  1881,  when  he  sold 
out  his  business  and  came  to  Naperville, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession, and,  in  the  following  August,  formed 
a  partnership  with  Dr.  J.  H.  Chew.  In  Oc- 
tober, 1881,  Dr.  Chew  removed  to  Chicago, 
and  Dr.  Sprague  has  since  carried  on  the 
business  himself.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Aurora  Medical  Society.  In  March,  1880, 
he  married  Emma,  daughter  of  Jonathan 
Royce,  of  Du  Page  Township,  Will  Co.,  111. ; 
they  have  one  child,  Frank. 

E.  B.  STOLP,  farmer,  P.  O.  Eola,  is  a 
native  of  Du  Page  County,  111.,  and  was  born 
on  his  present  place  in  the  year  1857,  and  is 
the  second  of  six  children  born  to  Charles 
W.  and  Sarah  (Bristol)  Stolp,  who  were  na- 
tives of  New  York,  and  came  to  Illinois  in 
1835.  Mr.  Stolp  has  always  lived  on  his 
present  place.  In  November,  1880,  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Alice  Updyke,  a  native  of  Kendall 
County,  111.  After  his  marriage,  he  took  the 
management  of  his  father's  place,  the  latter 
moving  to  Aurora.  He  is  a  Republican. 

DANIEL  STRUBLER,  blacksmith  and 
manufacturer  of  wagons,  etc.,  Naporville,  is 
a  native  of  Naperville,  111.;  he  was  born  Sep- 
tember 15,  1837,  son  of  George  and  Saloma 
(Stucker)  Strubler.  He  received  a  common- 
school  education,  and,  at  the  age  of  seven- 


teen, apprenticed  to  the  blacksmith's  trade. 
In  April,  1858,  he  opened  a  shop  of  his  own, 
in  company  with  Mr.  Samuel  Shimp;  the 
latter,  after  a  year  and  a  half,  sold  his  inter- 
est, and  Mr.  Strubler  formed  another  part- 
nership, which  lasted  about  three  years,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  alone  in  business. 
He  does  a  general  blacksmith  business,  is  a 
first-class  mechanic,  and,  in  October,  1866, 
was  awarded  the  first  premium  by  the  Du 
Page  County  Agricultural  and  Mechanical 
Association  for  horseshoes  finished  with 
hammer.  Connected  with  his  shop,  he  owns 
a  wagon  shop,  which  is  rented  to  a  wagon- 
builder,  the  two  shops  manufacturing  car- 
riages and  wagons.  July  14,  1859,  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Mary  Krimbill,  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and,  at  the  time  of  her  marriage, 
living  with  her  uncle,  Mr.  S.  M.  Skinner,  an 
old  resident  of  this  vicinity.  They  had  one 
child,  since  deceased;  living  with  them  is 
Lorena  Krimbill  Strubler,  an  adopted  child. 
A.  T.  THATCHER,  farmer,  P.  O.  Naper- 
ville, 111.,  is  a  native  of  Wayne  County,  N. 
Y.;  he  was  born  in  the  year  1809,  and  is  the 
eldest  of  seven  children  born  to  Thomas  and 
Roxana  (Look)  Thatcher;  they  were  natives  of 
Rhode  Island  and  Massachusetts;  they  mar- 
ried in  New  York;  he  came  West  in  1838,  and 
brought  his  family  out  the  next  year;  he  took 
a  claim  near  Napervillo,  where  he  lived  until 
his  death,  and  farmed  about  one  year,  when 
his  wife  died.  He  then  resided  in  Naperville 
about  ten  years,  carrying  on  the  grocery  bus- 
iness. In  1851,  he  went  to  California  by  the 
overland  route,  and  remained  there  about  two 
years,  where  he  followed  mining.  Return- 
ing to  Naperville,  he  resumed  the  grocery  bus- 
iness, and,  a  year  later,  came  to  his  farm,  in 
the  fall  of  1860.  Mrs.  Thos.  Thatcher  is  now 
ninety-three  years  of  age,  and  living  with  her 
son,  A.  T.  Our  subject  was  raised  on  his 
father's  farm,  and  received  a  common-school 


44 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


education.  In  1838,  he  came  West  with  his 
father  and  made  a  claim  to  his  present  place, 
which  he  afterward  bought  at  the  land  office 
in  Chicago.  In  1840,  he  went  to  New  York 
and  married  Miss  Mary  Cottrell,  and  returned 
to  his  claim,  and  has  lived  here  ever  since. 
In  May,  1841,  Mrs.  Thatcher  died.  In  1848, 
Mr.  Thatcher  again  married,  and  the  follow- 
ing children  were  born  to  him:  C.  T.  Thatcher, 
teacher,  Rochester,  N.  Y.  ;  Horace  L. 
Thatcher  and  Emma  L.,  now  living  at  home 
with  their  parents. 

JOHN   WARNE,  retired,  Eola,  111.,  is  a 
native  of   Hunterdon   County,  N.  J.,  and  was 
born   August    30,    1795;    his    father,    John  ' 
Warne,  was   born  at   Cranbury,  N.  J.;  was  a 
soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  a  farmer,  ; 
and  carried  on  a  flour-mill.     Our  subject  was 
raised  on  bis  father's  farm,  and  assisted  in 
the  mill.     When  he  was  thirteen  years  of 
age,  he  engaged  as  clerk  in  a  general  store, 
and   clerked    until    he    became    twenty-one, 
when  he  engaged  in  the  business  on  his  own 
account,  and,  after  three  years,  he  moved  to 
Warren  County,  where  he  bought  a  farm  and 
put  up  a  store  and  hotel,  which  he  conducted 
some  fifteen  years.     During  this  time,    the 
Morris  Canal  was  made,  and  Mr.  Warne  took 
a  contract  and  excavated  one  mile  of  the  ca-  { 
nal,  in  which  job  he  employed  200  men.     In  [ 
1832,  he  came  to  Washtenaw  County,  Mich.,  j 
where  he  farmed  two  years.     During  the  lat-  I 
ter  year,  he   assessed  his  township  (Ann  Ar- 
bor).    In  1834,  he  came  to  Illinois,  made  a 
claim  to  his  present  place  and  erected  a  log 
cabin.     About  four  miles  west  of  their  place 
were  camped  about  fifteen  hundred  Indians, 
of  whom  Mr.  Warne  has  many  pleasant  rec-   j 
ollections.     Mrs.  Warne   could  talk  the   lan- 
guage, and  often  visited  the  Indians,  and  they 
would  return  the  visits,  and  never  did  any- 
thing to  mar  the  friendship  between  them. 
Mr.  Warne  has  lived  here  ever  since  his  set- 


tlement. He  was  married  in  New  Jersey,  in 
the  year  1819,  to  Miss  Sarah  Stires,  a  native 
of  Hunterdon  County,  N.  J. ;  she  was  born 
in  the  year  1801;  they  had  eleven  children, 
of  whom  eight  are  living-— two  sons  and  six 
daughters;  their  eldest  son  is  now  sixty-three 
years  of  age.  During  his  residence  in  New 
Jersey,  he  served  for  a  number  of  years  as 
Justice  of  the  Peace.  Mr.  Warne  has  been 
a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for 
nearly  fifty  years;  the  early  religious  socie- 
ties met  at  his  house.  He  kept  the  post  office 
here  in  his  house,  called  the  Big  Woods  Post 
Office,  for  some  ten  or  twelve  years,  and  had 
daily  mails.  While  in  New  Jersey,  he  stud- 
ied surveying,  and  followed  it  there  for  some 
time,  and  he  also  did  surveying  here  in  his 
vicinity.  He  has  in  his  possession  an  old 
claim  book,  and  in  the  beginning  is  a  pream- 
ble forming  the  early  settlers  into  an  associa- 
tion for  the  protection  of  their  claims  from 
intruders. 

MATTHEW  WEISMANTEL,  jeweler,  and 
dealSr  in  watches,  clocks  and  silverware,  Na- 
perville,  was  born  in  Germany  in  1841;  is 
the  fourth  child  of  a  family  of  eight  children 
born  to  John  and  Rosina  (Preisendorfer) 
Weismantel.  His  parents  were  natives  of 
Germany;  came  to  the  United  States  in  1846, 
and,  in  1855,  settled  in  Joliet,  111.,  where 
they  died;  his  father  was  a  stone-cutter  by 
trade.  Subject  received  a  common  school 
education,  and,  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years, 
entered  a  general  store  in  Defiance,  Ohio, 
where  he  remained  three  years.  He  then 
apprenticed  to  the  watch-maker's  trade  at 
Fort  Wayne,  Ind. ;  served  three  years ;  then 
worked  as  journeyman  one  year.  In  1861, 
he  came  to  Chicago  and  enlisted  in  Company 
A,  Fifty-eighth  Regiment  Illinois  Infantry, 
and  remained  in  service  from  October,  1861, 
to  April,  1866,  participating  in  the  engage- 


XAPEKVILLE  TOWNSHIP. 


45 


ments  at  Fort  Donelson,  Pittsburg  Landing, 
luka,  Corinth,  Nashville,  Mobile,  besides 
other  minor  engagements  in  which  his  regi- 
ment took  part,  and  was  also  in  the  Eed 
River  expedition.  He  enlisted  as  private; 
was  successively  promoted  till  he  became 
First  Lieutenant,  which  rank  he  held  when 
he  was  discharged.  After  the  war,  he  came 
to  Naperville  and  opened  a  jewelry  store,  in 
which  business  he  has  since  been  engaged. 
In  1866,  he  married  Gertrude  Schumaker,  a 
native  of  Germany,  who  came  to  Fort  Wayne, 
Ind.,  with  her  parents.  From  this  marriage 
six  children  have  been  born,  viz.,  Francis  J., 
Gertrude,  Catherina,  Lora,  John  and  Joseph 
H.  Mr.  Weisinantel  is  a  member  of  the 
Catholic  Church,  and  is  a  Democrat 

OLIVER  J.  WRIGHT,  farmer,  P.  O.  Na- 
perville, is  a  native  to  Illinois,  born  in  the 
year  1848,  and  was  raised  on  the  farm,  three 
miles  west  of  Naperville.  In  addition  to  the 
common  schools,  he  attended  the  Jennings 
Seminary,  of  Aurora,  for  three  years.  At  the 
age  of  twenty,  he  began  teaching  in  Du  Page 
County,  and  taught  the  greater  part  of  six 
years.  He  then  engaged  in  the  grocery  bus- 
iness in  Naperville,  and  continued  in  busi- 
ness for  about  four  years,  after  which  he  came 
and  took  his  father's  farm  on  the  shares,  and, 
three  years  later,  bought  the  place.  June 
23,  1880,  he  married  Miss  Luella  Finch,  a 
native  of  Du  Page  County;  they  have  ono 
child,  Elzora  V.  He  is  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, and  has  served  as  Township  Trustee  two 


terms;  he  has  also  served  as  Director  and 
Marshal  of  the  Du  Page  County  Agricultural 
Association.  He  owns  163  acres,  located 
three  miles  west  of  Naperville. 

ALBERT  YOST,  of  the  firm  of  Sherer  & 
Yost,  dealers  in  hardware,  and  tin-manufact- 
urers, Naperville,  is  a  native  of  this  county, 
born  in  Naperville  in  1854,  youngest  of  a 
family  of  five  children  born  to  Jacob  and 
Magdalena  (Voght)  Yost,  natives  of  France 
and  Germany,  who  came  to  the  United  States 
about  1840,  and  settled  in  this  county.  Ja- 
cob Yost,  subject's  father,  followed  teaming 
and  well-digging  ;  in  1854  he  went  overland, 
with  Thomas  Finley's  company,  to  Califor- 
nia, where  he  stayed  fourteen  years;  return- 
ed, in  1868,  to  Naperville,  and  resumed  well- 
digging,  and  is  now  living  retired;  he  is  now 
sixty-nine,  his  wife  sixty-eight  years  of  age. 
Subject  was  raised  in  Naperville,  where  he 
received  an  ordinary  education.  At  the  age 
of  sixteen,  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  miller's 
trade,  at  which  he  served  three  years;  after- 
ward worked  several  years  at  his  trade  as  a 
journeyman,  then  conducted  the  mill  for  Mr. 
Robert  Naper  for  about  two  years.  In  1880, 
he  formed  a  partnership  with  Christian 
Sherer  and  engaged  in  his  present  business, 
which  has  since  been  conducted  under  the 
firm  name  of  Sherer  &  Yost.  In  1877,  he 
married  Amelia  Stenger,  daughter  of  the  late 
Nicholas  Stenger;  they  have  two  children, 
viz.,  Libbie  and  Grace. 


46 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


MILTON  TOWNSHIP. 


COL.  C.  P.  J.  ARION,  real  estate  and  farm- 
ing, P.  0.  Wheaton,  was  born  in  Jefferson 
Count3',  Ky.;  was  raised  on  the  farm,  and  re- 
ceived a  common-school  education.  When 
about  eighteen  years  of  age,  he  purchased  one- 
half  interest  in  the  Indiana  Republican,  pub- 
lished at  Madison,  Ind.,  and  was  connected 
with  the  paper  for  upward  of  twelve  years, 
during  which  time  he  became  the  sole  editor 
and  proprietor,  finally  selling  his  paper,  which 
became  the  Republican  Banner,  under  which 
name  it  again  came  into  his  possession  for  a 
short  period,  he  selling  out,  and  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business,  establishing  the  first  book 
and  stationery  business  in  Madison,  where  he 
also  conducted  the  wholesale  grocery  and  iron 
store  business.  In  1858,  he  went  to. Chicago, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  job  printing  business, 
and  later  took  a  position  at  the  head  of  the 
dead  letter  department,  where  he  remained  for 
seven  years,  after  which  he  engaged  in  real  es- 
tate business,  and  in  1871  retired  to  his  farm, 
one  mile  southwest  of  Wheaton.  where  he  has 
lived  since.  During  the  past  five  years,  he  has 
carried  on  a  real  estate  office  in  Wheaton.  Col. 
Arion,  as  might  be  judged  from  his  career, 
early  took  an  active  interest  in  politics.  As  a 
Henry  Clay  Whig,  he  represented  Jefferson 
County  in  the  Indiana  Legislature,  and  later 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  State  Senate.  He 
has  been  a  Eepublican  since  the  organization  of 
the  party,  and  took  an  active  part  in  the  can- 
vass for  Lincoln.  He  has  been  twice  married. 
His  first  wife,  Miss  Lucretia  Givens,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Kentucky  ;  she  and  their  six  children 
all  since  deceased.  The  second  marriage  was 
to  Mrs.  Beson,  formerly  Miss  Helen  M.  Test, 
daughter  of  Judge  John  Test,  and  aunt  to  Gen. 
Lew  Wallace. 


WINSLOW  ACKERMAN,  farmer,  P.  0. 
Prospect  Park,  is  a  native  of  Onondaga  County, 
N.  Y.  He  was  born  in  the  year  1826  ;  was 
raised  on  the  farm,  and  received  a  common- 
school  education.  The  family  came  to  Illinois 
in  1833,  and  settled  in  the  vicinity  of  Prospect 
Park.  Our  subject  lived  at  home  until  he  was 
twenty-three  years  of  age,  when  he  mawied 
Miss  Permelia  Holmes.  She  is  a  native  of  New 
York,  and  came  to  Du  Page  Count}1,  111.,  with 
her  parents  when  she  was  a  child.  After  the 
marriage,  he  settled  on  his  present  place,  which 
consists  of  180  acres,  located  one  and  one- 
quarter  miles  northeast  of  Prospect  Park.  He 
has  held  the  office  of  Highway  Commissioner. 
By  the  marriage  there  have  been  four  children 
— Eben,  Loraine,  Perry  and  Adella ;  all  the 
children  are  married,  and  all  but  one  live  in  the 
county.  Mr.  Ackerman  is  a  Republican.  When 
he  first  came  to.  his  place,  there  were  nine  acres. 
He  conducted  a  threshing-machine  for  some 
thirty  years,  and  kept  buying  additions  to  his 
place  until  he  now  owns  180  acres. 

MILES  ACKERMAN,  farmer,  P.  0.  Lorn 
bard,  111.,  is  a  native  of  Onondaga  County.  N. 
Y.,  born  in  the  year  1831,  and  is  the  third  in 
a  family  of  five  children  born  to  John  D.  and 
Lurania  (Churchill)  Ackerman  ;  they  were  na- 
tives of  New  York.  Mr.  Ackerman's  father 
was  a  native  of  Holland,  and  came  to  America 
soon  after  his  marriage.  John  D.  Ackerman 
and  family  came  West  to  Illinois,  and  settled 
here  in  Milton  Township,  where  J.  D.  Acker- 
man died  in  1859.  Mrs.  Ackerman  is  living  on 
the  old  homestead,  being  now  in  her  eighty- 
first  year.  Miles  Ackerman  lived  at  home 
until  he  was  twenty -two  years  of  age;  he  was 
reared  on  the  farm  and  received  a  common 
school  education.  In  1852,  he  married  Miss 


MILTON  TOWNSHIP. 


47 


Jane  Cox,  a  native  of  England.  She  came  to 
United  States  of  America  with  her  parents, 
who  settled  in  Du  Page  County  in  1850,  and 
followed  fanning.  By  the  marriage  there  have 
been  five  children,  of  whom  four  are  living, 
viz.,  Edwin  M.,  Emma,  Charles  M.  and  Fannie. 
After  his  marriage,  he  bought  a  farm  in  Bloom- 
ingdale  Township,  and  lived  there  until  1861, 
when  he  came  to  his  present  place.  In  June, 
1864,  he  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred  and 
Forty-first  Illinois  Infantry,  Company  H,  and 
served  about  five  months.  He  was  Corporal  in 
his  company.  From  the  army  he  returned 
home  and  has  lived  here  since  ;  he  owns  138 
acres,  located  in  Sections  1,  2,  11  and  12. 

JONATHAN  BLANCHABD,  President 
Emeritus  Wheaton  College,  is  a  native  of  Bock- 
ingham,  Windham  Co.,  Vt.,  born  January  19, 
1811,  and  is  the  ninth  in  a  family  of  thirteen 
children  born  to  Jonathan  and  Polly  (Lovell) 
Blanchard.  They  were  natives  of  Massachu- 
setts and  Vermont ;  he  was  a  farmer,  in  which 
business  he  was  extensively  engaged.  Our 
subject  was  raised  on  the  farm.  At  the  age  of 
twelve  3'ears,  began  study  in  the  Chester  Acad- 
emy, and  in  his  fifteenth  year  he  began  teaching 
public  school,  and  taught  during  winters  until 
he  became  of  age,  by  which  time  he  had  grad- 
uated from  the  Middlebury  College,  and  became 
the  Principal  of  the  Plattsburg  Academy,  the  j 
oldest  chartered  school  in  that  locality,  which 
he  taught  several  years.  He  has  always,  since 
his  childhood,  been  an  advocate  of  temperance, 
and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  he  delivered  a  speech 
on  that  subject  at  Bockingham,  and  continued 
to  speak  in  public  thereafter.  His  early  speeches 
•were  printed  and  widely  circulated  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. From  the  Plattsburg  Academy  he 
went  to  the  Andover  Theological  Seminary,  and 
in  that  year  received  an  appointment  to  lecture  j 
in  the  State  House  at  Boston,  before  the  Amer-  j 
ican  Institute.  He  was  next  appointed  by 
the  American  Anti-Slavery  Societ}-  to  lecture 
against  slavery.  He  lectured  one  year  in  Penn- 


sylvania, meeting  in  public  debate  Gov.  Pinney, 
of  Liberia,  and  many  leading  lawyers  of  the 
State.  He  then  went  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where 
he  completed  his  theological  course,  under  Dr. 
L3'man  Beecher,  of  Lane  Seminary.  While 
there,  he  was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  the 
Sixth  Presbyterian  Church,  of  Cincinnati,  where 
he  presided  for  nine  years,  and  received  over 
five  hundred  members  to  the  church.  He  was 
then  called  to  the  Presidency  of  Knox  College, 
Galesburg,  111.,  which  institution  he  found  in 
debt,  and  left  it  in  1860  out  of  debt,  with  prop- 
erty worth  $400,000,  and  all  of -its  present 
permanent  buildings  were  erected  during  his 
administration.  From  Galesburg  he  came  to 
Wheaton  College,  and  served  as  its  President 
until  in  June,  1882,  when  he  was  succeeded  in 
that  office  by  his  son,  though  he  was  continued 
by  the  board  as  President  Emeritus,  with  an 
annual  stipend.  In  1838,  in  Middlebury,  Vt., 
he  married  Miss  Mary  Avery  Bent,  a  native  of 
Middlebury,  Vt.,  by  which  marriage  there  have 
been  twelve  children,  of  whom  seven  are  living. 
While  in  Middlebury  College,  Mr.  Blanchard 
was  editor,  and  with  others  established  the 
Under  Graduate,  a  college  paper,  which  has 
continued  to  this  day.  He  also  aided  in  start- 
ing and  edited  the  Watchman  of  the  Valley, 
which  paper  has  under  different  names  been 
continued  to  this  date.  At  Knox  College,  he 
started  the  Christian  Era,  since  absorbed  by 
the  Independent.  In  1868,  he  started  and  is 
editor  of  the  Christian  Cynosure,  a  sixteen-page 
weekly.  Since  1840,  he  has  been  known  as  an 
open  enemy  to  all  secret  organizations,  and  in 
1881,  he  was  nominated  a  candidate  for  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  of  America,  by  the 
American  party  in  convention  assembled  at 
Galesburg,  111. 

CHABLES  A.  BLANCHABD,  A.  B.,  A.  M., 
President  Wheaton  College,  is  a  native  of  Gales- 
burg. Knox  Co.,  111.,  born  November  8,  1848, 
and  lived  in  his  native  town  for  twelve  years, 
when  the  family  came  to  Wheaton.  Our  sub- 


48 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


ject  received  a  public  school  course  of  study  at 
Galesburg,  and  in  1870  graduated  from  Whea- 
ton  College.  In  1865,  he  was  employed  to 
teach  penmanship  in  the  college,  and  continued 
until  his  graduating  in  1870.  He  then  engaged 
in  lecturing  for  the  National  Christian  Associa- 
tions opposed  to  secret  societies,  delivering  over 
four  hundred  lectures  in  nineteen  States  and 
Canada.  In  1872,  he  was  elected  Principal  of 
the  Preparatory  School  in  Wheaton  College,  in 
which  position  he  remained  several  years,  and 
was  then  elected  Professor  of  the  English  Lan- 
guage and  Literature,  in  which  department  he 
continued  until  1880,  when  he  was  elected  Pro- 
fessor of  Logic  and  Rhetoric,  where  he  contin- 
ued until  June,  1882.  In  1879,  he  was  elected 
Vice  President  of  the  college,  and  during  two 
years,  owing  to  the  illness  of  the  President,  he 
performed  the  duties  of  that  office.  In  June, 
1882,  upon  the  resignation  of  the  President,  he 
was  elected  President  of  the  college.  October 
16,  1873,  he  married  Miss  Margaret  E.  Milli- 
gan,  daughter  of  A.  M.  Milligan,  D.  D.,  pastor 
of  the  First  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church,  of 
Pittsburgh.  They  had  four  children,  three  of 
whom  are  living.  In  1862,  he  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  College  Church,  and  in  1875  became 
acting  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Paxton,  and  served  there  one  year,  after  which 
he  preached  transiently,  and  in  May,  1877,  he 
became  the  acting  pastor  of  the  Independent 
Church  at  Streator,  111.,  for  one  year.  He  then 
became  pastor  of  the  College  Church,  and  has 
continued  in  that  capacity  since. 

RUFUS  BLANCHARD,  Wheaton,  was  born 
March  7,  1821,  in  Lyndeboro,  Hillsboro  Co. 
N.  H.  Went  to  New  York  City  in  1835,  and 
witnessed  the  great  fire  of  that  year.  The  next 
spring,  in  1836,  the  banks  in  Wall  street  closed 
their  doors  and  stopped  payment  by  a  concerted 
movement.  The  whole  city  was  in  an  uproar, 
and  the  military  were  ordered  from  Govern- 
or's Island,  to  defend  the  banks  from  mob 
violence.  The  banks  throughout  the  country 


followed  the  example  of  the  New  York  banks, 
and  specie  rose  to  33  per  cent  premium,  but 
gradual!}"  fell  during  the  two  years  succeed- 
ing, till  it  again  became  par  with  bank  paper, 
as  bank  after  bank  resumed  specie  payments, 
first  on  small  and  next  on  large  sums.  In 
1837,  R.  Blanchard  went  to  the  wilderness  por- 
tions of  Ohio,  where  three  years  were  spent  in 
a  bushwhacking  life,  hunting  and  trapping.  In 
1840,  he  returned  to  New  York,  and  was  em- 
ployed in  selling  the  publications  of  Messrs. 
Harper  Brothers.  In  1843,  he  opened  a  book 
store  in  Lowell,  Mass.;  in  1846,  he  removed  to 
Cincinnati,  where  he  continued  the  same  busi- 
ness three  years,  in  connection  with  his  brother 
Edwin.  During  this  term,  he  opened  a  branch 
of  his  store  in  New  Orleans.  During  the  win- 
ter of  1847-48,  and  the  succeeding  summer, 
witnessed  the  ravages  of  cholera  along  the 
Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers,  passing  through 
Aurora  and  Rising  Sun,  Ind.,  from  both  of 
which  places  such  as  had  not  died  had  fled, 
leaving  their  empty  houses  behind.  The  same 
year  he  witnessed  the  great  conflagration  of  St. 
Louis,  which  burnt  almost  the  entire  business 
portion  of  the  city.  It  is  worthy  of  remark 
that  no  case  of  cholera  occurred  at  the  place 
for  two  weeks  after  the  fire.  Out  of  a  popula- 
tion of  about  75,000,  the  death  rate  exceeded 
150  per  day  during  the  height  of  the  epidemic. 
From  Cincinnati  Mr.  Blanchard  removed  to  191 
Broadway,  New  York,  where,  in  connection 
with  C.  Morse,  son  of  the  inventor  of  the  tele- 
graph, he  commenced  the  publication  of  maps 
engraved  in  cerography,  a  new  invention  of 
Prof.  Morse,  editor  of  the  New  York  Observer, 
and  brother  of  the  inventor  of  the  telegraph. 
The  same  system  somewhat  modified  is  now 
used  for  railroad  maps  thoughout  the  country. 
From  New  York  Mr.  Blanchard  transferred  his 
business  to  Chicago,  in  1854,  and  introduced 
the  manufacture  of  maps  in  the  West,  in  all  its 
departments.  Perhaps  it  is  not  too  much  to 
say  that  his  early  experiences,  together  with 


MILTON  TOWNSHIP. 


49 


his  twenty-eight  years  of  activity  in  Chicago, 
have  modified  his  aspirations  in  some  directions, 
while  they  have  been  stimulated  in  other  direc- 
tions into  new  fields  of  industry  better  under- 
stood at  full  maturity  than  when  the  flood-tide 
of  youth  sometimes  propels  the  machine  faster 
than  obstacles  can  make  way  before  it,  causing 
it  to  zigzag  in  its  course. 

EDWARD  W.  BREWSTER,  retired,  is  a 
native  of  Blooming  Grove,  Orange  Co.,  N.  Y., 
bom  July  9,  1793,  was  raised  on  the  farm  and 
received  a  common  school  education.  At  the 
age  of  sixteen  he  engaged  as  a  clerk  in  a  gen- 
eral store  in  Washingtonville,  Orange  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  and  continued  as  a  clerk  until  about  the 
year  1814,  when  he  became  interested,  as  a 
partner,  in  the  business  and  remained  there  un- 
til about  1820,  when  he  sold  out  and  bought  a 
small  farm  and  settled  on  the  same,  teaching 
school  in  the  winters,  and  later  became  the 
Principal  of  the  Blooming  Grove  Academy. 
In  1839,  he  sold  his  farm  and  came  west,  pros- 
pecting. He  purchased  a  claim  where  Elgin 
now  stands,  and  in  the  spring  of  1840  he  occu- 
pied the  same  with  his  family  ;  and,  finally, 
when  the  land  came  into  the  market,  he  re- 
ceived his  title  from  President  Tyler.  Mr.  Brews 
ter  lived  on  his  farm  until  about  1854,  when 
he  sold  the  place  and  moved  to  Chicago,  where 
he  invested  in  real  estate,  and  erected  some 
buildings,  and  took  the  position  of  Professor  of 
English  in  a  private  Jewish  school,  where  he 
remained  a  number  of  years,  during  which  time 
he  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education  of 
Chicago.  After  the  great  fire,  in  the  spring  of 
1872  he  came  to  Wheaton,  where  he  has  since 
lived.  While  living  on  his  farm  at  Elgin,  the 
Galena  &  Chicago,  now  the  Northwestern,  rail- 
road was  built,  and  Mr.  Brewster  took  an  act- 
ive interest  in  furthering  the  interests  of  the 
road — granted  them  a  free  right  of  way  through 
his  land,  and  assisted  them  in  many  ways — 
and  in  recognition  of  his  services  he  was  given 
a  free  pass  for  himself  and  family  over  the  road 


for  life.  December,  1815,  he  married  Miss  Ann. 
daughter  of  Mr.  Calvin  Stewart,  of  Orange 
j  County,  N.  Y.  She  died  in  Chicago  in  1861. 
They  had  six  children,  three  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing— Charles  and  Joanna  S.  at  home ;  James 
R.,  now  in  California  ;  Edward  and  Thomas 
died  in  infancy  ;  Oscar,  the  eldest  child,  lived 
to  manhood,  was  married,  and  was  a  successful 
lumber  dealer  of  Chicago.  He  died,  leaving 
one  child,  Josephine,  living  in  Oak  Park. 

DAVID  BRONSON,  retired,  is  a  native  of 
Broome  County,  N.  Y.,  born  in  the  year  1809. 
His  parents,  Stephen  and  Polly  (Page)  Bron- 
son,  were  natives  of  Connecticut.  They  mar- 
ried there,  and  soon  after  moved  to  New  York, 
where  they  followed  farming.  David  was 
raised  on  the  farm  ;  he  received  a  common 
school  education,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-two 
began  to  work  for  his  father,  for  wages,  and  at 
the  age  of  twenty-seven  he  married  Miss  Rhoda 
Page,  a  native  of  New  York  ;  she  died  in  1848. 
After  the  marriage  they  occupied  a  house 
he  built  on  some  land  he  had  bought,  and 
which  he  farmed  until  1840,  when  he,  his 
father  and  mother,  brother  and  brother-in-law, 
sold  out  and  came  West,  by  teams,  to  Illinois, 
and  located  in  Lisle  Township,  Du  Page  Coun- 
ty, where  they  bought  a  claim  of  about  500 
acres,  and  divided  it  into  farms,  occupied  them 
and  farmed  the  same.  Stephen  Bronson  and 
his  wife  both  died  there.  David  Bronson  lived 
there  until  1859,  when  he  rented  his  place  and 
moved  to  Wheaton,  where  he  has  since  lived. 
By  the  marriage  there  have  been  seven  chil- 
dren, of  whom  only  two  are  living,  viz..  Marin- 
tha  J.,  now  Mrs.  Mack,  of  Butler  County,  Iowa  ; 
and  Marilla  E.,  now  Mrs.  Churchill,  of  Du  Page 
County,  111.  Mr.  Bronson  married  Miss  Polly 
A.  Ashley,  a  native  of  New  York,  in  the  spring 
of  1849.  They  had  one  child,  since  deceased. 
LEVI  BALLOU,  farmer,  P.  0.  Wheaton,  111., 
is  a  native  of  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.,  born 
in  Jordan  in  the  year  1811.  His  father,  Eben- 
ezer  Ballou,  was  a  cooper,  and  died  in  1817, 


50 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


leaving  Mrs.  Ballon  (formerly  Miss  Marania 
Ward)  with  six  children.  Levi  lived  with  his 
uncle  from  his  father's  death  until  he  was 
twelve  years  of  age.  He  then  apprenticed  to 
the  carpenter's  trade  and  remained  until  he 
was  twenty-one,  receiving  a  common  school 
education.  On  becoming  of  age,  he  and  an- 
other apprentice,  who  had  just  finished  his  time, 
set  up  in  business  for  themselves,  which  they 
followed  for  about  three  years.  Mr.  Ballou 
then  bought  a  farm  and  lived  on  it  for  one 
year,  when,  in  1836,  he  started  for  the  West, 
driving  by  team  to  Lombard,  where  he  landed 
with  an  old  team  and  $15,  and  lookup  a  claim, 
and  a  few  years  later  bought  the  same  of  the 
Government,  and  farmed  there  some  five  or  six 
years.  He  then  bought  a  place  located  just 
north  of  where  the  Wheaton  College  now  stands, 
and  in  1857  he  came  to  his  present  place,  which 
consists  of  116  acres  located  one  mile  south- 
west of  Wheaton.  Mr.  Ballou  is  Republican  ; 
he  has  served  as  Road  Commissioner  some 
twelve  years  ;  he  also  served  as  Poormaster 
for  seven  years,  he  being  in  office  during  the 
war.  August  21,  1833,  he  married  Miss  Mary 
Marble,  a  native  of  Vermont.  She  had  gone  to 
New  York  with  her  parents  ;  she  died  August 
2, 1 881.  By  the  marriage  there  have  been  seven 
children,  of  whom  five  are  living.  Mr.  Ballou 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
having  joined  the  church  in  his  nineteenth 
year. 

L.  C.  BROWN,  jeweler,  is  a  native  of  Chi- 
cago, 111.,  born  in  the  year  1849,  and  is  the 
third  of  a  family  of  nine  children  born  to  Hack- 
aliah  and  Cornelia  A.  (Hough)  Brown,  who  were 
natives  of  New  York.  He  came  West,  a  single 
man,  at  an  early  day  ;  she  came  West  with  her 
parents,  who  settled  in  Bloomigdale  Township, 
at  an  early  day.  She  engaged  as  a  school 
teacher,  and  married  Mr.  Brown  about  1845. 
He  was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  lived  three 
years  in  Chicago,  when  the  family  returned  to 
Da  Page  Count}-,  where  L.  C.  lived  thereafter. 


He  received  a  common  school  education,  and 
also  a  commercial  course  in  Wheaton  College. 
He  then  went  to  Elgin,  111.,  and  worked  in  the 
watch  factory  for  five  years.  He  then  went  to 
Grand  Crossing,  where  he  was  foreman  of  the 
Pinion  and  Finishing  Department  of  the  Cornell 
Watch  Company  for  three  years.  He  then 
went  to  San  Francisco,  Cal..  and  occupied  a 
similar  position  in  the  California  Watch  Com- 
pany, and  two  years  later  he  came  to  Wheatou 
and  engaged  in  his  present  business.  He  is 
Republican  ;  has  held  the  office  of  City  Treas- 
urer of  Wheaton  one  term.  June  14,  1871,  he 
married  Miss  Evelyn  A.  Piper,  a  native  of  Os- 
wego,  N.  Y.  They  have  three  children — Ern- 
est Clair,  Dora  I.  and  Leuthold  H. 

JOHN  CHRISTIE,  retired  farmer,  P.  0. 
Wheaton,  111. ;  is  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  lived 
in  his  native  land  until  1833.  His  father  was 
a  farmer,  and  John  was  brought  up  to  the  same 
pursuit.  In  1833,  Mr.  Christie  came  to  America 
in  company  with  his  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Martin 
(deceased),  formerly  of  Naperville.  They  came 
to  Chicago,  and  from  there  drove  to  Ottawa  on 
a  prospecting  tour,  returning  via  the  Naper 
settlement,  where  they  concluded  to  locate.  Mr. 
Christie  lived  with  Mr.  Martin  some  time,  when, 
at  the  suggestion  of  Capt.  Joseph  Naper,  he 
came  to  his  present  place  and  bought  a  claim 
for  $100,  and  put  up  a  log  house  and  began 
improving  the  place,  and  has  lived  here  since. 
The  place  consists  of  about  seven  hundred 
acres  located  two  and  a  half  miles  south 
of  Wheaton.  Mr.  Christie  has  been  twice 
married  ;  first,  to  Miss  Mary  Boyd,  a  na- 
tive of  Leith,  Scotland ;  she  died  March  4, 
1862.  There  were  seven  children,  of  whom 
three  are  living — John,  Andrew  and  William — 
all  living  at  home.  Mr.  Christie's  second  mar- 
riage occurred  June  27,  1866,  to  Janette  M. 
Keith,  a  native  of  New  York  ;  she  came  to 
Du  Page  County  with  her  parents  in  an  early 
dav.  Mr.  C.  is  Republican  in  politics,  and  a 
member  of  the  Congregational  Church. 


MILTON  TOWNSHIP. 


51 


CAPT.  J.  J.  COLE,  merchant,  was  born  on 
the  16th  day  of  April,  1833,  in  Putnam  County, 
N.  Y.  His  father,  Berry  Cole,  was  also  a  na- 
tive of  Putnam  County,  and  was  born  June  24, 
1769 ;  he  was  a  farmer  and  the  principal  owner 
of  the  first  show  or  menagerie  that  ever  trav- 
eled through  the  country;  he  died  in  his  native 
count}'  in  1835.  Our  subject  was  raised  on  the 
farm  ;  he  received  a  common-school  education, 
and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  he  went  to  New  York 
City,  where  he  engaged  as  a  clerk  in  a  dry 
goods  store,  and  remained  until  he  was  twenty 
years  of  age,  when  he  traveled  for  one  year  as 
the  advertising  agent  for  a  circus  and  men- 
agerie. He  then  returned  to  his  home;  the  old 

homestead   was   sold,   and,    with   his   mother 

» 

brother  and  sister,  he  came  to  Illinois  and  lo- 
cated in  the  Big  Woods,  in  Naperville  Town- 
ship, Du  Page  County,  and  a  year  later  they 
moved  to  Downer's  Grove,  where  he  farmed 
until  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  K, 
Thirteenth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  Upon 
the  organization  of  the  company,  he  was  elected 
Second  Lieutenant,  and  was  later  promoted — 
first,  to  First  Lieutenant,  then  to  Captain.  He 
was  taken  prisoner  in  the  rear  of  Vicksburg  in 
December,  1862,  and  held  four  mouths  at 
Vicksburg,  Jackson  and  Libby  Prison,  in  Rich- 
mond. From  the  latter  place,  he  was  exchanged 
in  May,  1863,  and  joined  his  regiment  within  a 
few  rods  of  the  place  where  he  was  taken,  and 
was  with  his  command  at  the  battles  of  Look- 
out Mountain,  Mission  Ridge  and  the  other  en- 
gagements of  the  regiment.  After  his  three 
years'  service,  he  returned  home  and  engaged 
in  mercantile  business.  In  1866,  he  was  elected 
Supervisor  of  his  township,  and  was  re-elected 
fourTierms,  when  he  was  elected  County  Clerk, 
and  moved  to  Wheaton,  where  he  has  since 
lived.  During  his  last  year  in  his  term  of 
office,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  F.  G. 
Kimball,  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness, of  which  he  became  the  sole  proprietor  in 
the  spring  of  1877,  and.  in  1878,  formed  his 


present  partnership.  Mr.  Cole  has  been  twice 
married  ;  first,  to  Miss  Agnes  P.  Palmer,  a  native 
of  New  York  ;  she  came  to  Du  Page  County  in 
1854  ;  her  parents  were  dead,  and.  she  lived 
with  her  uncle,  Mr.  Riley  Palmer,  a  farmer. 
The  second  marriage  was  to  Miss  Susan  P. 
Smith,  a  native  of  Vermont ;  she  came  to  Du 
Page  County  with  her  parents,  who  now  live  in 
Wheaton.  By  the  marriage  there  are  two  chil- 
dren— Agnes  M.  and  Reno  B. 

A.  B.  CURTIS,  farmer,  P.  0.  Wheaton,  111., 
is  a  native  of  Lewis  County,  N.  Y.,  born  in  the 
year  1832,  and  is  the  youngest  of  two  children 
born  to  Peter  B.  and  Filena  (Look)  Curtis;  they 
were  natives  of  New  York  and  Massachusetts  ; 
he  was  a  farmer.  In  1832,  they  moved  to  Ohio, 
where  he  worked  on  a  farm  for  four  years  in 
Ashtabula  County,  and  in  1836  they  came  to 
Illinois  and  located  on  the  present  place,  sit- 
uated two  miles  due  west  of  Wheaton,  purchas- 
ing the  land  from  the  Government  at  $1.25 
per  acre.  They  erected  a  house  and  began  im- 
proving the  land,  and,  excepting  two  years 
spent  in  Missouri,  the  parents  lived  here  until 
their  death.  They  had  two  children;  the  eldest, 
Benjamin  S.,  was  killed  by  an  explosion  of  a 
stationary  engine  at  Turner  Junction  in  1850. 
Our  subject  was  raised  at  home  on  a  farm  ;  he 
received  a  district  school  course  of  study,  and 
attended  a  select  school  at  Naperville  ;  he  also 
attended  one  short  term  at  Lowville  Academy, 
New  York.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two,  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Rebecca  Shatz,  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania ;  she  came  to  Du  Page  County,  111.,  with 
her  parents  in  the  year  1850.  After  marriage, 
he  worked  his  father's  farm  on  shares  a  few 
years,  and  then  went  by  team  to  Missouri,  where 
he  farmed  on  the  line  of  Miller  and  Maries 
Counties  for  about  four  years ;  he  then  re- 
turned to  Du  Page  County  and  farmed  the 
home  farm  for  a  number  of  years,  when  he  went 
to  Manteno,  Kankakee  County,  where  he  farmed 
for  two  years  ;  he  then  farmed  the  home  farm 
in  this  county  until  1870,  when  he  went  by 


52 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


team  to  Iowa,  and  in  the  following  spring,  ow- 
ing to  his  father's  illness,  he  returned  home, 
and  has  lived  here  since.  By  the  marriage 
there  have  been  four  children,  of  whom  three  are 
living.  Mr.  Curtis  became  a  member  of  the 
M.  E.  Church  when  he  was  eighteen  years  of 
age,  and  in  1856  was  licensed  as  an  exhorter, 
and  as  a  minister  in  1865. 

A.  T.  CHILDS,  carpenter,  Wheaton,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Windham  Count}',  Vt.,  born  in  the  year 
1817.  His  father,  Jairus,  was  a  carpenter,  and 
also  owned  a  fine  farm,  which  though  he  lived 
on  he  followed  his  trade — building  nearly  the 
entire  village  of  Wilmington,  in  his  native 
county.  A.  T.  early  began  working  with  his 
father,  and  continued  with  him  until  his  death, 
in  1837.  A.  T.  and  his  brother,  L.  J.,  finished 
an  uncompleted  contract  of  their  father's.  In 
1839,  A.  T.  and  L.  J.  engaged  in  general  mer- 
cantile business  in  Whitingham,  and  two  years 
later  they  dissolved,  A.  T.  moving  to  Wilming- 
ton, where  he  continued  for  twelve  years,  when 
he  sold  out  and  came  West,  and  bought  a  farm 
in  Elk  Grove  Township,  Cook  County,  where 
he  lived  until  1856,  when  he  sold  out  and  came 
to  Wheaton,  where  he  has  followed  his  trade 
since.  lu  1844,  he  married  Miss  Sarah  N., 
daughter  of  Judge  Roberts,  of  Windham 
County,  Vt.  They  have  three  children — Terza, 
Jessie  and  Harriet.  Mr.  Childs  has  always 
been  a  Democrat. 

MARK  DAVIS,  farmer,  P.  O.  Lisle,  is  a 
native  of  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  born  September 
19,  1827,  and  is  the  fifth  child  of  ten  children 
born  to  Samuel  and  Rheumilla  (Tilden)  Davis, 
who  were  natives  of  Oneid.-i  County,  N.  Y., 
and  Poultuey,  Vt.  Her  father  was  a  farmer 
and  settled  in  Vermont  with  Ethan  Allen, 
and  moved  to  New  York  when  she  was  young. 
She  married  Mr.  Davis  in  Oneida  County,  and 
in  1834  they  moved  to  Canada,  where  he  fol- 
lowed his  trade  of  millwright  for  three  years 
and  iu  1838  they  came  to  Illinois,  and  first 
stopped  in  Lockport,  and  in  August  of  same 


year  came  to  the  present  place.  He  followed 
his  trade  of  millwright,  and  his  sons  carried 
on  the  farm.  Samuel  Davis  died  June  3,  1861, 
and  Mrs.  Davis  died  here  on  the  old  homestead 
in  1872.  Our  subject  made  his  home  with  his 
parents  until  their  death.  He  received  a  lim- 
ited common  school  education  ;  he  was  raised 
on  the  farm,  and  after  becoming-of  age  he  as- 
sisted his  father  at  millwrighting,  and  also 
worked  some  at  carpentering,  and  about  1857 
he  took  the  management  of  his  father's  farm, 
and  has  farmed  the  place  ever  since,  and  after 
his  father's  death  he  bought  out  the  heirs. 
During  Pearce's  administration,  Mr.  Davis  was 
Postmaster  at  Danby,  now  Prospect  Park.  Mr. 
Davis  owns  118  acres  located  two  and  one-half 
miles  north  of  Lisle. 

G.  B.  DURLAND,  of  Durland  &  Congleton, 
livery  stable,  is  a  native  of  Luzerne  County, 
Penn.,  born  in  the  year  1836 ;  he  was  raised 
on  the  farm.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two,  he 
married  Miss  K.  J.  Congleton,  a  native  of  Lu- 
zerne County,  Penn.  After  the  marriage,  he 
rented  a  farm,  and  farmed  on  his  own  account 
until  1860,  when  he  moved  West,  locating  on 
a  farm  in  Bloomingclale  Township,  Du  Page 
Count}'.  In  September,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  the 
Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry,  and  served  until  the 
close  of  the  war ;  re-enlisted  at  the  end  of 
about  thirt}'  months  as  veteran.  Mr.  Durland 
entered  Company  D  as  a  private,  and  was  fin- 
ally discharged  as  Quartermaster  Sergeant  of 
the  company  ;  was  with  the  command  at  the 
capture  of  Yorktown,  Fort  Magruder,  Gettys- 
burg, Antietam,  and  all  the  engagements  of  the 
regiment.  He  returned  home  from  the  army, 
and  in  1866  was  elected  Constable  of  Bloom  - 
ingdale,  an  office  he  held  eight  years.  In 
1871,  he  was  elected  Collector.  By  the  mar- 
riage there  has  been  one  child,  viz.,  Sarah  E. 

A.  J.  EHLE,  farming  and  stock-raising,  P. 
0.  Wheaton,  111.,  is  a  native  of  Oswego  County, 
N.  Y.,  born  in  the  year  1833,  and  is  the  second 
in  a  family  of  eight  children  born  to  John  H. 


MILTON  TOWNSHIP. 


55 


and  Lucinda  (Pierce)  Ehle.  They  were  natives 
of  New  York,  married  there  and  came  West  in 
1849,  and  settled  in  Du  Page  County,  111.  They 
bought  a  farm  near  where  Itaska  now  stands, 
and  farmed  there  about  ten  years.  They  then 
sold  their  place  and  bought  a  place  in  Bloom- 
ingdale  Township,  where  they  farmed  until  1861, 
when  he  entered  the  army,  where  he  died.  Our 
subject  lived  on  the  farm  until  the  fall  of  1861, 
when  he  enlisted  in  the  Eighth  Illinois  Cav- 
alry, Company  D,  and  served  three  years.  He 
took  part  in  the  seven  days'  fight  before 
Kichmond,  Antietatn,  Spottsylvania  Court 
House,  etc.  During  the  latter  part  of  his  term 
of  service  he  served  at  the  headquarters  of 
Gen.  Wilson,  having  charge  of  his  wagon  train. 
From  the  army  he  returned  home  and  resumed 
farming,  buying  a  place  in  Bloomingdale  Town- 
ship, in  which  township  he  farmed  until  he 
came  to  his  present  place,  which  consists  of 
200  acres  located  one  and  one-half  miles  north 
of  Wheaton.  In  the  fall  of  1865,  he  married 
Miss  Martha  J.  Knowles,  a  native  of  Du  Page 
County,  111.  They  have  two  children — Freder- 
ick and  Avis.  He  is  Republican  in  politics, 
and  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church. 

H.  S.  EHLE,  livery,  sale  and  feed,  is  a 
native  of  Oswego  County,  N.  Y.,  born  in  the 
year  1840,  and  raised  on  the  farm,  receiving  a 
common  school  education.  His  parents,  John 
H.  and  Luciuda  (Pierce)  Ehle,  were  natives  of 
New  York  ;  married  there,  and  in  1848  came 
West  to  Illinois,  and  settled  in  Du  Page  County; 
bought  a  farm  in  Addison  Township,  and  some 
eight  or  ten  years  later  moved  to  Bloomingdale 
Township,  where  they  lived  until  the  war, 
when  John  H.  Ehle  enlisted  in  the  Eighth  Illi- 
nois Cavalry  as  bugler,  and  served  with  the 
regiment  until  his  death,  from  sickness,  in 
1863.  Our  subject,  H.  S.,  enlisted  in  the  One 
Hundred  and  Fifth  Illinois  Infantry,  and 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  a 
Corporal  in  Company  F.  He  was  in  the  battle 
of  Resaca  (where  he  was  wounded  and  was  laid 


up  in  the  hospital  several  mouths),  also  in  the 
other  engagements  of  the  regiment.  From  the 
army  he  came  to  Bloomingdale,  and  soon  after 
married  Miss  Mary  A.  Patrick,  a  native  of  New 
York.  After  the  marriage,  he  located  on  the 
farm,  where  he  remained  until  1879,  when  he 
came  to  Wheaton  and  engaged  in  his  present 
business.  By  the  marriage  there  has  been  one 
child — Alma.  Mrs.  Lucinda  Ehle  is  living  in 
Bloomingdale  Village. 

F.  N.  ENGELHARD,  M.  P.,  is  a  native  of 
Copenhagen,  Denmark,  born  November  24, 
1847.  He  received  a  collegiate  education, 
graduating  from  the  Copenhagen  University  of 
Art  in  1868,  and  in  1869  he  graduated  as 
Bachelor  of  Philosophy,  and  in  1870,  as 
Bachelor  of  Medicine,  when  he  entered  the 
Commune  Hospital,  of  Copenhagen,  as  an  as- 
sistant, and  remained  three  years,  passing 
through  the  five  divisions  of  the  hospital  serv- 
ice. He  then,  in  March,  1873,  entered  the 
Royal  Danish  Navy  as  an  Assistant  Surgeon, 
and  made  a  cruise  on  the  North  Sea,  until  the 
fall  following,  when  he  attended  the  lectures 
and  experiments  in  the  laboratory  with  the 
study  of  the  natural  sciences  in  the  university 
until  1876,  when  he  came  to  America,  and  first 
stopped  in  Chicago,  then  to  Franklin  Grove 
and  Ashton,  Lee  Co.,  111.,  and  in  1877  he  en- 
tered the  Chicago  Homoeopathic  College  and 
graduated  the  year  following,  and  in  August  of 
the  latter  year  he  began  as  assistant  with  Dr. 
Leonard  Pratt,  with  whom  he  now  continues. 
In  1881,  he  married  Miss  Johanne  Marion  Jul- 
iane  Ertberg,  a  native  of  Denmark.  They  have 
one  child — Alefi  Muriel  Anna  Elisa. 

PROF.  H.  A.  FISCHER,  A.  M.,  is  a  native 
of  Du  Page  County,  111.,  born  in  the  year  1846, 
and  is  the  fifth  in  a  family  of  ten  children  born 
to  Henry  D.  and  Maria  E.  Franzen,  the}'  were 
natives  of  Germany.  Our  subject  was  reared 
on  his  father's  farm  in  Addison  Township;  he 
received  a  common  school  education,  and  also 
studied  in  private,  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen 


56 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


entered  the  Wheaton  College,  graduating  from 
same  at  the  age  of  twenty-three.  At  the  age  of 
seventeen,  he  began  teaching  in  the  public 
schools.  During  the  winter  after  graduating, 
he  was  appointed  Principal  of  the  preparatory 
department  of  the  college,  and  after  two  years 
he  was  appointed  Professor  of  mathematics 
and  natural  philosophy.  In  1875,  he  received 
a  one  year's  leave  of  absence,  and  attended 
the  Leipzig  and  Heidelberg  Universities,  Ger- 
many, returning  in  1876,  and,  resuming  his 
former  position  in  the  college,  continues  since. 
In  1875,  he  married  Miss  Julia  W.,  daughter  of 
President  J.  Blanchard,  of  Wheaton  College. 
They  have  four  children,  viz.,  Faith  A.,  Paul  B. 
Frederick  L.  and  Herman.  While  in  Addison 
Township,  Mr.  Fischer  held  the  office  of  Town- 
ship Treasurer  a  number  of  years  and  also  the 
secretaryship  of  the  Addison  Farmers'  Mutual 
Insurance  Company.  In  December,  1881,  he 
was  appointed  County  Superintendent  of 
Schools  for  Du  Page  County.  Kepubhcan.  Is 
a  member  of  the  College  Church  of  Christ. 
Since  graduating,  he  has  held  the  position  of 
College  Treasurer. 

ERASTUS  GARY,  retired,  Wheaton,  is  a 
native  of  Pomfret,  Windham  Co.,  Conn.  He 
was  born  April  5,  1806,  and  is  the  fourth  of 
seven  children  born  to  William  and  Lucy  (Per- 
rin)  Gary,  who  were  also  natives  of  Pomfret. 
Erastus  was  raised  on  the  farm,  and  in  addition 
to  the  common  schools  he  attended  the  Wilbra- 
ham  Academy,  of  Massachusetts,  a  short  term. 
At  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  began  teaching  school 
during  the  winters,  working  on  the  farm  in  the 
summers.  In  1831,  he  came  West,  and  made 
a  claim  four  miles  north  of  Warrenville,  and 
began  at  once  to  cut  and  split  rails,  put  up  a 
small  cabin,  and  "  bached  "  it  until  about  May, 
when  he  was  advised  to  leave  for  Chicago,  ow- 
ing to  the  Indians.  He  abandoned  everything, 
and  footed  it  to  Chicago,  where  he  remained 
six  weeks,  during  which  time  all  were  drilled 
for  defense.  After  Gen.  Scott  came,  Erastus 


went  to  Michigan  and  taught  school,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1833  he  returned  to  his  old  claim,  in 
company  with  his  brother  Jude  and  sister 
Orinda,  who  joined  him  in  1832,  and  spent  the 
winter  with  him  in  Michigan  ;  they  put  in  a 
crop  and  continued  improving  the  claim.  In 
1847,  Erastus  moved  to  a  farm  near  Wheaton, 
and  since  1864  he  has  lived  in  the  village.  He 
was  married  in  1841  to  Miss  Susan  A.  Vallette, 
a  native  of  Massachusetts  ;  she  died  in  1874, 
in  Wheaton.  Of  their  seven  children,  but  four 
are  living.  Mr.  Gary  has  served  as  Justice  for 
twenty-one  years  ;  he  has  also  been  Supervisor 
and  President  of  the  village.  He  was  Demo- 
cratic in  politics  until  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri 
Compromise,  since  which  time  he  has  been  Re- 
publican. He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  since  he  was  fifteen 
years  of  age. 

NOAH  E.  GARY,  a  son  of  Erastus  Gary, 
was  born  near  Warrenville,  in  Du  Page  County, 
on  the  8th  day  of  September,  1844.  In  the 
spring  of  1848,  he  removed  with  his  parents  to 
Wheaton,  where  he  has  lived  ever  since.  He 
was  educated  mainly  in  the  public  schools,  at- 
tending but  two  terms  at  Wheaton  College.  He 
followed  farming  until  August,  1862,  when  he 
enlisted  in  Company  D,  One  Hundred  and 
Fifth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  three 
months  later  was  appointed  Corporal,  and  at 
the  expiration  of  a  year  was  made  Sergeant. 
May  15,  1865,  he  was  severely  wounded  at  the 
battle  of  Resaca,  in  Georgia,  having  been  struck 
by  four  bullets  in  that  action.  He  was  dis- 
charged in  November,  but  could  not  dispense 
with  crutches  until  the  following  March.  In 
November,  1865,  he  married  Ella  M.  Guild,  of 
Downer's  Grove,  who  died  in  1870.  In  1868, 
he  entered  the  office  of  the  Clerk  of  the  Supe- 
rior Court,  and  remained  there  until  October, 
1872.  While  in  the  Superior  Court,  he  read 
law,  and  resigned  his  position  as  Chief  Deputy 
to  enter  into  the  practice  of  the  law  with  his 
brother,  E.  H.  Gary.  The  rule  of  the  Supreme 


MILTON   TOWNSHIP. 


57 


Court  not  allowing  an  examination  for  admis- 
sion to  the  bar  until  the  applicant  had  read  law 
two  years  with  an  attorney  in  general  practice, 
Mr.  Gary  was  not  examined  and  admitted  until 
January,  1875.  In  1873,  he  married  Carrie  H. 
Wheat,  who  for  several  years  had  been  Princi- 
pal of  the  Wheaton  Public  Schools.  For  two 
years  he  was  President  of  the  Wheaton  Town 
Council,  and  in  1879  he  was  appointed  Master 
in  Chancery  of  Du  Page  County,  which  office 
he  now  holds.  In  1879,  Judge  Cody  joined 
the  firm  of  E.  H.  &  N.  E.  Gary,  and  the  firm  is 
now  styled  Gary,  Cody  &  Gary.  Mr.  Gary  had 
three  children  by  first  marriage,  two  living  ; 
three  children  by  present  marriage,  two  living. 
He  is  Republican,  voting  first  for  U.  S.  Grant. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  in  which  he  takes  an  active  interest, 
and  has  been  Superintendent  of  Sabbath  school 
for  some  five  years. 

WILLIAM  L.  GARY,  Cashier  banking 
house  of  G.  &  W.,  is  a  native  of  Pomfret, 
Windham  County,  Conn.,  born  in  the  year 
1828,  and  is  the  second  in  a  family  of  seven 
children  born  to  Charles  and  Melinda  M.  (Morse) 
Gary.  They  were  natives  of  Connecticut  and 
Massachusetts.  They  married  in  Connecticut. 
He  was  the  oldest  son  of  William  L.  Gary,  and 
followed  farming.  In  1837,  the  family  came 
West  to  Illinois  by  the  water  route  to  Chicago, 
and  stopped  with  his  brother,  Erastus  Gary, 
who  had  settled  near  Warrenville,  in  Du  Page 
County,  and  during  the  summer  they  erected  a 
saw-mill  two  miles  south  of  Turner  Junction, 
and  occupied  a  house  which  they  erected  at  the 
mill,  which  they  conducted  until  about  1864, 
and  he  lived  on  his  farm  thereafter  until  his 
death  in  1871.  Mrs.  Gary  died  on  the  old 
homestead  in  about  1858.  During  his  resi- 
dence in  this  county,  Mr.  Gary  held  the  offices 
of  Postmaster  at  Gary's  Mill  and  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  both  of  which  offices  he  held  a  long 
term  of  years.  He  was  also  Supervisor  of  his 
Township,  and  Associate  Justice.  He  was  a 


member  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  and  a  licensed 
minister  in  that  faith,  preaching  in  his  vicinity, 
and  at  one  time  on  the  regular  circuit.  He  was 
widely  known  and  respected  by  all.  Our  sub- 
ject lived  at  home  until  he  was  twenty  four 
years  of  age.  He  received  a  limited  common 
school  course  of  study,  assisting  on  the  farm 
and  at  the  mill.  In  1852,  he  married  Miss 
Elizabeth  White,  a  native  of  the  State  of 
Maine,  who  was  stopping  with  a  married  sister 
and  teaching  school  in  this  county.  After  the 
marriage,  he  began  the  mercantile  business, 
opening  a  general  store  at  the  mill,  which  he 
continued  about  two  years,  when  he  discontin- 
ued the  store  and  engaged  in  farming.  He 
was  also  interested  in  the  mill.  He  continued 
the  latter  interest  until  the  closing  up  of  the 
mill,  and  the  farming  interest  until  1874. 
when  came  to  Wheaton  and  became  Cashier  in 
the  banking  firm  of  Miner  Gary  &  Webster, 
which  position  he  held  through  several  changes 
in  the  firm  to  the  present  time,  finally  becoming 
interested  as  a  member  of  the  firm.  During 
his  residence  in  Winfietd  Township,  Mr.  Gary 
held  the  offices  of  Town  Clerk  and  School 
Treasurer  a  number  of  years,  also  Assessor  and 
Collector  several  terms.  He  has  been  a  Re- 
publican since  the  organization  of  the  party. 
By  the  marriage  there  are  two  children — John 
E.  and  William  E.  His  father  was  a  licensed 
minister  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  and  held  the 
position  of  Associate  Justice. 

W.  K.  GUILD,  dealer  in  lumber,  doors,  sash, 
blinds,  etc.,  Wheaton,  is  a  native  of  Brookfield, 
Washington  Co.,  Vt,  born  July  4,  1819,  and 
is  the  third  child  in  a  family  of  seven  children 
born  to  Israel  and  Rachel  (Kellogg)  Guild,  who 
were  natives  of  Vermont.  He  was  a  carpenter 
by  trade.  W.  K.  was  raised  on  the  farm,  and 
received  a  common  school  education.  At  the 
age  of  sixteen  he  began  making  brooms,  and 
in  1839  the  family  came  West,  taking  the  canal 
to  Buffalo  and  steamer  thence  to  Chicago, 
thence  to  Wayne  Township,  Du  Page  Co.,  111., 


58 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


where  they  settled  on  a  farm,  and  also  engaged 
in  manufacturing  brooms,  which  were  probably 
the  first  brooms  made  in  the  "West.  W.  K. 
lived  at  home  until  about  1842,  when,  with  his 
older  brother,  he  made  a  claim  on  some  land, 
and  later,  at  land  sale,  purchased  the  same,  and 
upon  his  marriage,  in  1844,  sold  his  interest  in 
the  claim.  In  1844,  he  married  Miss  Lydia  A. 
Ford,  a  native  of  New  York,  who  came  to  Illi- 
nois with  her  parents  and  settled  in  Wayne 
Township.  After  marriage,  he  settled  on  a 
farm  and  lived  there  until  1868  or  1869,  when 
he  came  to  Wheatou,  and  has  lived  here  since. 
About  one  year  after  coming  to  Wheaton,  he 
engaged  in  the  present  business  and  continued 
since.  During  a  short  period  he  had  a  partner, 
but  principally  conducted  the  business  alone. 
While  in  Wayne  he  served  as  Highway  Com- 
missioner, and  in  Wheaton  as  a  member  of  the 
Town  Council.  He  has  been  a -member  of  the 
Congregational  Church  for  forty  years,  and  a 
Deacon  in  same  for  the  past  thirty  years.  By 
his  marriage  he  has  five  children,  four  boys  and 
one  daughter — Sarah  E.,  at  home ;  William  B., 
merchant,  Wheaton ;  Edwin  L.,  lumber  mer- 
chant, Dakota ;  Carroll  W.,  with  his  father  in 
the  lumber  business  ;  Everett  A.,  at  home. 
Mr.  Guild's  parents  died  in  Wayne  Township 
on  the  old  homestead.  Mr.  Guild  was  Presi- 
dent of  the  Board  of  School  Directors,  in  1874, 
at  building  the  schoolhouse  in  Wheaton.  Mr. 
Guild  cast  his  first  vote  in  1840  for  Gen.  Har- 
rison, and  has  been  a  Republican  since  the  or- 
ganization of  the  party. 

T.  M.  HULL,  Circuit  Clerk,  Wheaton,  is  a 
native  of  Madison  County,  N.  Y.,  and  was  born 
in  the  year  1840.  He  received  a  common  school 
and  academic  course  of  study,  and  at  the  age 
of  sixteen  he  began  as  a  clerk  in  a  general 
store  in  De  Ruyter,  Madison  Co",  N.  Y.,  where 
he  remained  one  year.  He  then  removed  to 
Montgomery  County,  111.,  and  clerked  one  year 
in  a  store  in  Litchfield,  where  his  brother  lived, 
and  the  following  year  returned  home  and  at- 


tended the  academy  for  about  eight  months;  he 
then  came  to  Du  Page  County,  111.,  his  parents 
having  come  hither  the  year  previous,  and  set- 
tled in  York  Township — Babcock's  Grove,  now 
Lombard — where  Mr.  E.  A.  Hull  practiced  his 
profession — law.  T.  N.  engaged  in  clerking  in 
the  Grove  some  three  years  ;  he  then  clerked 
for  Potter  Palmer  in  Chicago,  and  then  engaged 
with  his  brother,  G.  H.  Hull,  in  the  market 
business;  they  continued  about  five  years.  He 
then  traveled  in  Iowa  one  year,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Lombard  and  bought  the  general 
store  business  of  Reuben  Link,  and  conducted 
the  business  about  four  years.  He  then  en- 
gaged with  the  Weed  Sewing  Machine  Com- 
pany in  Chicago,  filling  the  position  of  assis- 
tant book-keeper,  correspondent,  then  city  agent 
and  finally  as  traveling  agent,  remaining  with 
the  company,  in  all,  about  six  years.  He  then, 
in  1876,  became  Deputy  Circuit  Clerk  under 
his  brother,  Frank  Hull,  and  in  1880  was  elected 
Circuit  Clerk,  which  office  he  now  holds.  In 
1868,  he  married  Miss  Caroline  C.  Whipples,  of 
Oak  Park,  Cook  Co.,  111.  They  have  two  chil- 
dren. He  is  a  Republican. 

HON.  P.  G.  HUBBARD,  Prospect  Park,  111., 
is  a  native  of  Hampden  County,  Mass.,  born  in 
the  year  1811.  He  was  raised  on  his  father's 
farm,  and  received  an  academic  course  of  study. 
At  the  age  of  seventeen,  he  began  teaching  in 
the  public  schools,  and  taught  during  the  win- 
ters thereafter  for  about  seven  years.  He  was 
married,  in  1834,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Le  Baron, 
a  native  of  Plymouth  County,  Mass.,  and  re- 
resided  in  his  native  State  until  1855,  during 
which  time  he  served  in  his  township  as  As- 
sessor and  as  a  member  of  the  Boards  of 
Selectmen  and  of  Examiners.  During  the  term 
of  1847-48,  he  was  elected  by  the  Whigs  a 
member  of  the  State  Legislature.  In  1855,  he 
came  West  to  De  Kalb  County,  111.,  and  the 
next  year  moved  to  Knox  County,  where  he 
engaged  in  farming.  In  1864,  he  engaged  in 
the  commission  business  in  Chicago,  firm, 


MILTON   TOWNSHIP. 


Huhbard  &  Bird.  He  came  to  Du  Page 
County  in  1870,  and  to  Prospect  Park  in  1873. 
By  the  marriage  there  has  been  three  children, 
of  whom  but  one  is  living — William  Le  Baron 
Hubbard,  of  Chicago.  Mr.  Hubbard  has  been 
a  member  of  the  Congregational  Church  since 
he  was  eighteen,  and  has  officiated  as  Deacon 
for  upward  of  twenty -five  years  of  the  time. 

HEZEKIAH  HOLT,  hardware,  tin,  etc., 
Wheaton,  111.,  is  a  native  of  Pomfret,  Wind- 
ham  Co.,  Conn.,  born  in  the  year  1835,  and  is 
the  second  child  in  a  family  of  six  children, 
born  to  Hezekiah  and  Harriet  Gary  Holt. 
They  were  natives  of  Windham  Count}',  Conn. 
They  married  there  and  came  West  in  1837, 
coming  through  by  wagon.  It  being  in  the 
winter  time,  part  of  the  trip  was  made  on  run- 
ners put  under  the  wagon.  They  arrived  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  present  village  of  Warren- 
ville,  where  Mrs.  Holt's  brother,  Erastus  Gary, 
lived,  and  soon  after  Mr.  Holt  bought  a  claim 
located  about  one  mile  southwest  of  Wheaton. 
The  claim  was  occupied  and  improved,  and 
bought  of  the  Government  when  the  land  came 
into  market.  Mr.  Holt  lived  on  his  place  until 
his  death  in  1850.  He  was  well  known  among 
the  old  pioneers,  and  was  a  life-long  member  of 
the  Methodist  Church,  and  took  an  active  in- 
terest in  its  affairs.  He  was  anti-slavery  in 
politics.  The  family  continued  on  the  old 
homestead  until  1877,  when  thej'  retired  to 
Turner  Junction,  where  they  lived  until  May, 
1881,  when  they  moved  to  Wheaton.  Our 
subject  was  raised  a  farmer,  and  was  edu- 
cated at  Wheaton  College.  On  becoming  of 
age,  he  began  doing  business  on  his  own 
account  in  partnership  with  his  brother,  con- 
ducting the  farm.  In  1877,  Mr.  Holt  engaged 
in  the  hardware  business  in  Turner  Junction, 
in  partnership  with  Mr.  C.  W.  Gary,  and  in 
1880  he  sold  his  interest  to  Mr.  Gary,  and  soon 
after  served  as  Government  Enumerator  in 
taking  the  census  of  Winfield  Township,  after 
which  he  kept  books  a  short  period  in  Chicago, 


and  in  March,  1882,  he  bought  out  the  present 
business,  and  formed  a  partnership  with  his 
nephew,  Mr.  E.  B.  Holt.  While  in  Turner 
Junction,  Mr.  Holt  was  elected  Supervisor  of 
Winfield  Township,  but  was  ineligible  for  the 
reason  he  had  not  lived  one  year  in  the  town- 
ship. He  was  afterward  elected  Police  Magis- 
trate and  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 
The  former  position  he  held  until  he  came  to 
Wheaton. 

A.  H.  HIATT,  physican,  is  a  native  of  Indi- 
ana, born  in  Fayette  County  in  1823  ;  was 
reared  on  the  farm  ;  received  a  common  school 
and  academic  course  of  study.  At  the  age  of 
seventeen,  began  reading  medicine,  and  in  1846 
graduated  from  the  Ohio  Medical  College  in 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  began  practice  at  New 
Castle,  Ind.,  where  he  remained  until  1854  ; 
thence  to  Westfield,  Ind.;  remained  there  four 
years.  He  then  came  to  Wheaton,  and  has 
practiced  here  since.  In  1870,  he  opened  an 
office  in  Chicago,  and  was  burned  out  in  1871, 
and  in  1872  opened  another  office  in  Chicago, 
which  he  attends  daily.  From  1877  to  1880, 
the  Doctor  was  Professor  of  Surgery  in  the 
Bennett  Medical  College  of  Chicago,  and  has 
been  Professor  in  Wheaton  College -of  Anatomy, 
Physology  and  Hygiene,  and  gives  a  course  of 
lectures  every  winter.  In  1844,  he  married 
Miss  Mary  Ann  J.  Bowman  a  native  of  Ten- 
nessee, and  moved  with  parents  to  Indiana 
when  she  was  a  child  ;  eleven  children,  eight 
living. 

LUTHER  L.  HIATT,  druggist,  is  a  native 
of  Henry  County,  Ind.,  born  in  the  year  1844; 
he  received  a  common  school  course  of  study, 
and  had  entered  the  college  course  at  the 
Wheaton  College  (having  with  his  parents 
moved  to  Wheaton  in  1859),  when  in  1862, 
October,  he  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred  and 
Fifth  Illinois  Infantr}',  Company  F,  and  served 
until  the  close  of  the  war.  After  the  war  he 
returned  to  Wheaton,  and  engaged  as  clerk  in 
his  father's  drug  store,  and  after  became  a  part- 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


ner  with  his  father,  and  later  became  the  sole 
proprietor  of  the  business,  which  he  continues 
at  the  present  time.  Mr.  Hiatt  is  Republican 
in  politics ;  he  has  held  the  office  of  Town 
Clerk  of  Milton  Township,  also  of  the  corpora- 
tion of  Wheaton,  holding  the  latter  office  in  all 
some  ten  years ;  he  also  held  the  office  of  Po- 
lice Magistrate,  being  elected  three  times.  In 
July,  1882,  Mr.  Hiatt  was  nominated  by  the 
Republican  Convention  candidate  for  Represen- 
tative of  the  Fourteenth  Senatorial  District, 
comprising  Kane  and  Du  Page  Counties.  Oc- 
tober 4, 1865,  he  married  Miss  Statira  E.  Jewett, 
a  native  of  New  York.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren living,  three  sons. 

HIRAM  H.  HADLEY,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Wheaton,  111.,  is  a  native  of  Bethel  Township, 
Windsor  Co.,  Vt,  born  on  his  father's  farm  in 
the  year  1824,  and  is  the  eldest  of  three  chil- 
dren born  to  Abial  and  Elmina  (Chadwick) 
Hadley.  They  were  natives  of  Vermont,  mar- 
ried there  and  followed  farming  ;  he  was  also  a 
carpenter,  and  principally  followed  his  trade. 
In  1841,  the  family  came  West  by  the  water 
route  to  Chicago,  thence  by  team  to  Du  Page 
County,  and  settled  in  Milton  Township,  one 
and  a  half  miles  southwest  of  Wheaton,  where 
he  bought  160  acres  of  the  Government  at 
$1.25  per  acre.  They  occupied  the  place  and 
farmed  there  some  eighteen  or  twenty  years; 
then  moved  to  Wheaton,  where  he  has  lived 
since.  Mrs.  H.  died  in  Wheaton  in  the  fall  of 
1873.  Our  subject  lived  at  home  until  he  be- 
came of  age  ;  he  received  a  very  limited  course 
of  study  in  the  common  schools  of  his  district, 
and  was  brought  up  to  farming.  In  1845,  he 
married  Miss  Charity  S.  Lewis,  a  native  of 
New  York.  She  came  to  Du  Page  County,  111., 
with  her  parents,  who  were  farmers,  when  she 
was  young.  After  the  marriage  the}'  located 
on  their  present  place,  which  adjoins  the  old 
homestead,  and  they  have  lived  there  since. 
By  the  marriage  there  have  been  three  children, 
of  whom  two  are  living — Philip  L.,  married 


and  farming  in  Milton  Township  ;  Catherine 
E.,  now  Mrs.  Beebe,  of  Milton  Township.  Mr. 
Hadley  first  voted  in  1848,  was  anti-Slavery 
and  Republican  since  organization  of  party. 
(In  1848  he  voted  for  the  Whig  candidate.) 
He  is  a  Wesleyan  Methodist ;  been  a  member 
since  1844. 

ELIAS  JEWELL  (deceased),  was  a  native 
of  Connecticut.  He  was  born  June  22,  1791. 
While  yet  a  child,  his  parents  moved  to  New 
York,  where  they  followed  farming.  He  was 
married,  February  26,  1815,  to  Harriet  Howe, 
and  after  the  marriage  settled  on  a  farm,  where 
they  lived  until  about  1825,  when  the}'  went  to 
Canada,  and  he  worked  at  the  building  of  the 
Welland  Canal,  and  a  few  years  later  they 
moved  to  Michigan,  where  he  farmed  and  con- 
ducted a  brickyard  near  Detroit.  While  here, 
Mrs.  Jewell  returned  to  Canada  on  business, 
and  died  while  away.  In  1833,  he  married 
Miss  Cynthia  Whitney,  a  native  of  Detroit, 
Mich.,  born  in  the  year  1808  ;  her  father,  Solo- 
mon B.  Whitney,  was  a  Sergeant  Major  under 
Gen.  Hull,  at  Detroit,  during  the  war  of  1812. 
In  1838,  they  came  to  Illinois,  and  made  a 
claim  to  the  present  place,  where  he  lived  until 
his  death  in  1 858.  Mrs.  Jewell  is  living  on  the 
old  homestead.  By  the  first  marriage  there 
were  five  children,  of  whom  but  one  is  living, 
viz.,  Elias.  By  the  second  marriage  there  were 
no  children.  Mr.  Jewell  was  a  soldier  in  the 
war  of  1812. 

ELIAS  JEWELL,  JR.,  farmer,  P.  0.  Naper- 
ville,  is  a  native  of  Canada,  born  June  11, 
1827,  and  is  the  only  surviving  child  of  Elias 
Jewell,  Sr.,  deceased.  He  was  raised  on  the 
farm  and  received  a  common-school  education. 
March  11,  1849,  he  married  Miss  Sabra  A. 
Winchell,  a  native  of  Lake  County,  Ohio.  She 
came  to  Du  Page  County,  111.,  with  her  parents 
in  1844  or  1845.  After  the  marriage,  he  occu- 
pied an  80-acre  farm  his  father  gave  him,  and 
farmed  on  his  own  account,  and  has  lived  on 
the  place  ever  since,  except  a  short  residence 


MILTON    TOWXSHIP. 


61 


in  Michigan  and  Chicago.  By  the  marriage 
there  have  been  six  children,  of  whom  five 
sons  are  living.  In  1860,  Mr.  Jewell  began  as 
a  traveling  salesman  for  the  McCormick  Reaper 
Company,  and  the  next  year  engaged  with  the 
Chicago  branch  of  Messrs.  D.  M.  Osborn  & 
Co.,  manufacturers  of  reapers  and  mowers,  and 
continued  with  them  for  fifteen  years.  During 
the  past  seven  years  he  has  worked  on  short 
engagements  for  different  companies,  his  health 
not  permitting  regular  engagements.  He  owns 
110  acres,  located  one  and  a  half  miles  north- 
east of  Wheaton. 

O.  F.  JOHNSON,  lumber  merchant,  Chicago, 
P.  0.  Prospect  Park,  is  a  native  of  Vermont, 
born  in  the  year  1838,  son  of  William  J.  and 
Harriet  (French)  Johnson,  who  moved  to  Erie, 
Penn.,  at  an  early  day,  thence  to  Ohio,  thence 
to  Lockport,  111.,  and  thence  to  Du  Pape  Coun- 
$y,  in  1839,  locating  on  a  claim  he  bought  in 
the  southeastern  part  of  Milton  Township.  A 
year  or  two  later,  they  went  to  Chicago  and 
kept  the  New  York  House,  and  in  the  spring  of 
1844  came  to  Prospect  Park.  Our  subject  j 
lived  at  home  until  he  was  seventeen.  He  then 
began  as  a  brakeman  on  the  North  Western  Rail- 
road, where  he  remained  about  seven  years, 
quitting  as  a  conductor.  He  then  engaged  as 
conductor,  for  two  years,  on  the  Chicago,  Bur- 
lington &  Quincy.  He  then  engaged  as  man- 
ager of  a  lumber  camp  in  Michigan,  conducting 
two  mills,  etc.,  where  he  remained  until  1863. 
He  then  conducted  a  lumber  yard  at  Prospect 
Park  for  three  years.  He  then  took  charge  of  the 
Lumber  Department  of  Goss  &  Phillips  Manu- 
facturing Company,  of  Chicago,  where  he  re-  ; 
mained  for  seven  years.  He  then  opened  in  | 
the  lumber  commission  business  for  Johnson 
&  Gibbs,  248  South  Water  street,  and  has  re- 
mained since.  He  has  always  kept  his  home 
in  Prospect  Park.  He  married  in  1864  to 
Miss  Emily  Churchill,  a  native  of  Du  Page 
County,  111.  He  enlisted  in  Company  E,  Eighth 
Illinois  Cavalry,  and  remained  with  the  com- 


mand about  three  months,  when  he  was  dis- 
charged, owing  to  ill  health.  He  has  had  six 
children,  five  living.  Republican. 

HORACE  JAYNE,  carpenter  and  agricult- 
ural implements,  is  a  native  of  Wyoming  Co., 
Penn.,  born  in  the  3'ear  1823,  and  was  raised 
on  the  farm.  His  father  carried  on  the  farm, 
and  was  also  engaged  in  the  lumber  business, 
and  Horace  assisted  his  father  both  on  the 
farm  and  in  his  business,  living  at  home  until 
he  was  twenty-three.  He  then  worked  at  farm- 
ing and  carpentering  in  the  neighborhood  until 
1849,  when  he  came  West  and  located  at  Rock- 
ford,  111.,  where  he  worked  at  carpenter  work 
until  1860.  He  then  came  to  Du  Page  County, 
111.,  and  located  on  a  farm  he  bought  two  miles 
west  of  Wheaton,  and  farmed  for  fourteen 
years.  He  then  sold  his  farm  and  came  to 
Wheaton,  where  he  engaged  in  the  hardware 
business,  which  he  continued  about  three  years, 
when  he  sold  out  and  retired-from  active  busi- 
ness. In  1847,  he  married  Miss  Lucy  M. 
Robinson,  a  native  of  Susquehanna  Count}', 
Penn.  She  died  in  Wheaton,  111.,  in  1878. 
They  had  seven  children,  five  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing. July  27,  1879,  he  married,  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, Elzina  (Brown)  Corey,  of  Susquehanna 
County,  that  State.  After  the  marriage,  they 
came  to  Wheaton,  and  have  lived  here  since. 

CAPT.  M.  E.  JONES,  carpenter  and  house 
mover,  is  a  native  of  Rutland  County,  Vt, 
born  in  the  year  1830  ;  was  raised  on  the 
farm,  receiving  a  common  school  education; 
his  father,  Ephraim  Jones,  was  a  wagon-maker, 
and  the  Captain  early  began  to  labor  with  his 
father.  When  seventeen  years  of  age,  he  began 
peddling  jewelry,  and  a  year  later  went  West, 
stopping  in  Niagara  County,  N.  Y.,  and  Medina 
County,  Ohio,  finally  reaching  Chicago,  where 
he  worked  about  four  years,  during  which  time 
he  married  Miss  Sarah  Reece,  who  died  there 
about  two  years  after  the  marriage.  The  only 
child  died  when  seven  years  of  age.  In  1858, 
Capt.  Jones  came  to  Du  Page  Page  County 


62 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


and  located  at  Danby,  now  Prospect  Park,  and 
worked  at  his  trade.  August  5,  1861,  he  en- 
listed in  the  Eighth  Illinois  Regiment  Cavalry, 
Company  E,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  entered  his  company  a  private,  and 
was  elected  First  Duty  Sergeant;  was  several 
times  promoted,  coming  home  as  Captain  of  his 
company,  and  now,  may  it  be  told  for  the  benefit 
of  history,  that  while  placing  his  men  on  pickett 
at  Gettysburg,  about  fifteen  minutes  of  4  A.  M., 
Capt.  Jones  took  a  carbine  of  his  Sergeant,  Levi 
S.  Shafer,  and  fired  at  the  advancing  enemy, 
the  first  shot  in  that  mighty  battle.  Prom  the 
army  he  returned  to  Wheaton,  and,  except  a 
few  months,  lived  there  until  1872,  when  he 
went  to  Colorado  and  engaged  in  the  stock 
business,  returning  again  to  Wheaton  in  1877, 
and  has  lived  here  since.  September  1,  1864, 
in  camp  near  Washington,  D.  C.,  he  married 
Miss  Elvira  N.  Meacham,  a  native  of  Benson, 
Rutland  Co.,  Vt.  "  She  had  come  to  Du  Page 
County,  111.,  with  her  parents  in  1854. 

DANIEL  KELLEY,  farmer,  P.  0.  Wheaton, 
is  a  native  of  Rutland  Co.,  Vt.,  born  in  the  year 
1818.  On  becoming  seventeen,  he  began  teach- 
ing public  school  in  the  winter,  teaching  in  all 
three  terms.  He  also  was  was  a  shepherd, 
having  charge  of  his  father's  flock;  when  he  was 
twenty-six  years  of  age,  he  came  West  by  the 
water  route,  and  purchased  and  occupied  his 
present  place,  where  he  has  lived  ever  since, 
located  two  miles  due  north  of  Wheaton.  He 
soon  began  the  sheep  business  in  the  West,  and 
early  placed  some  fine  merinos  on  his  place, 
and  has  carried  on  the  business  on  a  large  scale 
ever  since,  having  as  high  as  2,600  head  at  one 
time.  In  1846,  he  married  Miss  Mary  E.  Huls,  a 
native  of  New  York.  She  came  to  St.  Charles, 
Ills.,  with  her  parents.  She  had  eleven  chil- 
dren, nine  of  whom  are  living.  He  first  voted 
for  Harrison,  and  has  -been  Republican  since 
the  organization  of  the  party.  He  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  Church  for  the  past  thirty- 
years.  On  coming  to  Du  Page  County,  he  had 


$602.  and  has  owned  over  1,400  acres  of  land 
here,  but  has  lately  sold  portions  to  his  chil- 
dren and  others.  He  was  President  of  the 
Wool  Growers'  Association  of  the  State  of  Illi- 
nois, by  virtue  of  which  office  he  also  became 
Delegate  to  the  National  Convention.  He  was 
the  first  President  of  the  Northern  Illinois 
Wool  Growers'  Association  and  is  now  Vice 
President  of  the  State  Association. 

A.  D.  KELLEY,  Sutcliffe  &  Kelley,  grain, 
lumber  and  agricultural  implement  deal- 
ers, Wheaton,  is  a  native  of  Milton  Town- 
ship, Du  Page  Co.,  111.,  and  was  born  June  30, 
1849  ;  was  raised  on  his  father's  farm,  and  re- 
ceived a  common  school  education,  living  at 
home  until  the  fall  of  1872,  when  he  married 
Miss  Gallic  A.  Smith,  a  native  of  Walworth 
County,  Wis.  After  the  marriage,  they  settled 
on  a  farm  that  he  bought  in  Kane  County  one 
mile  west  of  St.  Charles,  where  they  lived  for 
seven  years.  He  then  sold  out  his  farm  and 
moved  to  Wheaton.  when  he  engaged  in  his 
present  business,  and  has  conducted  ever  since. 
By  the  marriage  there  have  been  three  children 
born,  of  whom  one  is  living — Raymond  Albert. 

JUDSON  A.  KELLEY,  farmer,  P.  0.  Whea- 
ton, 111.,  is  a  native  of  Milton  Township,  Du 
Page  Co.,  and  was  born  on  his  father's  farm  in 
the  year  1858,  and  in  addition  to  a  common 
school  course,  attended  Wheaton  College  for  a 
year  or  two.  February  15,  1882,  he  married 
Miss  Lillian  A.  Taylor,  a  native  of  Wisconsin. 
After  the  marriage,  they  located  on  the  present 
place,  which  he  bought  of  Mr.  J.  L.  Bennett, 
and  consists  of  fifteen  acres,  located  one  and 
three-fourth  miles  north  of  Wheaton.  Mr. 
Kelley  is  Republican  in  politics. 

F.  G.  KIMBALL,  farming,  P.  0.  Wheaton, 
is  a  native  of  Washington  County,  Vt.,  born 
Sept.  9,  1825,  fifth  child  in  a  family  of  eleven 
children  born  to  the  Rev.  William  Kimball, 
who  married  Miss  Lovisa  Lathrop.  They  were 
natives  of  Vermont ;  married  there,  and  came 
West  in  1836,  coming  by  the  water  route,  and 


MILTON    TOWNSHIP. 


63 


bought  a  claim  in  what  is  now  Wayne  Town- 
ship, Du  Page  Co.,  111.,  where  they  farmed  for 
about  three  years,  when  the  family  moved  to 
Aurora,  where  Mr.  Kimball  preached  in  Kane 
and  Du  Page  Counties  for  some  thirty  years, 
when  he  retired  from  the  active  ministry,  hav- 
ing returned  to  Wheaton,  Du  Page  County, 
where  he  died  in  1869.  Mrs.  Kimball  died  two 
years  previous,  in  Wheaton.  Our  subject  lived 
at  home  until  he  was  twenty  years  of  age  ;  he 
received  in  all  only  about  nine  months'  study  in 
the  district  schools.  He  followed  farming  until 
about  1850,  when  he  engaged  as  a  clerk  in  the 
general  merchandise  business  at  Turner  Junc- 
tion, continuing  there  about  ten  years.  He 
then  traveled  for  some  five  years,  and  in  1865, 
in  company  with  Mr.  M.  Smith,  engaged  in 
the  mercantile  business  in  Wheaton,  they  con- 
tinuing in  business  some  seven  years,  when 
they  dissolved,  and  Mr.  Kimball  engaged  in 
farming,  and  a  few  years  later  he  again  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  business,  but  owing  to  ill- 
health,  he  soon  gave  up  his  business  and  re- 
turned to  farming,  which  he  has  continued 
since,  locating  on  his  present  place,  which  con- 
sists of  thirty  acres,  located  one  mile  southwest 
from  Wheaton.  In  1866,  he  married  Miss  Mary 
E.  Barnes,  a  native  of  Michigan,  and  living  at 
Mendota,  111.,  at  time  of  her  marriage.  By  the 
marriage  there  have  been  three  children,  two 
of  whom  are  living,  viz.,  Prank  Grant  Kimball, 
Ida  May  Kimball.  Mr.  Kimball  has  held  the 
office  of  Collector  and  Road  Commissioner  in 
Winfleld  Township,  and  Supervisor  in  Milton 
Township.  He  first  voted  for  John  P.  Hale ; 
was  anti-slavery  and  Republican  since  the  or- 
ganization of  party.  He  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for  about 
twelve  years. 

L.  E.  LANDON,  retired  farmer,  is  a  native 
of  Whitestown,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  born  No- 
vember 19,  1809,  second  child  of  a  family  of 
five  children  born  to  Joseph  and  Sarah  Wood 
Landon.  The}'  were  natives  of  Connecticut  and 


New  York;  he  moved  to  Whitestown,  N.  Y.,  at 
an  early  day,  and  there  married  Miss  Wood, 
daughter  of  Deacon  Wood  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church  of  that  place.  Joseph  Landon, 
at  the  time  of  L.  E.'s  birth,  was  engaged  in  a 
saw-mill,  and  Salter  moved  to  Wales'  Paper- 
mill  and  bought  rags  and  sold  paper  for  same, 
and  thence  to  a  farm;  and,  about  the  year  1820, 
he  moved  to  Oswego  Village  (now  city),  he 
carrying  the  mail  from  Utica  to  Oswego,  his 
being  the  first  four-horse  stage  ever  driven 
through  that  route;  his  wife  died  in  Oswego  in 
March,  1825;  he  married  again  to  Mrs.  Huldah, 
widow  of  Samuel  Farnham,  by  whom  he  has 
one  child,  a  son;  he  moved  to  Hannibal,  and 
thence  to  Marcellus,  where  his  second  wife  died  ; 
he  married  again,  and  live'l  in  that  vicinity 
until  his  death.  Our  subject  lived  at  home 
until  he  was  about  twenty-two  or  twenty-three 
years  of  age;  he  received  a  common  school 
education.  In  1825,  he  married  Miss  Hul- 
dah M.  Farnham,  in  Oswego,  N.  Y.;  she 
was  a  native  of  Canada,  where  her  parents  re- 
sided on  a  farm  forty-five  miles  northeast  of 
Kingston,  she  being  on  a  visit  to  her  aunt's,  at 
Oswego,  N.  Y.,  at  the  time  of  her  marriage,  after 
which  they  lived  on  a  farm  for  about  a  year 
and  a  half,  and  then  went  to  Upper  Canada, 
where  they  lived  also  about  a  year  and  a  half. 
In  January,  1838,  they  drove  by  sleigh  to  Mar- 
cellus, N.  Yr,  and,  gathering  some  effects,  they 
started  on  February  22d  of  that  year  for  Illi- 
nois, sleighing  to  Cleveland  and  thence  by  wheels 
to  Addison  Township,  Du  Page  County,  where 
his  brother  lived,  and  soon  after  arriving  he 
bought  a  claim  located  in  Section  12,  Bloom- 
ingdale  Township,  and  occupied  the  same,  where 
he  lived  until  about  1857  or  1858;  he  then 
moved  to  Section  14,  where  he  lived  until  the 
fall  of  1867,  when  he  moved  to  Wheaton.  and 
has  lived  here  since.  By  the  marriage  there 
were  five  children,  four  of  whom  are  living, 
three  daughters  and  one  son;  all  married.  The 
son,  A.  S.,  merchant  in  Wheaton;  Laura  A. 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


Gates,  in  Bloomingdale;  Hattie  M.  Beach,  of 
St.  Joe,  Mo.;  Sarah  E.  Mann,  of  Geneva,  111. 

W.  H.  LUTHER,  station  agent,  Northwest- 
ern Railroad  and  dealer  in  grain,  coal  and  feed, 
of  the  firm  of  Luther  &  Newton,  Prospect 
Park,  is  a  native  of  Springfield,  Mass.,  and  was 
born  in  the  year  1846.  In  1854,  the  family 
came  West  to  Rockford.  111.,  where  they  now 
reside.  W.  H.  Luther,  Sr.,  was  a  manufacturer 
of  cotton  and  woolen  goods  in  the  East,  and 
after  coming  West,  followed  farming.  Our  sub- 
ject received  a  common  school  education.  In 
1864,  he  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred  and 
Forty -seventh  Illinois  Regiment  Infantry,  Com- 
pany A,  and  served  one  year.  After  his  re- 
turn from  the  army,  he  engaged  in  farming, 
which  he  continued  about  five  years.  He  then 
became  station  agent  at  Winnebago,  111.,  and 
in  1874  he  became  agent  here  at  Prospect  Park. 
In  1877,  in  company  with  E.  C.  Marks,  en- 
gaged in  the  coal  and  feed  business,  and  three 
years  later,  Mr.  Marks  sold  his  interest  in  the 
business  to  Mr.  W.  C.  Newton.  Mr.  Luther 
married  Miss  F.  A.  Copeland,  daughter  of  Dr. 
Copeland,  of  Winnebago.  By  the  marriage 
there  are  two  children,  viz.,  Flora  L.  and  Paul 
G.  Republican  in  politics.  Clerk  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees  and  the  School  Board  of  Prospect 
Park. 

S.  W.  MOFFATT,  retired  farmer,  is  a  native 
of  Orange  County,  N.  Y..  born  March  1,  1818. 
He  was  raised  on  a  farm  until  he  was  about 
sixteen  years  of  age.  He  received  a  common 
and  select  school  course  of  study.  On  becom- 
ing sixteen,  he  began  teaching,  and  continued 
to  teach  for  about  five  years.  He  then  came 
West  to  Aurora,  111.,  where  he  taught  school 
and  stssisted  his  brother-in-law  on  the  farm 
until  the  spring  of  1842,  when  he  came  to  Du 
Page  County  and  stopped  with  his  brother-in- 
law,  who  had  moved  to  Wayne  Township  ;  and, 
in  the  winter  following,  he  taught  school  near 
where  the  town  of  Bartlett  now  stands.  The 
schoolhouse  was  an  old  pioneer  one,  of  logs — 


stick  chimney,  puncheon  floor,  etc.,  etc. — and  the 
teacher  received  two  steers,  valued  at  $36,  for 
three  months'  services.  He  continued  his  home 
with  his  brother-in-law,  teaching  winters  and 
assisting  on  the  farm,  about  one  year,  when  he 
went  East  to  Orange  Count}',  N.  Y.,  where  he 
taught  his  former  school  ;  and  in  the  spring  of 
1844  he  married  Miss  Harriet  Elizabeth  Sayer, 
a  native  of  Orange  County,  N.  Y.  The  same 
spring,  thej'  came  to  Wayne  Township,  Du  Page 
Co.,  111.,  where  they  purchased  a  farm  and 
lived  on  the  same  until  about  1863.  He  then 
rented  his  place  and  moved  to  Elgin,  returning 
to  his  farm  the  year  following  ;  and  about  one 
year  later  he  sold  his  farm  and  moved  to 
Wheaton,  where  he  has  lived  since.  While  in 
Wayne  Township,  he  served  two  terms  each  in 
the  offices  of  Town  Clerk  and  Supervisor  ; 
while  in  Wheaton  he  has  been  in  the  Council 
for  a  number  of  years,  and  now  serving  as 
President  of  the  Board  for  the  fifth  term.  In 
former  years  he  was  a  Whig,  and  Republican 
since  the  organization  of  the  party.  Is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Congregational  Church  since  his 
coming  to  the  county.  By  the  marriage  there 
were  five  children,  two  of  whom  are  living- 
William  S.,  shorthand  correspondent,  Chicago, 
and  Harriet  E.,  at  home. 

HON.  F.  H.  MATHER,  farmer,  is  a  native 
of  Benson,  Rutland  Co.,  Vt.,  born  in  the  year 
1819.  His  father,  Demas,  was  a  farmer,  and 
also  kept  hotel.  He  and  his  wife,  Miss  Clarissa 
C.  Ingraham,  were  natives  of  Connecticut.  They 
married  there  and  moved  to  Vermont,  where 
they  lived  until  their  death.  Our  subject  was 
raised  on  the  farm  ;  received  a  common-school 
education.  In  1842,  he  married  Miss  Rhode  E. 
Meacham,  a  native  of  his  native  town.  After 
marriage,  they  came  West,  by  line  boat  to  Buf- 
falo, thence  on  the  old  Illinois  steamer  to  Chi- 
cago, thence  to  Milton  Township,  Du  Page  Co., 
111.,  where  Mrs.  Mather  had  a  brother  living. 
They  bought  a  farm  and  began  farming,  which 
business  he  followed  until  about  1860,  when  he 


MILTON    TOWNSHIP. 


65 


came  to  Wheaton,  where  he  has  since  lived. 
While  on  the  farm,  he  also  engaged  in  the  stock 
and  wool  business,  buying,  and  shipping  to  Chi- 
cago and  New  York,  and  has  carried  on  his 
farms  and  conducted  the  wool  and  stock  busi- 
ness ever  since.  In  1869,  he  went  to  Colorado 
and  bought  wool,  and  in  1872  the  family  moved 
there,  and  they  carried  on  a  stock  ranch,  re- 
maining on  the  same  for  thirteen  months,  when 
they  returned  to  Wheaton.  Mr.  Mather  has 
been  Supervisor  of  Milton  Township  for  three 
years  ;  has  also  served  on  the  Town  Council. 
In  the  fall  of  1860,  he  was  elected,  on  the  Re- 
publican ticket,  a  member  of  the  State  Legis- 
lature, and  served  two  years,  during  which  time 
he  active!}-  engaged  himself  to  have  passed  a 
bill  he  presented  for  the  removal  of  the  county 
seat  from  Naperville  to  Wheaton.  The  bill 
passed  the  House,  but  was  defeated  in  the  Sen- 
ate, and  the  war  coming  on,  no  further  action 
was  taken  until  1866,  when  the  bill  passed.  By 
the  marriage  there  has  been  one  child — Minnie, 
now  Mrs.  Sanders.  Mr.  Mather  was  an  Old-Line 
Whig,  and  became  Republican  upon  the  organ- 
ization of  the  party ;  is  a  member  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church. 

J.  R.  McCHESNEY,  merchant,  of  J.  R.  McC. 
&  Co.,  Prospect  Park,  111.,  is  a  native  of  New- 
ark, N.  J.,  born  June  18,  1828.  His  parents, 
Rev.  James  and  Matilda  (Davis)  McChesney, 
were  natives  of  Ireland  and  New  York;  he  is  a 
Congregational  minister.  In  1846,  the}-  moved 
to  Chicago,  and  one  year  later  pre-empted  160 
acres  in  Schaumberg  Township,  Cook  Co.,  111., 
where  they  lived  until  about  1854,  when  they 
sold  the  laud  and  moved  to  Prospect  Park. 
Our  subject  lived  with  his  parents  until  about 
1853,  when,  about  fourteen  years  of  age,  he  be- 
gan work  in  an  ornamental  iron  works,  and 
worked  there  about  four  years.  In  1854,  he 
married,  at  Hanover,  Cook  County,  Miss  Eliza- 
beth Leatherman,  a  native  of  Indiana;  they 
have  four  children,  two  of  whom  are  living. 
After  the  marriage,  he  farmed  a  few  years.  In 


1862,  he  formed  a  partnership  and  engaged  in 
the  general  store  business  in  Danby,  now  Pros- 
pect Park.  In  1864,  he  enlisted  in  the  One 
Hundred  and  Forty-first  Illinois  Volunteer  In- 
fantry Regiment,  Company  H,  and  served  about 
five  months;  he  entered  as  a  private  and  re- 
turned as  Second  Lieutenant  of  his  company; 
he  then  sold  out  his  store  business  and  engaged 
in  buying  and  shipping  grain,  which  he  con- 
tinued/or several  years;  he  then  moved  to  El- 
gin and  conducted  the  grain  business  there  in 
company  with  Mr.  George  Sawin  for  three  years, 
then  returned  to  Prospect  Park  and  engaged  in 
the  lumber  business  for  Mr.  Huff,  and  about 
1872  he  engaged  in  his  present  business,  and 
for  a  term  served  as  Postmaster.  August  1, 
1882.  Mr.  McC.  was  elected  President  of  the 
Village  of  Prospect  Park,  it  being  the  first  elec- 
tion under  corporation. 

PETER  NORTHROP,  retired,  is  a  native  of 
Cayuga  County,  N.  Y.,  born  in  the  year  1818. 
At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  engaged  as  a  clerk  in 
a  general  store  in  Oswego  County,  N.  Y.,  and 
followed  clerking,  principally,  until  1836.  when 
he  took  a'trip  West  prospecting,  visiting  Illinois, 
Wisconsin,  Michigan,  etc.  He  returned  East, 
and  in  1837  engaged  in  business  for  himself  at 
Jordan,  in  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
remained  until  1841,  when  he  came  West  and 
settled  on  a  farm  which  he  bought  in  Addison 
Township,  where  he  remained  four  years,  and 
where  he  was  a  Justice  of  the  Peace.  He  then 
sold  his  farm  and  engaged  in  merchandising  in 
Addison  Village;  continued  until  1852,  when 
he  was  elected  Circuit  Clerk  and  went  to  Na- 
perville (then  the  county  seat),  and  he  lived 
there  four  years.  He  then  came  to  Wheaton, 
and  built  a  steam  and  grist  mill  which  he  con- 
ducted until  1859,  when  it  was  destroyed  by 
fire.  He  then  went  to  Chicago  and  engaged  in 
the  grain  business  two  years,  thence  to  his  land 
in  Addison  Township,  where  he  remained  till 
1865  ;  then  he  came  to  Wheaton,  and  in  com- 
pany with  Mr.  H.  B.  Hills  engaged  in  mercan- 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


tile  business.  They  continued  until  1875,  when 
he  went  to  a  farm  he  had  at  Turner  Junction, 
where  he  remained  until  October,  1881,  when 
he  came  to  Wheaton  and  has  lived  here  since. 
He  married  Miss  Mariell  Kinney,  a  native  of 
Oswego  County,  N.  Y.  She  came  to  Du  Page 
County  with  her  parents.  She  died  in  1862. 
His  present  wife  was  Miss  S.  B.  Eastman,  a 
native  of  Illinois.  They  had  seven  children — 
six  living.  Was,  in  an  early  day,  a  Democrat, 
but  has  been  a  Republican  since  the  organiza- 
tion of  that  party.  Mr.  Northrop  was  elected 
one  of  the  Associate  Justices,  and,  on  forma- 
tion of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  he  was  elected 
Supervisor  of  his  township! 

FRANCIS  OTT,  farmer,  P.  0.  Wheaton, 
III,  was  born  in  Germany  iu  the  year  1816,  and 
was  raised  on  a  farm.  At  the  age  of  sixteen, 
he  apprenticed  to  shoernaking,  and,  in  1837,  he 
came  to  the  United  States  of  America,  and 
lived  two  years  in  the  State  of  New  York, 
working  at  his  trade.  He  then  came  West  by 
the  water  route  to  Chicago.  He  then  came  out 
in  the  country  to  work,  and  worked  in  this  part 
of  the  State  on  the  farm  and  canal,  or  cutting 
wood  until  1841.  He  then  went  to  Naperville, 
where  he  worked  at  his  trade.  He  also  went  to 
school  a  few  months.  He  then  went  to  live 
with  his  brother,  who  was  farming  in  Milton 
Township,  and  soon  after  he  took  up  a  claim 
and  improved  it,  and  later  he  sold  his  place 
and  bought  the  present,  which  contains  250 
acres,  located  one  and  a  quarter  miles  east  of 
Wheaton.  In  1847,  he  married  Miss  Anna  M. 
Werner,  a  native  of  Germany.  She  came  to 
the  United  States  of  America  with  her  parents 
when  she  was  young  ;  she  died  in  September, 
1877.  They  had  seven  children,  six  of  whom 
are  living.  Mr.  Ott  has  held  the  office  of 
Road  Commissioner  and  Assessor  of  his 
Township.  Also  the  school  office  of  Director,  i 
He  has  been  a  Democrat  in  politics,  but  of 
late  is  rather  independent,  going  for  the  best 
men. 


REV.  FATHER  DE  LA  PORTE  was  born 
in  Burgsteinfurt,  Province  of  Westphalia.  Prus- 
sia, May  11,  1841.  His  father,  Francis  M.  de 
la  Porte  was  a  Frenchman,  though  born  in 
Santa  Cruz,  W.  I.,  in  1797,  and  when  five 
years  of  age  moved  to  Europe,  locating  in 
Germany,  where  he  afterward  became  the 
Inspector  of  Forests,  a  position  he  held  for 
fifty-five  years.  Our  subject  was  raised  in  his 
native  village  until  he  was  seventeen  years  of 
age,  when  he  went  to  Minister  and  prepared  for 
the  ministry,  attending  the  college  there,  from 
which  he  graduated  in  August,  1862.  He  then 
studied  philosophy  during  a  short  term,  and 
returning  home  made  his  preparations  to  come 
to  America,  arriving  in  Chicago,  111.,  in  October, 
1863,  where  he  completed  his  course  of  study 
in  the  St.  Mary's  Seminary  of  the  Lake,  and 
was  ordained  to  the  priesthood  April  7.  1866, 
by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Duggan,  and  was 
assigned  Professor  of  Latin  in  the  St.  Mary's 
Seminary.  A  few  months  later,  he  was  ap- 
pointed pastor  of  the  St.  Peter's  Church  at 
Naperville,  111.  The  large  church  there  was 
only  partly  finished,  and  had  quite  a  heavy 
debt,  but  by  his  energy  Father  de  la  Porte  dis- 
charged the  debt,  built  a  parsonage  and  finished 
the  church  in  a  most  elegant  manner,  remain- 
ing in  Naperville  until  in  November,  1878, 
when,  owing  to  his  health,  which  was  much 
impaired  by  reason  of  his  labors  in  behalf  of 
his  church, ,  he  left  Naperville,  where  he  had 
made  many  warm  friends,  and  went  to  Wiscon- 
sin and  became  a  professor  in  the  Normal 
School  in  St.  Francis,  and  one  year  later  he 
removed  to  Chicago,  where  he  became  Assistant 
Priest  of  St.  Anthony's  Church,  in  which  posi- 
tion he  continued  for  two  years,  and,  in  April, 
was  appointed  pastor  of  the  St.  Michael's 
Church  of  Wheaton. 

J.  S.  PEIRONNET,  retired,  P.  0.  Wheaton, 
111.,  is  a  native  of  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  born  in 
the  year  1841.  His  parents  were  J.  S.  and 
Mary  J.  (Lance)  Peironnet.  He  was  a  mer- 


MILTON    TOWNSHIP. 


67 


chant,  and,  in  1854,  came  to  Peru,  111.,  where 
he  bought  and  improved  lands.  In  1868,  he 
returned  East,  locating  at  Waverly,  N.  Y., 
where  he  died.  Our  subject,  at  the  age  of 
nineteen,  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  at 
Peru,  111.,  and,  on  becoming  of  age,  he,  in  com- 
pany with  his  brother,  William  F.  Peironnet, 
in  the  commission  business  in  Chicago,  and 
they  successfully  conducted  the  business  for  '. 
eighteen  years,  maintaining  the  excellent  posi- 
tion of  the  house  as  one  of  the  strong  con- 
cerns of  the  board  throughout  the  entire  time.  | 
The  magnitude  of  the  business  was  enormous 
during  the  navigation  season;  they  received  as 
high  as  1.000,000  bushels  of  grain  per  month. 
For  a.  few  years  during  the  business  of  the 
firm,  they  owned  a  large  flour  mill  at  Minneap- 
olis, having  a  capacity  of  500  barrels  per  day. 
During  the  ownership  of  this  mill,  Mr.  Peironnet 
was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Minneapolis  • 
Millers'  Association,  now  the  largest  grain  asso- 
ciation in  the  world.  He  became  the  Chicago 
agent,  and  contracted  the  freights  from  Chicago 
East.  During  the  years  1868-69-70-71,  they  | 
received  fully  one-third  of  the  entire  receipts  j 
of  the  city,  and  contracted  freights  on  as  high 
as  8.000  barrels  per  day.  Aside  from  these 
active  interests,  Mr.  Peironnet  has  large  special 
interests  in  various  commercial  enterprises. 
In  1877,  owing  to  his  health,  he  sought  a 
home  in  the  country,  and  located  at  Wheatou. 
Being  pleased  with  the  change,  he  purchased 
property  and  permanently  made  it  his  home. 
In  January,  1882,  he  retired  entirely  from 
the  business  he  was  engaged  in  for  the  past 
eighteen  years.  In  1873,  he  married  Miss 
Fannie,  daughter  of  William  Baker,  editor  and 
proprietor  of  the  Chicago  Journal  of  Com- 
merce. 

LEONARD  PRATT,  M.  D.,  is  a  native  of 
Bradford  County,  Penn.,  born  in  the  year 
1819,  and  is  second  in  a  family  of  nine 
children  born  to  Russell  and  Olive  (Towner) 
Pratt.  He  was  a  farmer  and  cabinet-maker, 


which  business  he  conducted  in  addition  to 
farming.  They  died  in  Towanda,  the  county 
seat  of  Bradford  County.  Our  subject  lived 
at  home  on  the  farm  until  he  was  fifteen 
years  of  age;  he  received  a  common  school 
course  of  study,  also  attended  the  La  Fa3"- 
ette  College  at  Easton  about  one  year;  after 
his  attendance  at  the  college,  he  taught  public 
school  one  term — for  the  most  part,  he  worked 
to  earn  the  means  to  educate  himself — alternat- 
ing the  work  with  the  schooling.  In  1841,  he 
began  reading  medicine  at  Le  Raysville,  Brad- 
ford Co.,  Penn.,  and  later  attended  lectures  at 
the  Jefferson  Medical  College,  Philadelphia, 
and  then  began  practice  with  his  preceptor,  and 
later  by  himself,  in  Towanda,  and  in  1851  he 
again  attended  the  Jefferson  College  and  grad- 
uated from  the  same,  and  two  years  later,  he 
came  to  Illinois  and  located  near  Mount  Carroll, 
Ills.,  where  he  bought  a  farm  and  opened  an 
office  in  Mount  Carroll,  where  he  practiced  for 
twelve  years,  when  he  came  to  Wheaton  and 
has  practiced  here  since.  In  1869,  the  Doctor 
began  lecturing  in  the  Hahnemann  Medical 
College,  and  continued  lectures  seven  years, 
and  since  then  he  has  been  connected  Emeritus 
Professor  of  the  Chicago  Homoeopathic  Col- 
lege, lecturing  occasionally,  and  during  the  past 
seven  years  the  Doctor  has  attended  his  office 
in  Chicago  two  days  each  week.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  American  Institute  of  Homoeopathy, 
the  Western  Academy  of  Medicine,  Illinois 
State  Medical  Society  and  the  Academy  of 
Medicine,  Chicago.  In  1843,  he  married  Miss 
Betsy,  daughter  of  Dr.  L.  C.  Belding,  of  Brad- 
ford County,  Penn.  They  had  four  children, 
two  living,  one  son  and  a  daughter. 

HIRAM  B.  PATRICK,  farmer  and  dealer 
in  stock,  P.  0.  Wheaton.  Came  to  county  in 
1845. 

A.  G.  RANSOM,  farming,  P.  0.  Wheaton, 
is  a  native  of  Du  Page  County,  111.,  born  in  the 
year  1845,  and  is  the  only  child  of  A.  S.  and 
Melissa  (Bingham)  Ransom,  who  were  natives 


68 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


of  New  York  and  Connecticut ;  they  married  in 
Ohio.  He  came  to  Illinois  when  a  single  man 
about  the  year  1840,  and  a  few  years  later  went- 
to  Ohio,  where  he  was  married,  and  then  came 
to  Illinois  again  and  occupied  the  claim  where 
he  now  lives.  He  was  a  soldier  in  a  dragoon 
company,  under  Maj.  De  Acker,  in  the  war  of 
1812.  Our  subject  was  raised  a  farmer,  and 
received  a  common  school  education.  At  the 
age  of  sixteen  he  began  managing  the  home 
farm.  In  1868,  he  married  Miss  Christina 
Steven,  a  native  of  Du  Page  County,  111.,  and 
daughter  of  Alex.  Steven.  She  died  August 
25,  1871.  June  20,  1877.  he  married  Miss  Liz- 
zie A.  Moore,  a  native  of  Canada.  She  came 
to  Du  Page  County,  111.,  with  her  parents.  By 
the  marriage  there  are  two  children — Aning 
R.  and  Cornelia  M.  He  is  a  Republican  in 
politics  ;  has  served  as  Highway  Commissioner 
for  six  years.  In  1864,  Mr.  Ranson  began  the 
business  of  threshing  and  has  conducted  a 
•thresher  most  of  the  time  since.  He  owns  120 
acres  located  three  miles  northwest  of  Wheaton. 
J.  RUSSELL  SMITH,  editor  and  proprietor 
Wheaton  Hlinoian  and  Turner  Junction  News, 
Wheaton,  is  a  native  of  Bluff  Dale,  Greene  Co., 
111.  He  was  born  in  the  year  1838,  and  is  the 
second  of  nine  children  born  to  Charles  K.  and 
Lucretia  M.  (Gray)  Smith,  who  were  natives  of 
Woodstock,  Vt.;  they  married  there,  and  in 
the  year  1836  came  West.  He  was  a  publish- 
er in  his  native  State,  and  'upon  coming  to  Illi- 
nois published  the  "  Back  Woodsman  "  a  paper 
owned  and  edited  by  Mr.  John  Russell.  He 
also  published  the  Mi.isissippian  at  Rock  Island, 
and  later  became  editor  and  proprietor  of  the 
Monmouth  Atla*,  of  Monmouth,  111.,  and  after 
a  connection  of  some  eleven  years  with  the  pa- 
per he  retired  to  the  farm,  and  later  was  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business  at  Monmouth, 
and  in  1878  he  moved  to  California,  and  is  now 
located  at  San  Diego,  with  his  wife  and  daugh- 
ter. Our  subject  lived  with  his  parents  until 
he  became  of  age,  and  in  addition  to  the  com- 


mon schools  he  attended  a  short  term  at  the 
Monmouth  College.  He  early  became  initiated 
in  the  way  of  printing,  beginning  in  his  father's 
office  when  nine  years  of  age,  and  worked  un- 
til his  father  sold  out  and  retired  to  the  farm  ; 
he  then  assisted  at  farming  until  he  became 
of  age,  when  he  again  entered  a  printing  office 
and  worked  at  his  trade.  During  1861,  he  be- 
came Deputy  Postmaster  of  Monmouth,  and 
next  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business,  con- 
ducting a  general  store  for  several  years.  He 
then  moved  to  California,  Mo.,  where  he  pub- 
lished the  "  Loyal  Missourian"  and  a  few  years 
later  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  and  worked  at  his 
trade  for  a  year  or  two.  He  then  worked  at 
Bellville,  111.,  a  few  years,  when,  in  1870,  he 
came  to  Wheaton,  and  bought  the  Wheaton  Uli- 
noian,  which  he  has  published  since.  In  1871, 
he  established  the  Turner  Junction  News, 
which  he  has  published  since.  In  1865,  he 
married  Miss  Mary  E.  Clark,  a  native  of  New 
York.  She  came  to  Warren  County,  111.,  with 
her  parents,  when  she  was  young.  By  this 
marriage  there  have  been  five  children,  of  whom 
four  are  living.  Mr.  Smith  first  voted  for  Lin- 
coln, and  has  be.en  a  member  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  since. 

W.  G.  SMITH,  attorney,  is  a  native  of 
Rutland  County,  Vt,  born  in  the  year  1816, 
September  6.  He  was  raised  on  the  farm,  and 
received  a  common-school  education.  At  the 
age  of  seventeen,  he  engaged  as  a  clerk  in  a 
general  merchandise  store,  and  clerked  nearly 
one  year.  He  then  sold  goods  by  wagon  for  a 
season.  At  about  the  age  of  eighteen,  he 
began  reading  law  with  Judge  William  C.  Kit- 
ridge,  and,  after  a  year,  owing  to  his  sight,  he 
began  clerking  again,  reading  at  leisure.  In 
1845,  he  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  for 
himself  at  Whitehall,  N.  Y.;  continued  about 
two  or  three  years.  He  then  came  West  and 
located  in  Du  Page  County,  111.,  on  a  farm 
near  Warreuville.  where  he  farmed  one  year. 
He  then  returned  East,  to  Whitehall,  where  he 


MILTON    TOWNSHIP. 


remained  four  years — two  as  Captain  of  a 
steam  towboat,  and  two  as  Constable  and  Dep-  \ 
uty  Sheriff — then  returned  to  Illinois,  and 
located  near  Warrenville,  and  farmed  there 
three  years,  when  he  moved  to  Huntley,  Mc- 
Henry  County,  and  carried  on  a  farm.  While 
here,  he  served  as  Coroner  and  Associate 
Justice.  After  five  years'  residence,  he  re- 
turned to  Warrenville  and  engaged  in  the  fire 
insurance  business,  and,  in  1864,  he  came  to 
Wheaton.  During  his  residence  in  Illinois,  he 
practiced  more  or  less  before  Justices,  and,  in 
1867,  he  was  admitted  a  member  of  the  bar, 
and  has  practiced  here  since.  In  1870,  he  was 
elected  State's  Attorney,  and  held  the  office  for 
four  years.  In  1844,  he  married  Miss  Catha- 
rine Miller,  a  native  of  New  York.  She  died  in 
1845.  In  1847,  he  married  Miss  Mary  E. 
Manville,  a  native  of  New  York.  By  the  mar- 
riage there  have  been  three  children,  two  of 
whom  are  living. 

JOHN  SMITH,  farmer,  P.  0.  Prospect  Park, 
is  a  native  of  Yorkshire,  fhigland,  born  i 
January  29,  1822,  and,  when  about  six  or 
seven  years  of  age,  was  put  into  a  cotton  fac- 
tory, receiving  1  shilling  per  week,  and  he  re- 
mained there  until  he  was  about  eighteen  years  | 
of  age.  He  then  took  a  position  in  a  dye 
wool  mill,  and  worked  there  until  he  came  to 
the  United  States,  in  1844,  and  located  in 
Wayne  Count}7,  Mich.,  where  he  worked  at 
clearing  an  eighty-acre  piece  of  land  his  uncle, 
James  Smith,  who  came  over  with  him,  left 
him  at  his  death.  In  1856,  he  came  to  Illinois 
and  settled  in  De  Witt  County,  where  he  and 
his  brother  Joseph  took  up  a  half-section  of 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  land,  and  farmed  it 
for  a  number  of  years,  when  they  sold  out, 
and,  in  1865,  came  to  Du  Page  County  and 
bought  190  acres  in  the  vicinity  of  Prospect 
Park,  where  they  farmed  until  1876,  when 
John  Smith  bought  his  brother  Joseph's  inter- 
est, the  latter  going  to  Mainland.  Mr.  Smith 
lived  on  the  farm  until  February,  1882,  when 


he  moved  where  he  now  lives,  in  Prospect 
Park.  He  married  Miss  Ann  Smith,  a  native 
of  Yorkshire,  England,  who  came  to  the  Unit- 
ed States  in  1844.  By  the  marriage,  six  chil- 
dren were  born,  of  whom  four  are  living — • 
Mary  J.,  now  Mrs.  Dodge,  of  Prospect  Park ; 
Joseph,  farmer  in  Crawford  County,  Iowa ; 
Mattie,  now  Mrs.  McChesney,  of  Prospect 
Park  ;  Charles,  at  home.  Mr.  Smith  first  vot- 
ed for  Gen.  Scott,  and  has  since  voted  for  Fre- 
mont, Lincoln.  Grant,  Greeley,  Tilden  and 
Hancock. 

ALEXANDER  SPROUT,  farming,  P.  0. 
Wheaton,  is  a  native  of  Guernsey  County,  Ohio, 
born  in  the  year  1822.  He  was  raised  on  the 
farm,  and  received  a  common-school  education, 
such  as  obtained  in  the  old  log  schoolhouses  ; 
he  also  taught  school  a  number  of  terms  during 
the  winters.  His  mother  died  when  he  was 
about  six  years  of  age.  and  when  he  became 
twelve  his  father  moved  to  Sandusky,  and  about 
one  year  later  he  began  working  by  the  month, 
and  continued  working  out  some  ten  years.  In 
1841,  he  married  Miss  Anna  Fry,  a  native  of 
Stark  County,  Ohio,  and  resident  of  Sandusky. 
About  a  year  later  they  came  West  to  Du  Page 
County,  111.,  renting  the  old  Jewell  place  in 
Milton  Township  the  first  season,  and  the  next 
year  bought  forty  acres  where  he  now  resides, 
gradually  adding  to  his  place  until  increased  to 
180  acres,  located  about  three  miles  northwest 
of  Wheaton.  By  the  marriage  there  have  been 
ten  children,  of  whom  seven  are  living.  He  is 
a  Republican. 

WILLIAM  F.  SPROUT,  farming,  P.  0. 
Wheaton,  is  a  native  of  Milton  Township,  Du 
Page  County ;  born  on  his  father's  farm  in 
1846.  and  lived  at  home  until  1869,  and  has  al- 
ways followed  farming.  In  1864,  he  enlisted 
in  the  One  Hundred  and  Forty-first  Illinois  In- 
fantry, Company  H,  and  served  about  five 
months.  He  returned  home  from  the  army,  and 
in  1869,  he  married  Miss  Francis  E.  Jayne,  a 
daughter  of  Mr.  Horace  Jayne,  of  Wheaton. 


70 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


She  was  born  in  Susquehanna  County,  Penn., 
and  came  to  Illinois  with  hep  parents  when 
young.  After  the  marriage,  he  located  on  a 
small  farm  in  Winfleld  Township,  and  farmed 
there  about  two  years.  He  then  rented  in  this 
neighborhood  a  few  years,  then  bought  his 
present  place,  which  consists  of  ninety  acres, 
located  three  miles  northwest  of  Wheaton.  By 
the  marriage  there  have  been  five  children,  viz., 
Jessie  M.,  Ernest  W.,  Grace  L.,  Alexander  C., 
Melvin  R.  Mr.  Sprout  is  Republican,  though 
he  has  not  taken  any  active  part  in  politics. 

PHILO  W.  STACY,  farmer,  P.  O.  Prospect 
Park,  111.,  is  a  native  of  Cattaraugus  County,  N. 
Y.,  born  January  13,  1833,  and  is  the  youngest 
and  only  surviving  -child  of  Moses  and  Joan 
(Kimball)  Stacy.  He  was  born  in  Massachu- 
setts in  the  year  1795,  and  was  raised  a  farmer. 
In  1824,  he  married  Miss  Joan  Kimball,  a  na- 
tive of  Connecticut,  born  in  the  year  1804. 
Her  father  was  a  farmer,  and  moved  to  Massa- 
chusetts in  1816.  After  the  marriage,  they 
moved  to  Vermont,  where  they  farmed  about 
five  years,  when  they  moved  to  Cattaraugus 
County,  N.  Y.,  and  in  1835  they  came  to  Illi- 
nois, intending  to  locate  at  Hennepin  ;  but  not 
liking  that  county,  they  located  here  in  Du 
Page  County.  They  were  on  the  main  road  to 
Chicago,  and  the  circumstances  of  the  times 
started  them  into  a  sort  of  hotel  business.  In- 
deed, for  a  few  years,  a  sign  was  extended.  Mr. 
Stacy  continued  on  the  place  until  his  death, 
June  15,  1870.  Mrs.  Stacy  has  lived  on  the 
old  homestead  ever  since.  Philo  W.  lived  at 
home  until  he  was  twenty-three  years  of  age. 
He  attended  the  common  schools  and  an  acad- 
emy. On  becoming  twenty-three,  he  bought  a 
place  adjoining  the  old  homestead,  and  lived  on 
it  until  his  father's  death  ;  since  which  time  he 
has  lived  in  the  old  home.  February  22,  1853, 
he  married  Miss  Betsy  D.  Taylor,  a  native  of 
New  York.  Of  their  three  children,  two  are 
living,  viz.  :  Carrie  A.  and  Fannie  M.  Mr. 
Stacy  has  held  the  office  of  Collector,  Road 


Commissioner  and  Constable.  He  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics  and  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church  for  thirty  years. 

JOHN  SUTCLIFFE,  of  Sutcliffe  &  Kelley, 
grain,  lumber  and  agricultural  implements,  is 

1  a  native  of  Huntingdonshire,  Eng.;  he  was 
born  in  the  year  1830;  he  received  a  common 
school  education;  at  the  age  of  thirteen,  he  ap- 
prenticed to  the  milling  trade  in  Bythorn,  serv- 
ing seven  years,  after  which  he  worked  one  year 
as  a  journeyman  at  Thrapstone,  and  in  1852  he 

i  came  to  the  United  States  and  stopped  in 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  vicinity  about  twenty 
months,  following  his  trade;  he  then  returned  to 

i  England  and  visited  about  six  months,  when  he 

!  again  came  to  the  United  States  and  located  in 
Chicago,  where  he  followed  his  trade,  being  in 
charge  of  the  Hydraulic  City  Mills,  which,  at 
that  time,  also  supplied  the  city  with  water,  re- 
maining until  the  mill  was  torn  down,  about 
1854;  he  then  came  to  Du  Page  County  and 
started  a  mill  for  Chicago  parties  in  the  town 
of  Addison,  which  he  conducted  some  two  years; 
he  then  came  to  Wheaton  and  took  charge  of 
the  mill,  and  after  about  one  year  he  rented  the 
mill  and  conducted  it  on  his  own  account,  con- 

;  tinuing  until  the  destruction  of  the  mill  by  fire, 
in  which  Mr.  Sutcliffe  lost  all  his  property;  he 
then  opened  a  small  flour  and  feed  store,  occu- 
pying a  portion  of  what  is  now  his  present 
warehouse,  which  he  continued  a  few  years;  he 
then  moved  to  Kenosha,  Wis.,  where  he  bought 
a  farm  and  followed  farming  about  three  years; 
he  then  sold  out  and  returned  to  Wheaton  and 

i  formed  a  partnership  in  the  grain,  lumber  and 
coal  business,  and,  through  several  changes  in 
the  firm,  Mr.  Sutcliffe  has  continued  in  the  busi- 
ness to  this  day.  Mr.  S.  is  Republican.  He 
married  Miss  Martha  M.  Muzzey,  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  came  to  Du  Page  County 
with  her  parents,  who  settled  in  Bloomingdale 
Township;  seven  children,  five  living. 

ALVIN  SEAMANS,  retired,  P.  O.  Wheaton, 

:  111.,    is  a    native   of  Ashfort,    Windham    Co., 


MILTON   TOWNSHIP. 


73 


Conn.,  born  in  the  year  1817,  and  was  raised 
on  a  farm.  He  lived  at  home  until  he  was  past 
eighteen,  when  he  went  to  Pomfret,  where  he 
lived  over  a  year,  working  by  the  month  on  the 
farm,  and  in  December,  1836,  he  started  for  Illi- 
nois, coming  through  by  team  to  Warrenville, 
where  he  hired  to  the  Messrs.  Gary  as  a  farm 
hand;  after  some  five  months,  for  which  he  drew 
$11  per  month,  he  removed  to  Deacon  Clark's, 
who  paid  him  $25  per  month,  and  continued 
working  transiently  until  December  following, 
when  he  went  to  the  Benjamin  settlement  and 
took  care  of  his  cousin,  Mr.  Samuel  Gary, 
who  was  sick,  and  in  April,  1839,  he  made  a 
claim  in  Wayne  Township  and  occupied  the 
same,  but  in  July  following  he  sold  out  and 
made  a  claim  about  half  a  mile  west  of  where 
Wheaton  now  stands,  and  lived  there  until  1871, 
when  he  retired  to  his  present  place.  In 
April,  1839,  he  married  Miss  Almira  Munyan,  a 
native  of  Thompson,  Windham  Co.,  Conn.  She 
came  to  this  county  in  1838,  and  died  January 
7,  1870,  leaving  eight  children.  May  15, 1870, 
he  married  -Betsy  M.  Barber,  a  native  of  Ben- 
son, Vt.  Mr.  Seatnans  has  held  the  office  of 
School  Director  for  some  seven  years;  he  has 
also  served  as  Road  Commissioner;  he  is  Re- 
publican in  his  politics,  and  one  of  tbe  first  in 
his  precinct  to  vote  anti-slavery ;  he  was  brought 
up  a  Baptist,  but  has  for  tlie  past  twenty  years 
been  a  member  of  the  Congregational  Church 
and  has  acted  as  Deacon  for  the  past  seventeen 
years.  Soon  after  the  laying-out  of  Wheaton, 
Mr.  Seamans  was  made  the  Superintendent  of 
the  Sabbath  School,  which  was  the  first  formed 
in  Wheaton. 

ALEXANDER  STEVEN,  farmer,  Wheaton, 
111.  Is  a  native  of  Scotland,  born  in  the  year 
1821,  and  is  the  third  of  nine  children  born  to 
James  and  Janet  (McGown)  Steven,  who  were 
natives  of  Scotland,  and  married  there.  He 
was  a  farmer,  and  about  1831  the  family  came 
to  Canada,  where  they  engaged  in  farming. 
Mrs.  Steven  died  in  Canada,  and  Mr.  Steven 


lives  there  to  this  day,  being  now  in  his  ninety- 
fourth  year.  Alexander  lived  at  home  until  he 
was  twenty -two  years  of  age.  He  received  a 
common  school  education.  In  1 843,  he  came  to 
the  United  States  and  settled  in  Du  Page 
County,  working  by  the  month  for  one  3rear, 
and  then  settled  on  his  present  place,  which  he 
pre-empted,  and  has  lived  here  ever  since.  In 
1845,  he  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Pry,  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  came  to  Du  Page  County, 
111.,  with  her  parents.  She  died  September  10, 

1876.  They  had  ten  children,  of  whom  seven 
are  living.     September   26,  1876,  he  married 
Mrs.  Green,    formerly  Miss   Fidelia   Drake,  a 
native  of  St.  Lawrence    County,   N.  Y.,   and 
came  to  Du  Page  County,  111.,  in  May,  1866. 
By  the  present  marriage  there  are  two  children. 
Mr.  S.  is  a  Republican ;  was  strong  anti-slavery. 
Has  240  acres  of  land  located  on  Sections  4 
and  6,  he  residing  on  the  latter,  distanced  three 
miles  northwest  of  Wheaton. 

S.  P.  SEDGWICK,  M.  D.,  is  a  native  of 
Westmoreland,  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  born 
February  7,  1822.  He  received  a  common 
school  course  of  study,  and  also  attended 
Cazenovia  Seminary  about  one  year.  At  tlpe 
age  of  eighteen,  he  began  reading  medicine 
under  his  father,  Dr.  Parker  Sedgwick,  and  in 
February,  1843,  he  graduated  from  the  Medical 
Department  of  the  Geneva  College,  New  York, 
and  then  began  practice  in  bis  native  town, 
and  the  following  year  came  to  Bloomingdale 
Township,  Du  Page  County,  III,  where  his 
parents  had  settled  the  year  previous.  He  and 
his  father  practiced  together  some  two  years, 
after  which  he  practiced  alone,  moving  from 
the  farm  to  the  village  of-  Bloomingdale,  where 
he  remained  for  twenty  years.  He  then  came 
to  Wheaton,  where  he  has  since  lived.  In 

1877,  he    was    appointed    by   Gov.    Cullom, 
County  Judge,  holding  the  office  until  Decem- 
ber following,  when  he  received  the  nomination 
of  the  Republican  party,  but  declined  to  run. 
Except  one   year,  the   Doctor  has  been    the 


74 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


Chairman  of  the  County  Republican  Committee 
since  the  organization  of  the  part}1.  While 
residing  in  Bloomingdale,  the  Doctor  held  the 
office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  eighteen 
years,  and  also  four  years  in  Wheaton.  He 
has  also  held  the  office  of  President  of  the 
Town  Council  of  Wheaton  three  years. 

JOHN  SAUER,  hardware,  cutlery,  etc.,  is  a 
native  of  Hiszbach,  Bavaria,  born  in  the  year 
1824.  He  received  a  common  school  education, 
and  at  the  age  of  twelve  he  apprenticed  to  the 
tailor's  trade  and  served  three  years,  and  worked 
as  a  journeyman  until  1846.  He  then  came  to 
America,  and  worked  at  his  trade  in  New  York 
City  for  nearly  three  years.  He  then  came 
West  to  Geneva,  Kane  Co.,  111.,  where  he  worked 
about  five  years.  He  then,  in  1854,  came  to 
Wheaton,  where  he  opened  a  clothing  store  and 
did  a  general  tailoring  business,  which  he  con- 
tinued some  twelve  years,  when  he  closed  out 
and  engaged  in  the  hardware  business,  which 
he  has  continued  to  this  day.  Of  late  years, 
his  son,  Peter  K.  Sauer,  has  the  active  manage- 
ment of  the  business.  In  1847,  he  married 
Miss  Catherine  Winter,  a  native  of  Hesse-Darm- 
stadt, near  Frankfort.  They  had  eight  chil- 
dren, six  living — John  P.,  married,  lives  in 
Wbeaton  ;  Peter  K.,  at  home ;  Adam  J.,  mar- 
ried, lives  in  Kane  County,  111. ;  Boniface, 
Catharine  and  Elizabeth,  in  Kane  County  with 
their  brother.  Mr.  Sauer  has  always  been  a 
Democrat,  and  a  member  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  since  his  birth.  He  has  held  the  office 
of  Town  Councilman  of  Wheaton.  He  has  a 
farm  one  and  one-half  miles  southwest  of 
Wheaton,  which  he  purchased  some  twelve 
years  ago,  and  carries  on  by  tenant. 

L.  C.  STOVER,  County  Treasurer,  is  a 
native  of  York  County,  Penn.,  born  October 
7,  1842.  He  was  raised  on  the  farm,  and 
received  a  common-school  education.  In  1854, 
the  family  came  to  Du  Page  County,  111.,  and 
bought  a  farm  in  Milton  Township.  L.  C. 
lived  on  the  farm  until  August,  1862,  when  he 


enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Regi- 
ment Illinois  Infantry,  and  continued  with  the 
command  until  the  spring  of  1864,  when  he 
received  his  discharge,  owing  to  an  accident 
while  on  the  train  with  a  portion  of  his  com- 
pany, being  conveyed  to  Chattanooga.  As  soon 
as  able,  he  returned  to  Du  Page  County, 
York  Township,  and  engaged  in  clerking,  and 
part  of  the  time  as  Collector  of  York  Town- 
ship. He  was  out  of  health,  and  visited  Penn- 
sylvania several  times,  and,  while  there  in 
1873,  he  was  elected,  and  returned  and  entered 
the  duties  in  December  of  that  year,  and  has 
held  the  office  since.  In  1876,  he  married  Miss 
Jennie  A.  Eggleston,  of  Jackson,  Mich.  He 
is  a  Republican  in  politics. 

H.  J.  TRAVER,  farmer  ;  P.  0.  Wheaton  ; 
is  a  native  of  Montgomery  County,  N.  Y.; 
born  in  the  year  1827,  and  is  the  sixth  child  in 
a  family  of  nine  children  born  to  George  and 
Elizabeth  (Plautz)  Traver.  They  were  natives 
of  New  York.  About  1835  or  1836,  they 
moved  to  Summit  County,  Ohio,  where  they 
followed  farming.  George  Traver  died  in  Sum- 
mit County,  Ohio,  about  the  year  1837,  owing 
to  an  accident  while  cutting  with  an  ax.  The 
family  then  moved  to  Medina  County  and 
lived  on  the  farm.  Our  subject  received  a 
very  limited  common-school  course  of  study, 
and,  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  he  apprenticed 
to  the  carriage-maker's  trade  and  served  three 
years.  He  then  opened  a  shop  of  his  own  in 
Wadsworth  Township,  and  continued  in  the 
business  for  some  twenty-eight  years,  employ- 
ing from  twenty  to  thirty  men.  During  part 
of  the  time,  he  also  carried  on  a  branch  shop 
at  Ashland.  He  sold  out  his  business  and 
lived  one  year  in  Ashland.  Having  invested 
largely  in  Chicago  real  estate,  he  came  West 
with  the  view  of  looking  after  his  property  and 
handling  real  estate.  In  1872,  he  moved  to 
Wheaton,  and  occupied  his  present  place  in 
1873,  where  he  has  lived  since.  His  mother, 
who  had  lived  with  him,  died  here  on  the  farm 


MILTON    TOWNSHIP. 


75 


in  1877.  In  1850,  Mr.  Traver  married  Miss 
Charlotte  Beach,  a  native  of  Wadsworth,  Me- 
dina Co.,  Ohio.  She  died  in  1855.  They  had 
two  children,  viz.,  Emily,  now  Mrs.  Grote,  of 
Wheaton,  and  Marietta,  now  Mrs.  Turner,  of 
Ann  Arbor,  Mich.  As  second  wife,  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Clarissa  A.  Andrews,  a  native  of 
Akron,  Ohio.  She  died  in  February,  1882. 
They  have  six  children — Ida,  Cora,  Ella, 
Gurta,  Jessie,  Ruby.  Mr.  T.  has  ninety-seven 
acres,  located  one  and  one-fourth  miles  east  of 
Wheaton. 

G.  B.  VASTINE,  Postmaster,  Wheaton,  is  a 
native  of  Northumberland  County,  Penn.,  born 
in  the  year  1839,  and  is  the  youngest  of  ten 
children  born  to  Lewis  and  Martha  (Boone) 
Vastine.  They  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 
Martha  Boone  was  the  daughter  of  Hezekiah 
Boone,  a  second  cousin  of  Daniel  Boone.  Lewis 
Vastine  and  family  came  West  in  1854,  and 
settled  near  Elgin,  where  .he  bought  a  large 
land  interest,  and  engaged  in  farming,  where, 
also,  he  died  in  1859  or  1860.  Mrs.  Vastine 
died  in  Wheaton  in  1879.  G.  B.  lived  at  home 
until  after  the  death  of  his  father  ;  he  received 
a  limited  common-school  course  of  study.  The 
family  remained  on  the  farm  until  1865.  In 
1862,  G.  B.  went  to  California,  where  he  re- 
mained one  year.  He  then  returned  by  the 
ship  Ariel,  which  had,  on  its  way  from  New 
York  to  Aspinwall,  been  captured  by  the  Ala- 
bama, and,  owing  to  the  passengers  being  mostly 
women  and  children,  the  vessel  was  not  de- 
stroyed. On  the  return,  the  ship  did  not  use 
lights,  as  the  Alabama  was  on  the  lookout,  de- 
termined to  destroy  her.  Returning  home, 
he  then  went  to  Bloomiugdale,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  the  general  store  business  for  one  j 
year,  when  he  sold  out  and  went  on  a  farm  at 
Elgin,  and  shortly  after  engaged  in  the  shoe 
trade  in  Elgin  ;  thence  to  Wheaton,  where,  in 
company  with  others,  he  opened  a  general  store, 
which  was  conducted  several  years.  He  then 
engaged  in  building  houses,  which  he  sold,  and  i 


continued  until  1875,  when  he  was  appointed 
Postmaster  of  Wheaton,  which  office  he  has 
held  since.  In  1866,  he  married  Miss  Effle  D. 
Sedgwick,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Sedgwick,  of 
Wheaton.  They  have  six  children.  He  is  a 
Republican. 

HON.  WARREN  L.  WHEATON,  P.  O. 
Wheaton,  was  born  in  Pomfret,  Windham  Coun- 
ty, Conn.,  March  6,  1812,  son  of  James  and 
Nancy  Lyon  Wheaton,  who  were  also  natives 
of  Windham  County.  Warren  L.  received  his 
education  in  the  Pomfret  schools  and  at  Wood- 
stock Academy,  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen 
began  teaching  school  during  the  winters  and 
worked  on  the  farm  during  the  summer.  In 

1837,  he  started  for  the  West,  going  to  Hart- 
ford by  stage,  thence  by  water  to  Albany  and 
to  Schenectady  by  railroad,  then  the  only  rail- 
road in  the  State  ;  then  by  the  Erie  Canal  and 
the  lakes  to  Chicago,  where  he  arrived  June  1, 
and  footed  it  to  Gary's  Mill,  where  he  made  his 
headquarters  and  traveled  over  the  country  very 
extensively,  by  horse,  visiting  Helena  and  Madi- 
son, Wis.,  Ottawa,  La  Salle  and  Quiucy,  111.,  St. 
Louis,  and  returning  via  Galena,  111.     In  June, 

1838,  he  located  a  section  of  land.     Soon  after, 
while  sick,  he  had  a  narrow  escape  from  the 
burning  of  Messrs.  Gary's  house,  where  he  was 
stopping.     In  1838,  he  put  out  eighteen  acres 
of  wheat.     June  25,   1848,   he  married  Miss 
Harriet  E.  Rickard,  a  native  of  Pomfret,  Wind- 
ham  Co.,  Conn.,  born  June  10,  1826,  and  came 
to  Du  Page  County,   with  her   parents,  when 
she  was  young  ;   she  died  May  29,  1863.     By 
the  marriage  there  were  six  children.     During 
the  summer  of  1848,  he  received  the  nomina- 
tion of  the   Democratic  part}'  as  candidate  to 
the  Legislature  ;  was  elected  and  took  an  active 
part  in  the  deliberations  of  that  body.     He  was 
one  of  the  Committee  on  township  organiza- 
tion, which  was  the  first  of  the  township  organ- 
zation,  and  under  that  organization  was  elect- 
ed Supervisor  in  1 850.     Mr.  Wheaton  is  one  of 
the  original  proprietors  of  the  town  bearing 


76 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


his  name,  and  which  has  prospered  much,  owing 
to  his  liberal  favors,  he,  with  his  brother, 
first  obtaining  the  good  will  of  the  railroad  by 
donating  the  right  of  way  for  two  miles.  He 
took  an  active  part  in  securing  Wesleyan,  now 
Wheaton  College,  and  gave  liberally  to  the 
same. 

JESSE  C.  WHEATON,  farmer,  P.  0. 
Wheaton,  is  a  native  of  Pomfret,  Windham  Co., 
Conn.,and  he  wasbornMarch27,1813.  His  fa- 
ther was  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  his  grand- 
father was  a  veteran  of  the  Revolution  His  moth- 
er died  Nov.  15,  1814,  aged  twenty-nine,  in 
Pomfret.  Our  subject  was  raised  on  the  farm, 
and  received  the  usual  district  school  educa- 
tion, and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  apprenticed  to 
the  carpenter's  trade,  serving^three  years  ;  he 
then  went  to  Worcester,  Mass.,  and  in  1837 
left  the  latter  place,  by  stage,  for  Norwich,  Conn., 
and  thence  by  the  Sound,  Hudson  River,  Erie 
Canal  and  the  Lakes  to  Chicago  where  he  ar- 
rived July  1,  and  worked  at  his  trade  a  few 
months.  He  then  came  to  Warrenville  and 
worked  on  Gary's  mill,  after  which  he  built  sev- 
eral barns,  etc.  March  26,  1839,  he  married 
Miss  Orinda  G-ary,  and  settled  on  his  claim 
which  had  been  made  for  him  in  1837,  by 
Messrs.  Erastus  and  Jude  Gary.  A  house  was 
built  and  some  land  broke  in  1838.  This  year 
a  party  jumped  the  claim  but  was  afterward 
bought  off,  and  Mr.  Wheaton  has  lived  on  the 
place  since.  By  the  marriage  there  has  been 
nine  children.  Mr.  Wheaton  was  one  of  the 
the  original  proprietors  of  the  town  bearing 
his  name,  and  has  been  actively  identified  with 
its  history,  and  interested  in  its  growth.  He 
labored  to  obtain  and  subscribed  liberally  to 
the  construction  fund  of  the  Wesleyan,  now 
Wheaton  College.  As  a  partisan  he  has  been 
identified  with  the  Whig,  Free-Soil  and  Repub- 
lican parties,  he  casting  one  of  the  four  votes 
in  this  county  for  James  G.  Birney  in  1840. 
He  served  on  the  first  Iowa  Town  Council,  under 
the  charter,  and  as  School  Director,  for  sixteen 


years,  during  which  time  he  was  also  Secretary 
of  the  Board.  He  took  an  active  part  in  se- 
curing to  Wheaton  the  present  elegant  public 
school,  and  has  served  his  township  in  the  ca- 
pacity of  Collector,  Assessor  and  Road  Com- 
missioner. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wheaton  and  the 
famity  are  all  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  he  for  forty-four  years  and  she 
for  fifty-three  years. 

OLIVER  B.  WILCOX,  retired,  was  born  in 
Saudisfield,  Berkshire  Co.,  Mass.,  in  the  year 
1818  ;  he  received  a  limited  common  school 
course  of  study,  and  at  the  age  of  twelve 
united  with  the  Congregational  Church ;  he 
worked  on  the  farm  at  home  until  he  became  of 
age,  and  thereafter  in  the  neighborhood  until 
his  twenty-sixth  year,  when  he  married  Miss 
Esther  A.,  daughter  of  Josiah  Sheldon,  of 
Berkshire  County,  and  farmed  the  home  farm; 
soon  after  his  marriage  his  father  died,  and  he 
bought  out  the  heirs,  and  remained  on  the 
place  some  ten  years,  when  he  sold  out,  and 
with  his  family  and  mother  moved  to  Owego, 
N.  Y.,  intending  to  enter  in  partnership  with 
his  brother,  the  Rev.  Samuel  C.  Wilcox,  who 
owned  a  farm  there,  and  had  started  a  board- 
ing school  for  boys.  In  February  following  the 
removal  to  New  York,  his  mother  died,  and  the 
Rev.  Samuel  C.  Wilcox  died  in  March.  0.  B. 
remained  about  one  year  settling  up  affairs, 
and  then  moved  to  Illinois,  locating  at  Como. 
in  Whiteside  Count}-.  While  there  in  1857,  he 
had  a  stroke  of  paralysis,  losing  his  voice  and 
the  use  of  his  right  side,  and  was  laid  up  for 
some  time,  and  was  gradually  restored.  In 
1860,  his  wife  died,  leaving  three  children,  one 
son  and  two  daughters.  In  1864,  he  married 
Mrs.  L.  S.  Mead,  widow  of  Dr.  T.  Mead,  of 
Batavia,  111.,  to  which  place  they  soon  moved. 
She  had  two  children  living  at  this  time,  one 
son  and  one  daughter,  an  invalid,  who  died  in 
July  following,  and  in  October  his  eldest 
j  daughter  died  also.  In  1865,  he  bought  a  farm 
1  in  Du  Page  County,  three  miles  east  of  Bata- 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


77 


via,  which  he  occupied  with  his  family,  and  in  I 
1875  moved  to  Wheaton,  where  his  wife  died 
April  5,  1880.  In  July,  1881,  Mr.  Wilcox 
received  a  sudden  stroke  of  paralysis,  which 
seemed  to  threaten  his  life.  He  finally  thought 
of  sending  to  Dr.  Collins,  the  great  faith  doc- 
tor of  Boston,  when  his  mind  was  impressed, 
most  forcibly  with  the  question,  Why  write  to 
Dr.  Collins?  God  is  by  your  side  ;  he  placed 
his  faith  in  God  and  asked  for  a  cure  ;  instant- 
ly a  peculiar  sensation  came  over  him  and 
lasted  one  hour,  and  he  was  able  to  assist  him- 
self and  to  walk  thereafter,  causing  much  sur- 
prise to  his  neighbors  and  friends,  both  at  home 
and  abroad  ;  he  received  so  many  letters  of 
inquiry  about  the  faith  cure,  that  finally  a 
pamphlet  giving  the  matter  in  detail  was 
printed,  and  over  1,000  circulated. 

WILLIAM  H.  WAGNER,  blacksmith,  Pros- 
pect Park,  111.,  is  a  native  of  Hamburg,  Berks 
Co.,  Penn.,  born  in  the  year  1829.  At  the  age  of 
nineteen,  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  blacksmith's  j 
trade  in  his  native  village,  serving  two  and  one-  ' 
half  years.     He  then  worked  as  a  journeyman  ! 


nearly  one  year,  when  he  started  for  the  West, 
locating  at  Newton  Station,  later  Danby,  now 
Prospect  Park.  At  that  time,  the  railroad  was 
a  single  track  slab  rail,  and  only  a  switch  at 
Newton  Station.  Mr.  Wagner  was  one  of  the 
first  settlers,  and  now  the  only  resident  one. 
In  the  fall,  he  bought  out  a  shop  which  had  just 
been  established,  and  has  successfully  conducted 
the  business  ever  since.  In  1851,  he  married 
Miss  Lovina  S.  Weidman,  a  native  of  Berks 
County,  Penn.  By  the  marriage  there  have 
been  ten  children,  of  whom  eight  are  living. 
Mr.  Wagner  has  held  the  office  of  School  Di- 
rector for  twelve  years,  and  has  been  Super- 
visor of  Milton  Township  for  four  years,  being 
Chairman  the  latter  year ;  he  is  now  a  Town 
Trustee  of  the  newly  incorporated  village  of 
Prospect  Park.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics, 
and  though  not  a  member  he  has  been  an  at- 
tendant of  the  Congregational  Church,  of  which 
he  has  been  Treasurer  for  the  past  nine  years. 
Mr.  Wagner  started  in  the  world  without  any 
means,  and  by  strict  attendance  to  his  business 
he  has  gained  an  ample  competency. 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


A.   B.  AUSTIN,  nursery,     P.  O.   Downer's  j 
Grove,  was  born  in  Columbia  Count}1,  N.  Y., 
July   1,  1832.     His  father,  Charles  G.  Austin, 
born  December  3,  1808,  in  Berkshire  County, 
Mass.,  was  one  of  seven  children  born  to  Amos 
and  Jerusha  (Callender)  Austin.     When  fifteen 
years  old.  he  began  learning  the  tanning,  shoe-  j 
making  and  harness-making  business,  at  which 
he  worked  six  years.     He  then  engaged  in  the  i 
business  on  his  own  account  for  some  time  at  j 
different  places.     He  came  to  Illinois  in  1848. 
Was  married,  1826,  to  Catharine,  daughter  of  j 
Asahel    and    Mary   (Rockerfeller)   Blakeman, 
born  in  Columbia  County,  N.  Y.,  August  23, 
1809.     They  have  had  five  children,  viz.,  Asel 


B.  (subject),  Deidamia,  Charles,  Elvira  and 
Esther.  Subject  attended  school  and  worked 
with  his  father  until  thirteen  years  old,  after 
which  he  lived  with  his  grandfather  in  New 
York  two  years.  He  was  married,  in  this 
county,  August  31,  1854,  to  Susan  Havens, 
born  in  this  county  February  26,  1837,  daugh- 
ter of  Lauren  and  Charlotte  (Ranney)  Havens, 
he  born  in  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  October  11, 
1799,  she  bora  in  Ashfield,  Mass..  April  22, 
1801.  Mrs.  Austin's  parents  came  to  Cass, 
this  count}",  in  1836,  where  her  mother  died 
November  15,  1855,  and  her  father  December 
9,  1876,  at  the  subject's  home.  They  had 
seven  children.  Subject  settled  for  a  short 


78 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


time  in  Cass,  where,  in  1856,  he  entered  into 
partnership  with  Albert  Havens  in  the  nursery 
business.  He  made  one  or  two  changes  before 
1869,  when  he  began  his  present  extensive 
nursery  business,  having  as  partner  Mr.  E.  A. 
Crittendon.  They  have  thirty  acres,  well 
stocked  with  a  full  line  of  fruit,  ornamental 
and  shade  trees — in  fact,  everj'thing  to  be 
found  in  a  first-class  nursery.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Austin  are  the  parents  of  five  children,  viz., 
Lauren  G.  (deceased),  Mary  Estella,  Edith 
Catharine,  Mabel  Gertrude  and  Francis  Charles 
(deceased).  Mr.  Austin  was  Town  Clerk  two 
terms  while  at  Cass  ;  has  also  served  in  other 
offices ;  has  been  Sunday  School  Superintendent 
for  twelve  years  in  the  Universalist  organiza- 
tion to  which  he  and  his  wife  belong ;  was 
President  of  the  Union  League  two  years.  He 
is  a  Democrat.  His  brother  Charles  served  in 
Company  B,  Third  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry. 
His  grandfathers  Austin  and  Blakeman  were 
in  the  Revolutionary  war,  in  which  the  latter 
was  killed. 

B.  AUSTIN,  retired  farmer,  P.  0.  Downer's 
Grove,  is  a  native  of  Hancock,  Berkshire 
County,  Mass.,  born  July  28,  1809,  son  of 
George  and  Roxy  (Ely)  Austin,  natives  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, he  a  blacksmith  by  trade.  They 
were  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  of  whom 
the  following  are  living :  Noah  E.,  George, 
John  B.  (subject),  Eleanor,  Sarah  and  Caroline. 
Subject  attended  the  country  schools  during 
the  winter  seasons,  and  in  summer  worked  on 
a  farm  by  the  month.  He  married,  February 
6,  1832,  Lucinda  Jenks,  who  has  borne  him 
five  children,  of  whom  four  are  living — Daniel, 
Thomas,  Sarah  (married  John  Gager)  and 
Delia.  Mrs.  Austin  is  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
and  Rachel  (Ellis)  Jenks,  who  were  natives  of 
Massachusetts  and  parents  of  twelve  children, 
of  whom  the  following  are  living — Welcome, 
Lucinda,  Nancy,  Albina  and  Ellis.  Mr.  Austin, 
after  his  marriage,  settled  in  Chenango  County, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  carried  on  farming  four  years, 


then  after  moving  to  different  places,  finally 
settled  in  York  Township,  this  county,  in  1844, 
where  he  remained  engaged  in  farming  twenty 
years.  In  1864,  he  came  to  Downer's  Grove, 
bought  a  property,  and  has  since  lived  there. 
He  has  accumulated  considerable  property  by 
his  own  labors  ;  he  first  settled  in  a  log  cabin, 
and  now  has  260  acres  of  well  improved,  fifteen 
acres  of  timber,  three  lots  and  sixteen  and  a 
half  acres  in  Downer's  Grove,  beside  100  acres 
in  Downer's  Grove  Township.  Mr.  Austin  has 
held  several  small  offices.  His  wife  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  M.  E.  Church  at  Downer's  Grove. 

PERRY  J.  ASHTON,  farmer,  P.  0.  Hins- 
dale,  was  born  December  8, 1846,  in  Livingston 
County,  N.  Y.  ;  is  a  son  of  Palmer  and  Sally 
(Bush)  Ashton,  natives  of  Tornpkins  County, 
N.  Y.  His  parents  came  to  Illinois  in  1865, 
and  his  father  engaged  some  time  afterward  in 
a  butcher  shop  at  Hinsdale,  this  being  the  first 
one  of  the  place.  He  and  wife  are  now  living 
in  Boone  County,  Iowa,  the  former  a  member 
of  the  Christian  Church,  and  the  latter  of  the 
Baptist.  Our  subject  is  one  of  five  children, 
and  being  attentive  to  his  studies,  obtained  a 
good  common  school  education.  He  worked  in 
his  father's  meat  market  until  1862,  when  he 
enlisted  in  Company  H,  Twenty-fourth  New 
York  Cavalry  Volunteers,  in  which  he  served 
two  j-ears.  In  the  beginning  of  the  battle  of 
Petersburg  he  received  a  sunstroke,  from  which 
he  has  never  fully  recovered.  Soon  afler  leav- 
ing the  army,  he  came  to  Hinsdale,  and  rented 
land  of  Bush  and  Howard  for  two  years.  In 
1867,  he  married  Mar}-  A.  Roth,  daughter  of 
David  Roth,  of  Hinsdale.  They  have  had  five 
children — Willie,  Ida,  Mamie,  Edith  (deceased) 
and  Clara.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ashton  remained  one 
year  on  the  farm  of  the  latter's  father,  and 
then  went  to  Western  Springs,  where  they 
erected  the  first  house  in  that  place.  He  was 
next  engaged  with  his  father  in  the  butcher 
business  for  four  years,  after  which  he  made 
several  trades  of  property  until  he  procured 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


79 


his  present  farm  of  twenty-nine  acres  in 
Downer's  Grove  Township.  This  land  is  well 
improved,  and  contains  one  of  the  best 
orchards  in  the  county.  Mr.  Ashton  and  wife 
were  members  of  the  Baptist  Church  of  this 
place,  until  it  disbanded  on  account  of  the 
scarcity  of  members.  He  votes  the  Greenback 
ticket. 

E.  S.  ANDRUS,  farmer,  P.  O.  Lemont,  Cook 
County,  was  born  in  this  county  December  27, 
1835,  and  was  probably  the  first  white  child 
born  in  what  is  now  Downer's  Grove  Township. 
He  was  married,  in  1862,  to  Apthia,  a  daughter 
of  Andrew  and  Phoebe  (Daily)  McMillan,  resi- 
dents of  this  township  and  parents  of  nine  chil- 
dren. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Andrus  are  the  parents  of 
four  children,  namely,  Frankie  M.,  Albert  R.i 
Marvin  P.  and  Phoebe  M.  He  settled  on  his 
present  farm  of  fifty  acres  iu  1867,  and  has 
made  good  improvements.  His  father,  Thomas 
Andrus,  was  among  the  first  settlers  of  Chicago, 
having  come  there  about  1833;  he  was  born  in 
Vermont  January  26,  1801,  and  is  a  son  of 
Lincoln  and  Amy  (Short)  Andrus,  natives  of 
Massachusetts.  Thomas  was  married,  in  1823, 
to  Philena  Pox,  by  whom  he  was  given  two 
children,  viz.,  Mary  (Mrs.  Moses  Walton),  Eliza- 
beth (Mrs.  Lorenzo  Walton).  Mrs.  Andrus  died 
and  Thomas  was  married,  March  23,  1835i 
to  Melissa  A.,  daughter  of  John  and  Zerua 
(Sanford)  Snow.  After  going  to  Chicago,  he 
worked  at  carpentering,  and  drove  the  first  pile 
in  the  Chicago  River.  In  1835,  he  settled  on 
eighty  acres  of  land,  a  part  of  his  present  farm 
of  130  acres.  He  kept  a  hotel  in  a  log  cabin, 
and  was  Postmaster  for  fourteen, years.  Mr. 
Andrus  began  breaking  the  wild  prairie  with  an 
ox  team  and  a  plow  with  a  wooden  mold-board. 
He  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Countv  Com- 
missioner, Town  Clerk  and  Assessor.  He 
assessed  the  township  in  1870.  He  and 
family  are  stanch  Republicans.  Thomas  cast 
his  first  vote  for  Jackson.  The  companion  of 
Mr.  Thomas  is  yet  with  him,  yet  very  feeble. 


She  was  married,  prior  to  that  with  him,  to 
Dwight  Bartlett,  the  result  being  one  child, 
Horace  D.,  a  farmer  in  California. 

ANSON  AYERS,  retired  farmer,  P.  O.  Hins- 
dale,  was  born  in  Romulus,  Seneca  Co.,  N.  Y., 
February  17,  1819  ;  son  of  Zebulon  and  Sarah 
(Scudder)  Ayers,  natives  of  New  Jersey  and 
parents  of  nine  children,  four  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing— Augustus  D.,  Louise  (Mrs.  Gurney,  of 
Chicago),  Nancy  (Mrs.  Hannah,  of  Chicago) 
and  Anson.  His  parents  were  Presbyterians  ; 
his  father,  born  January  22,  1775,  died  July 
25,  1828.  His  mother,  born  December  20, 1780, 
died  December  29,  1864.  Anson  received  an  • 
ordinary  education  in  the  district  schools,  and 
at  the  age  of  seventeen  apprenticed  to  the  car- 
riage maker's  trade,  at  which  he  worked  till  he 
was  twenty-one,  when  he  attended  an  academy 
for  a  time  and  afterward  taught  school  for 
a  short  time.  He  then  engaged  in  farming, 
which  he  followed  in  his  native  State  twelve 
years,  after  which  he  engaged  in  a  saddlery, 
hardware  and  leather  store,  with  D.  Gurney  & 
Steele,  in  Peoria,  111.,  remaining  with  that  firm 
about  twenty  years,  and  doing  well.  He  then 
engaged  in  the  saw-milling  business  in  Gurney, 
Mich.,  for  about  eighteen  months.  In  1867,  he 
came  to  Naperville,  this  county,  renting  a  farm 
there  one  year  ;  then  bought  eighty  acres,  now 
in  the  corporation  of  Hinsdale,  where  he  now 
lives.  In  Peoria,  111.,  September  3,  1861,  he 
married  Mary  J.  Mish,  who  has  borne  him 
three  children — Charles,  born  August  25, 1862, 
died  December  1,  1864;  Mary  Louise,  born 
December  4, 1864  ;  and  Frank  E.,  born  August 
4,  1867,  now  employed  in  a  railroad  office  in 
Chicago.  Mrs.  Ayers  was  born  in  Franklin 
County,  Penn.,  March  30, 1830,  and  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth  (Gillam)  Mish,  na- 
tives of  Franklin  County,  Penn.  He  died  in 
November,  1837.  She,  born  in  1806,  is  still 
living.  Mr.  Ayers  and  family  are  members  of 
the  Congregational  Church.  He  is  a  Repub- 
lican. 


80 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


FREDERICK  ANDERMANN,  farmer,  P.  0. 
Gower,  was  born  in  Hassbergen,  Hanover,  Ger- 
many, January  20,  1843,  and  is  the  only  child 
of  John  and  Dorothea  (Strangmann)  Ander- 
mann  ;  he,  residing  with  subject,  born  in  Hass- 
bergen, Hanover,  Germany,  September  28, 1809  ; 
she,  born  in  Heemsen,  Hanover,  Germany,  Feb- 
ruary 14,  1805,  died  May  25,  1876.  Mr.  An- 
dermaun  obtained  a  good  common-school  edu- 
cation in  both  the  German  and  English  lan- 
guages. In  Downer's  Grove,  September  21, 
1866,  he  married  Sophia  Marguerite  Schramm, 
born  in  Wietzen,  Hanover,  Germany,  Novem- 
"  ber  15,  1841,  daughter  of  Wilhelm  and  Mar- 
guerite (Palm)  Schramm  ;  he,  born  in  Wietzen, 
Hanover,  Germany,  died  in  July,  1871  ;  she, 
born  in  Grane,  Hanover,  Germany.  Mrs.  An- 
dermann's  parents  came  to  Illinois  in  1862 
and  settled  in  Cook  County.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Andermann  have  been  blessed  with  seven  chil- 
dren, four  boys  and  three  girls— William  F., 
Henry  F.  W.,  John  C.  H.,  Frederick  G.  A., 
Louisa  M.  P.,  May  D.  and  Emma  S.  Mr.  An- 
dermann is  engaged  in  farming  122  acres  of 
fine  land  owned  by  himself  and  father,  the  at- 
tainment of  their  joint  labors.  Mr.  Andermann 
is  also  clerk  of  the  Downer's  Grove  Insurance 
Company.  He  has  held  several  small  offices  in 
the  county.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Lutheran  Church. 

JOHN  ATWOOD,  farmer,  P.  O.  Downer's 
Grove,  was  born  in  England  January  13,  1819. 
His  parents,  John  and  Jane  (Knight)  Atwood, 
were  also  natives  of  same  country,  and  parents 
of  three  children.  Subject  attended  school  but 
a  few  days,  and  at  the  age  of  ten  began  herd- 
ing sheep  at  25  cents  per  week.  At  fourteen 
years  of  age,  he  hired  with  a  farmer  at  £3  per 
year,  and  at  the  end  of  nine  years  hi&»wages 
were  increased  to  £11  per  year.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  1844  to  Sarah  Shaldrick,  and  started 
immediately  for  Illinois,  and  soon  after  landing 
settled  where  he  now  resides.  He  bought,  in 
partnership  with  Mr.  Batrom,  eighty-eight  acres 


of  prairie  and  eight  acres  of  timber.  Batrom 
soon  died,  and  Mr.  Atwood  became  owner  of 
the  farm,  save  eight  acres,  which  was  left  to 
the  widow  of  Mr.  Batrom.  Our  subject  has 
but  four  children  living — Thomas,  Albert,  Jane 
and  Eliza  ;  he  had  one  son,  named  William, 
who  died  in  Company  D,  Illinois  Volunteer  In- 
fantry. By  careful  labor  and  strict  economy, 
Mr.  Atwood  has  succeeded  in  increasing  his 
farm  to  150  acres,  and  has  improved  the  same, 
making  it  one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  county. 
He  is  a  Republican. 

I.  P.  BLODGETT,  farmer,  P.  0.  Downer's 
Grove,  was  born  in  Belchertown,  Mass.,  Sep- 
tember 14,  1823,  son  of  Israel  P.  and  Avis 
(Dodge)  Blodgett.  He  born  in  Amherst,  Mass., 
March  4,  1797,  came  to  Will  County,  111.,  in 
1831,  with  his  family  ;  settled  on  a  farm,  where 
he  remained  till  1835  ;  then  sold  out,  and  in 
February,  1836,  bought  a  farm  where  Downer's 
Grove  now  stands,  where  he  lived  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  November  24,  1861.  He 
served  in  the  Black  Hawk  war.  His  wife  was 
a  native  of  Belchertown,  Mass.,  born  June  5, 
1796,  and  died  in  Chicago  March  10,  1882. 
They  were  members  of  the  first  Congregational 
Church  founded  in  Northern  Illinois,  and  were 
the  parents  of  nine  children,  six  of  whom  are 
living.  Subject  remained  at  home  till  1849, 
when  he  went  to  California,  where  he  engaged 
in  mining,  stock-dealing  and  merchandising  till 
1858,  when  he  returned  home.  In  Downer's 
Grove,  August  30,  1859,  he  married  Mary  M., 
daughter  of  Alonzo  C.  and  Rosalind  (Hyde) 
Blodgett,  natives  of  Ainherst,  Mass.,  he  born 
April  24,  1805 ;  she,  born  July  13,  1809,  died 
November  16,  1849.  From  this  union  three 
children  have  been  born — Edward  A.,  Charles 
P.  and  Cora  C.  Mrs.  Blodgett  was  born  at 
South  Hadley,  Mass.,  May  13,  1833.  Her  par- 
ents had  five  children,  of  whom  three  are  liv- 
ing. After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Blodgett  settled 
in  Lisle  Township,  this  county,  where  he  lived 
till  March,  1882,  when  he  moved  to  Downer's 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


81 


Grove.  He  owns  116  acres  of  land  in  Lisle 
Township,  makes  a  specialty  of  breeding  Clydes- 
dale horses,  and  brought  the  first  imported 
horse  to  this  county.  He  is  a  Republican.  His 
wife  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational  Church 
in  Lisle  Township.  While  in  Lisle  Township, 
he  filled  the  offices  of  Road  Commissioner, 
Town  Clerk  and  Justice  of  the  Peace. 

ALFRED  BUNNEL,  farmer,  P.  0.  Downer's 
Grove,  was  born  June  21, 1813,  in  St.  Lawrence 
Co.,  N.  Y.;  is  a  son  of  Moses  A.  and  Lola 
(Hitchcock)  Bunnel,  the  former  a  native  of  Mas- 
sachusetts and  the  latter  of  Connecticut.  His 
father  was  a  weaver  in  his  younger  days,  and 
kept  a  country  hotel  on  the  old  military  road 
from  Plattsburg  ;  was  called  out  to  serve  with 
the  militia  in  the  warof  1812  ;  was  at  Ogdens- 
burg  when  the  British  attacked  that  place. 
Our  subject  attended  school  and  worked  on  his 
father's  farm  until  the  latter  gave  him  twelve 
acres  of  land,  when  he  purchased  thirty -three 
acres  more,  thus  making  a  good  farm  of  forty- 
five  acres.  This  he  remained  upon  till  1854, 
when  he  sold  it  and  came  to  Illinois,  where  he 
purchased  his  present  farm  of  seventy-eight 
acres,  which  is  among  the  best  ones  of  this 
township.  In  1841,  he  married  Nancy  J.  Har- 
mon, who  has  blessed  him  with  two  children, 
viz.,  Robert  F.  and  George  R.  The  former 
married  Mary  Persons,  a  daughter  of  Charles 
E.  and  Elvena  (Dwight)  Persons,  natives  of 
Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.  George  R.  married  Nettie, 
a  sister  of  his  brother's  wife.  Mr.  Bunnel,  al- 
though sixty-nine  years  of  age,  is  hale  and 
hearty,  and  gives  his  personal  attention  to  the 
farm.  He  is  not  an  office-seeker.  He  and  his 
wife  are  members  of  the  Baptist  Church. 

FRANKLIN  BLANCHARD,  miller,  and 
manufacturer  of  cheese  an"1  butter,  is  a  native 
of  Downer's  Grove.  He  wat  born  November  7, 
1838,  son  of  Walter  and  Alvira  (Norris)  Blanch- 
ard,  natives  of  New  York.  Walter  Blanchard 
was  born  March  31, 1807  ;  came  with  his  family 
to  Downer's  Grove  in  1836,  and  bought  a  farm  of 


103  acres.  During  the  late  war  he  was  Captain 
of  Company  K,  Thirteenth  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry  ;  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Mission 
Ridge,  and  died  at  Chattanooga  December  4, 
1863,  seven  days  after  being  wounded  ;  he  was 
a  Probate  Judge  in  this  county  for  seven  years, 
and  resigned  the  position  to  enter  the  army. 
His  wife  was  born  in  Orange  County,  N.  Y., 
April  8, 1821.  They  had  four  children— Frank- 
lin, William,  Elizabeth  and  Nancy.  Franklin 
worked  on  the  farm  till  he  was  nineteen  years 
of  age,  then  apprenticed  to  the  carpenter's, 
trade,  at  which  he  worked  till  1861,  when  he 
enlisted  in  Company  K,  Thirteenth  Illinois  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  served  three  years  and  three 
months.  On  his  return  from  the  army,  he  en- 
gaged in  the  pursuit  of  his  trade,  also  ran  ma- 
chinery in  wagon-shops  in  Batavia,  111.,  three 
years,  and  sold  and  put  up  Halliday's  windmills 
two  and  a  half  years.  He  then  came  to  Down- 
er's Grove,  where  he  has  since  run  a  flouring 
and  feed  mill,  taking  into  partnership  with  him 
in  1881,  Francis  Miller.  He  started  a  cheese 
and  butter  factory  in  December,  1881,  and  is 
doing  a  good  business.  He  married  in  Cass, 
this  county,  April  17,  1865,  Juliana  Clifford, 
born  in  Barrington,  111.,  July  22,  1838,  daugh- 
ter of  Lyman  and  Roxana  (Hawley)  Clifford, 
he  a  native  of  Jefferson  Co.,  N.  Y.,  born  May 
24,  1809,  now  residing  in  Chicago;  she  is  a 
native  of  Hampshire  County,  Mass.,  born 
August  18, 1816,  died  Dec.  30, 1881.  They  were 
the  parents  of  nine  children,  five  of  whom  are 
living.  Mr.  Blanchard  is  a  member  of  Batavia 
Lodge,  No.  404,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.  He  has  an  adopt- 
ed daughter,  Mabel  N.,  who  was  born  in  Bata- 
via, Kane  Co.,  111.,  April  28,  1874.  Capt. 
Blanchard  was  a  man  honored  and  respected 
in  the  community  in  which  he  lived  ;  he  was 
presented  with  a  fine  gold-headed  cane  by  the 
Plow  Boys  of  Downer's  Grove,  as  a  mark  of 
their  esteem. 

ISAAC  S.  BUSH,  salesman,  Hinsdale,  was 
born  July  13,  1827,  in   Hinsdale,  Cattaraugus 


82 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  is  a  son  of  Peter  and  Elizabeth 
(Howe)  Bush,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  His 
father  was  a  shoemaker  and  farmer,  and  was  a 
Baptist,  as  was  also  his  wife.  Mr.  Bush  is  one 
of  eleven  children;  he  attended  school  until  four- 
teen years  of  age,  when  he  entered  a  tannery  in 
Buffalo.  In  two  years,  he  was  promoted  to  the 
position  of  clerk  in  the  leather  store  of  his  uncle 
John  Bush.  In  1854,  the  leather  firm,  "  Bush 
&  Howard,"  sent  him  out  as  salesman,  at  which 
he  was  actively  engaged  until  1866,  when  he 
came  to  Hinsdale,  this  county,  where  he  soon 
began  keeping  a  store.  At  this  time,  he  was 
appointed  Postmaster,  and  was  also  Notary 
Public.  In  1869,  he  withdrew  from  his  former 
business  and  entered  the  employ  of  an  agricult- 
ural establishment  of  Evansville,  Ind.  While 
in  their  employ,  he  spent  most  of  his  time  in 
the  Southern  States,  repairing  and  setting  up 
machinery,  collecting  and  selling  everything  in 
their  line.  He  remained  with  them  till  1880,  at 
which  time  he  was  employed  by  a  similar  firm 
in  Wisconsin.  With  the  latter  firm,  he  re- 
mained until  recently.  December  15, 1858,  Mr. 
Bush  married  Hattie  A.  Pratt,  a  daughter 
of  Welcome  and  Susan  F.  (Hunt)  Pratt,  natives 
of  Vermont.  This  union  has  resulted  in  two 
children,  viz.,  Joseph  P.,  born  October  11, 1861, 
and  Jennie  S.,  born  December  13,  1865.  Mr. 
Bush  had  the  honor  of  naming  Hinsdale  after 
his  own  native  town  in  New  York.  He  owns  a 
house  and  lot  in  this  place,  and  fifteen  acres  of 
ground  known  as  Bush's  Addition  to  Hinsdale; 
is  a  member  of  Evansville  Lodge,  A.,  F.  &  A. 
M.,  and  is  a  stanch  Republican. 

CHARLES  BOCKMANN,  farmer,  P.  0. 
Gower,  was  born  in  Germany  in  1834  ;  is  the 
son  of  Conradt  and  Catharine  Bookman,  who 
came  to  Willow  Springs,  Cook  Co.,  111.,  in  1845. 
They  had  three  children,  viz.,  Margaret  (now 
Mrs.  Peter  J.  Lutz),  Catharine  (Mrs.  George 
Haixhold),  and  Charles.  They  are  Lutherans. 
The  mother  is  eighty-six  years  old  and  still  liv- 
ing. Charles  attended  school  in  Chicago  about 


four  months.  By  hard  work,  he  has  become 
possessed  of  sixty-nine  acres  of  well -improved 
land.  In  1865,  he  was  married  to  Matilda 
Stenter,  a  native  of  Hanover,  Prussia,  who 
came  to  this  country  with  an  uncle  in  1864. 
She  has  blessed  Mr.  Bookman  with  eight  chil- 
dren, as  follows  :  Conradt,  Mary,  Charles,  Peter, 
Henry,  Jacob,  Margaret  and  Emma.  Mr.  Boch- 
man  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
Church,  in  which  he  holds  office. 

F.  BASCOM,  minister,  Hinsdale,  was  born 
June  8,  1804,  in  Lebanon,  New  London  Co., 
Conn. ;  is  the  son  of  Abiel  and  Sibyl  (Roberts) 
Bascom,  natives  of  Connecticut.  They  had  ten 
children,  of  whom  our  subject  alone  survives. 
He  attended  school  during  the  winters,  or  about 
three  months  each  year,  and  studied  during 
spare  moments  in  the  summers,  until  he  pre- 
pared himself  to  teach  school,  which  oc- 
cupation he  followed  until  twenty  years  of 
age.  At  this  period,  he  entered  Yale  College, 
from  which  he  graduated  with  high  honors  in 
1848.  He  then  became  a  teacher  in  an  academy 
at  New  Canaan,  Conn.,  where  he  continued  one 
year.  He  then  took  a  three  years'  course  in 
the  Theological  Seminary  at  Yale,  at  the  com- 
pletion of  which  he  was  appointed  a  tutor  in 
the  college,  and  held  the  position  two  years. 
In  1833,  he  came  to  Tazewell  County,  111.,  as 
Home  Missionary,  residing  in  Pekin,  and  the 
interior  of  the  county,  and  organizing  many 
churches.  For  ten  years  Mr.  Bascom  acted  as 
agent  of  the  American  Home  Missionary  Society 
of  Illinois,  and  was  for  several  years  pastor  of  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Chicago;  was 
six  years  at  Galesburg,  seven  years  at  Dover, 
and  five  j-ears  at  Princeton,  doing  a  noble 
work  at  each  of  these  places.  He  built  up  the 
infant  church  at  Hinsdale.  Since  1872,  he  has 
spent  his  time  among  the  weaker  churches, 
helping  to  set  them  upon  a  solid  foundation. 
He  preaches  now  at  Western  Springs ;  was 
first  married  in  1833  to  Ellen  P.Cleveland,  who 
died  in  1838  ;  was  again  married  to  Elizabeth 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


Sparhawk,  by  whom  he  had  four  children — 
Charles  P.,  editor,  and  George  S.,  Congregational 
minister ;  the  others  deceased.  His  second 
wife  dying,  he  married  Ruth  Pomeroy,  by 
whom  he  has  one  son,  Henry,  a  physician.  Mr. 
Bascom  was  oue  of  the  pioneers  of  this  coun- 
try ;  has  lived  a  successful  life,  and  although 
past  his  threescore  and  ten,  is  still  hale  and 
hearty. 

PHILIP  BAYER,  barber,  baker, confectioner, 
etc.,  Hinsdale,  is  a  native  of  Germany,  born  Jan- 
uary 28, 1854.  His  parents,  John  P.  and  Cath- 
arine (Balzar)  Bayer,  also  natives  of  Germany, 
came  here  in  1871,  and  are  now  living  with 
subject.  Of  their  eight  children,  two  are  liv- 
ing— Philip  and  Catharine.  Philip  received  his 
education  in  his  native  country,  and  at  the  age 
of  eleven  apprenticed  to  the  barber's  trade,  at 
which  he  has  since  been  chiefly  engaged.  His 
father  is  a  tailor,  and  Philip  spent  some  time  at 
that  trade  also.  After  landing  in  New  York 
City,  he  worked  in  a  shop  there  for  nine 
months ;  then  came  to  Oak  Park,  111.,  where 
he  ran  a  shop  two  years.  In  1874,  he  bought 
out  Jacob  Bohlander,  of  Hinsdale,  where  he 
has  since  been  engaged  in  business,  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  months  of  the  year  1879, 
which  he  spent  in  Kansas,  where  he  met  with 
ill-fortune  in  business  and  returned  to  Hinsdale 
with  but  very  little  means,  but  by  energy  and 
industry  has  since  built  up  a  good  business,  his 
wife  aiding  him  in  his  endeavors.  He  has  a 
good  barber  shop,  bakery,  confectionery  and 
general  store,  and  is  having  a  lucrative  trade. 
He  was  married,  December  15,  1877,  to  Mag- 
dalena  Schweickart,  a  native  of  Germany,  who 
has  borne  him  two  children,  one  living — Katie. 
Mrs.  Baj'er's  parents — Philip  and  Catharine 
(Grass)  Schweickart — came  from  Germany  in 
1866.  and  settled  in  Downer's  Grove,  where  her 
mother  died  in  1871.  Her  father  is  now  in 
Colorado.  They  had  eight  children,  two  of 
whom  are  living — Sarah  (Mrs.  J.  W.  Patricks) 
and  Maadalena.  They  were  Lutherans.  Mr. 


and  Mrs.  Bayer  are  connected  with  the  Luth- 
eran Church  at  Fullersburg. 

JOHN  BOHLANDER,  hardware,  Hinsdale, 
was  born  May  24,  1836,  on  board  an  American 
vessel  on  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  son  of  John  and 
Catharine  (Glos)  Bohlander,  natives  of  Germany. 
John  Bohlander,  subject's  father,  emigrated  with 
his  family  to  America,  and  landed  at  Bos- 
ton, Mass.,  where  he  remained  one  year ;  then 
came  West,  landing  in  Chicago  in  the  latter 
part  of  1837,  and  engaged  in  farming  in  Cook 
Count3'  fourteen  years ;  then  sold  out  and 
bought  a  farm  in  York  Township,  this  county, 
where  he  died  in  1862.  His  wife  died  several 
years  previous.  They  had  seven  children — 
Mary,  John,  Margaret,  Peter,  Philip,  Henry  and 
Adam.  Subject's  father,  by  a  second  marriage, 
had  four  children — Amelia,  William,  Dora  and 
Ernest.  John  received  a  limited  education, 
and  in  1859  engaged  in  the  grocery  business 
at  York  Center,  and  after  three  years  sold  out 
and  bought  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  in  Downer's 
Grove  Township,  which  he  afterward  sold  to 
Charles  Mandel.  In  1871,  he  opened  a  grocery 
in  Hinsdale,  remaining  in  that  business  six 
years ;  then  sold  his  stock  at  auction  and  en- 
gaged in  the  general  hardware  trade  with 
Charles  Pfeifer  in  1878,  and  has  since  been 
engaged  in  that  business,  under  the  firm  name 
of  Bohlander  &  Co.,  doing  a  good  business  in 
all  kinds  of  farming  implements,  tinware,  etc.' 
He  married,  in  1861,  Solmea  Wolf,  a  native  of 
France,  who  has  borne  him  nine  children,  six  liv- 
ing— Caroline,  John,  Henry,  Louisa,  Sarah  and 
Emma.  The  three  deceased  were  Katie,  Ame- 
lia and  Ellen.  Mr.  Bohlander  was  Postmaster 
two  years  while  in  York  Center. 

J.  W.  BUSHNELL,  retired  farmer,  P.  0. 
Hinsdale,  was  born  March  18, 1825,  in  Oneida 
County,  N.  Y.,  son  of  Calvin  and  Polly  (Will- 
iams) Bushnell.  Calvin  Bushnell  was  born  in 
Connecticut  April  29,  1781,  and  died  May  18, 
1864  ;  he  was  a  Presbyterian  minister,  of  which 
church  his  wife  was  long  a  member;  she  was 


84 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


born  in  New  York  October  9,  1787,  and  died 
January  6,  1877  ;  they  were  the  parents  of  ten 
children.  J.  W.  received  an  ordinary  educa- 
tion, and  at  twenty-eight  years  of  age  began 
farming  on  his  own  account.  He  married  June 
12,  1856,  Mary  J.  Convis,  born  August  18, 
1833,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Emeline  (Peck) 
Convis,  natives  of  New  York,  and  parents  of 
six  children.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bushnell  have  two 
children — Charlotte  L.,  born  August  21,  1857, 
and  Elmira  A.,  born  July  16, 1865.  After  his 
marriage,  Mr.  Bushnell  settled  in  Kendall 
County,  111.,  where  he  remained  till  1869,  when 
he  moved  to  Sandwich,  and  invested  some  cap- 
ital in  the  Sandwich  Manufacturing  Company. 
After  several  changes  of  residence,  he  came  to 
Hinsdale  in  1882,  where  he  erected  a  fine  build- 
ing, and  will  probably  locate  permanently.  He 
and  his  family  are  active  members  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church  ;  he  is  a  Republican.  Mr. 
Bushnell  and  his  brother  Calvin  own  240  acres 
of  well-improved  land  in  Iroquois  County,  111., 
all  of  which  they  have  acquired  by  their  own 
efforts.  Mr.  Bushnell  attends  to  the  renting 
of  the  property. 

W.  S.  BROOKINS.  hardware,  Downer's 
Grove,  was  born  in  Vernon,  N.  Y.,  March  5, 
1826,  of  which  place  his  parents  David  and 
Ruby  (Smith)  Brookins,  were  natives ;  the 
family  came  to  this  county  in  1838;  sub- 
ject's father,  prior  to  that  date  had  sold  car- 
riages in  Chicago,  and  was  the  first  in  that 
business  in  the  city.  Subject's  parents  had 
nine  children,  eight  living — Wooster  H.  (in 
Minnesota),  Jane  (now  Mrs.  Acy  Manly,  of 
Wisconsin),  Erin  (now  Mrs.  Z.  M.  Brown. 
Minnesota),  W.  S.  (subject),  Margaret  (Mrs.  A. 
Woods),  Frances  (Mrs.  Dr.  Le  Due),  Esther, 
Mrs.  Dr.  A.  Randall,  Kansas),  Thaddeus,  and 
Emma  (Mrs.  Charles  Blodgett).  Subject  worked 
on  the  farm  till  1856,  then  went  to  Minnesota 
and  engaged  in  the  livery  business  with  his 
brother,  Wooster,  at  Monticello,  that  State, 
forflve  years.  He  then  returned  to  this  county 


and  engaged  in  farming  six  years,  thence  to 
Ogle  County,  111.,  bought  131   acres  of  land, 
and  after  farming  it  two  years,  sold   out  and 
went  to  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  where  he  dealt  in 
,  horses  for  five  years.     He  then  came  to  Chi- 
cago, engaged  in  the  hotel^business  there  a  short 
j  time,   and  in  1873  came  to   Downer's  Grove, 
and  has  since  been  engaged  in  the  hardware 
j  business  there  in  company  with  J.  W.  Rogers  ; 
they  also  deal  in  lumber,  coal,  etc.     In  1853, 
he  married  Lucy  Thompson,  a  native  of  Keene, 
N.  H.,  who  was  killed  by  a  train  on  the  Chicago 
i  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad.     Mr.  Brookins 
was  Deputy  Sheriff  one  term,  and   afterward 
Sheriff  one  term  in  Wright  County,  Minn.    He 
has  an  adopted  child,  Mary,  a  teacher  in  Chi- 
cago ;  is  a  Democrat. 

JAMES  M.  BARR,  Postmaster,  Downer's 
Grove,  was  born  in  St.  Lawrence  County,  N. 
Y.,  November  5,  1838  ;  son  of  John  and  Emily 
(Smith)  Barr,  natives  of  Massachusetts.  Sub- 
ject attended  the  country  schools  and  also  at 
Gouverneur,  N.  Y.,  three  terms,  and,  at  the  age 
of  nineteen  years,  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Farmers'  Insurance  Company,  remaining  with 
I  that  corporation  for  some  time.  In  1857,  he 
i  settled  at  Downer's  Grove  and  taught  school 
one  term  at  Cass,  this  township.  In  1861,  he 
enlisted  in  Company  B,  Thirty-third  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  till  March, 
1863.  After  leaving  the  army,  he  became  an 
agent  for  the  Farmers'  Insurance  Company, 
Freeport,  and  afterward  for  the  American  In- 
surance Company,  Chicago.  He  was  commis- 
sioned Postmaster  in  July,  1881.  He  married 
i  Sarah  Whiffen,  who  has  borne  him  six  children, 
!  viz.,  Nellie,  George.  Harry,  Lester,  Edna  and 
1  Ethel.  Mr.  Barr  takes  a  deep  interest  in  all 
public  enterprises ;  he  has  been  Assessor  for 
seven  years,  and  Police  Constable  for  many 
years.  He  is  a  member  of  Hinsdale  Lodge, 
No.  649,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.;  was  first  Senior  War- 
den in  same.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  Church  of  Downer's  Grove. 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


85 


MRS.  ALMTRA  CLARK,  farmer,  P.  0. 
Downer's  Grove,  was  born  December  4,  1815. 
Her  parents  David  and  Abigail  (Taylor)  Well- 
man,  natives  of  Connecticut,  settled  in  Lee 
County,  111.,  in  1847,  where  they  died  ;  they  had 
ten  children.  Mrs.  Clark  attended  school  but  lit- 
tle, and  spent  her  younger  days  spinning  flax- 
She  was  married,  in  1836,  to  Ephraim  Holley ; 
by  this  marriage  they  had  four  children,  one 
living,  viz.,  James  L.,  who  married  Rhoda  Gib- 
son (now  deceased)  ;  he  was  in  Company  K, 
Thirteenth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  as  was 
also  his  brother  Franklin,  who  was  wounded  at 
the  battle  of  Chickasaw,  and  died  in  the  hospi- 
tal at  St.  Louis,  Mo.  Mr.  Holley  died  in  1849, 
and  was  buried  in  Downer's  Grove.  Subject 
was  married,  in  1852,  to  William  H.  Clark, 
and  from  this  union  was  born  one  child,  now 
Mrs.  Joseph  Oldfield.  Mrs.  Clark  settled  on 
the  present  little  farm  of  forty  acres  when  it 
was  mostly  raw  prairie,  on  which  stood  a  little 
cabin  which  had  been  formerly  used  for  a 
schoolhouse.  She  now  lives  with  her  only  sur- 
viving son.  She  is  a  faithful  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  to  which  she  has 
belonged  over  thirty  years. 

CHARLES  CURTISS,  farmer,  P.  0.  Down- 
er's Grove,  was  born  November  3, 1828,  in  Ver- 
mont. His  parents,  Samuel  and  Mary  (Hatch) 
Curtiss,  he  of  Connecticut,  she  of  Vermont. 
They  had  five  children.  Samuel  Hatch,  born 
in  1789,  was  Postmaster  here,  and  died  in  1867  ; 
his  wife,  born  in  1795,  still  survives,  making 
her  home  in  the  village  ;  she  is  eighty-six  years 
old,  and  is  hale  and  hearty.  Charles  attended 
school  in  this  township,  and  also  a  select  school 
at  Naperville  in  1848.  In  1850,  he  and  his  broth- 
er Henry  went  to  California,  and  engaged  in 
mining  for  about  five  years.  On  his  return  in 
1856.  he  was  married  to  Laura  A.  Thatcher,  of 
Ottawa,  111.,  daughter  of  Eldred  Thatcher,  whose 
sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Curtiss  have  three  children — Addie 
H.  (married  Charles  Calwell),  Samuel  (a  clerk 


at  Hinsdale),  and  Alice  M.  Mr.  Curtiss  has 
been  School  Director,  Township  Collector  and 
Assessor,  Village  Trustee,  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
and  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  to 
which  latter  position  he  has  been  elected  five 
terms,  and  is  the  present  incumbent.  He  has  a 
fine  residence  in  Downer's  Grove.  He  cast  his 
first  Presidential  vote  for  Gen.  Scott,  on  the 
Whig  ticket,  and  is  now  a  stanch  Republican. 
Himself,  wife  and  eldest  daughter  are  members 
of  the  Baptist  Church. 

R.  O.  CURTISS,  farmer,  P.  0.  Downer's  Grove, 
was  born  October  19,  1830,  in  Rutland  County, 
Vt;  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Hatch)  Cur- 
tiss, natives  of  Vermont,  and  the  parents  of  five 
children — Oromel,  Eli  W.,  Henry  H.,  Charles 
and  Roswell  0.  The  parents  came  to  Downer's 
Grove  in  1836,  and  bought  land  near  the  pres- 
ent village.  Here  the  father  was  recognized  as 
one  of  the  leading  men  of  the  township ;  he 
was  Postmaster,  and  held  other  prominent  po- 
sitions. He  died  February  24,  1867.  His  por- 
trait appears  in  this  work.  The  mother  is  liv- 
ing at  the  age  of  eighty-six.  R.  0.  attended 
school  as  much  as  was  convenient.  He  labored 
on  his  father's  farm  in  his  younger  days,  and 
worked  in  a  hotel  which  was  kept  by  his  par- 
ents for  twelve  years,  on  Maple  avenue.  In 
1853,  this  building  was  burned  and  our  subject 
began  merchandising  soon  after,  in  Wheatou, 
in  partnership  with  H.  H.  Curtiss,  which  he 
continued  for  four  years.  He  then  bought  a 
farm  in  Du  Page  County,  and  worked  on  the 
same.  In  1873,  he  engaged  in  the  grocery  bus- 
iness in  Chicago  with  H.  H.  Curtiss,  from 
which  he  withdrew  in  four  years,  and  returned 
to  his  farm,  which  be  still  continues.  He  was 
married  March  1,  1855,  to  Cordelia,  a  daughter 
of  Silas  H.  and  Sophia  (Fowler)  Lyman.  She 
was  one  of  six  children,  three  of  whom  survive 
— Harriet,  Cordelia  aud  Eliza.  Mr.  C.'s  union 
has  blessed  him  with  three  children — Hattie, 
Carrie  and  Willie  (deceased).  He  has  served 
in  some  small  offices.  He  and  his  wife  are 


86 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


members  of  the  Baptist  Church  of  Downer's 
Grove. 

CHARLES  CURTIS,  farmer,  P.  0.  Hins- 
dale,  was  born  July  1,  1834,  in  Mercer,  Som- 
erset Co.,  Me.;  is  a  son  of  Bracey  and  Eliza 
(Day)  Curtis,  natives  of  Kennebunk,  Me.  His 
father  was  a  farmer  and  sailor,  born  in  1800  ; 
was  Captain  of  a  vessel  on  one  trip  to  the  West 
Indies  ;  had  nine  children,  three  of  whom  are 
deceased  ;  those  living  are  Daniel  D.,  a  man- 
ufacturer of  ladies'  straw  hats  at  Medfleld, 
Mass.— will  do  $1,500,000  worth  of  business 
this  year  ;  Irving,  Lizzie  8.,  Edward  B.,  Mar- 
tha D.  and  Charles,  our  subject.  The  latter 
attended  school  as  much  as  was  convenient  and 
worked  on  the  farm  till  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  when  he  commenced  work  in  the  manu- 
factory spoken  of  above.  Here  he  remained 
two  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  began 
clerking  in  a  wholesale  millinery  establishment, 
where  he  remained  three  years.  In  1861,  he 
enlisted  in  Company  C,  Ninth  Maine  Volunteer 
Infantry.  In  1864,  he  started  a  grocery  busi- 
ness in  Skowhegan,  Me.,  under  the  firm  name 
of  Farrand  &  Curtis.  From  this  he  withdrew 
in  one  year  and  came  to  Chicago,  where  he  was 
engaged  for  one  year  in  the  wholesale  millinery 
business  with  Keith  Bros.  In  1866,  in  Chica- 
go, he  married  Miss  A.  M.  Fall,  a  native  of 
New  York,  born  February  18,  1843,  which 
union  resulted  in  six  children,  viz.,  Minnie 
Edith,  Edna  May,  Irving  Claude,  Lida  Day, 
George  Percy  and  Walter  Ray.  Soon  after  his 
marriage,  Mr.  Curtis  engaged  with  M.  Camp- 
bell in  a  hair  manufactory.  This  he  continued 
three  years,  when  he  sold  out  and  bought  six 
and  one-half  acres  of  land  in  Clarendon  Hills, 
which  he  afterward  traded  for  his  present  prop- 
erty. He  rents  his  farm,  and,  during  the  win- 
ter, manufactures  babies'  straw  hats  in  Chica- 
go. Is  a  Democrat. 

PEARL  S.  COSSITT,  A.  M.,  son  of  Asa 
C.,  Jr.,  and  Ra.  Seymour  (Steel)  Cossitt,  was 
born  in  West  Hartford,  Conn.,  March  30,  1817. 


His  father  dying  when  he  was  youug,  the  son 
went  to  live  with  an  uncle  in  Tennessee.  He 
received  a  good  business  education,  and  in  1832 
removed  to  La  Grange,  Tenn.  He  returned  to 
New  England  with  some  means  ;  entered  Trin- 
ity College,  Hartford,  Conn.;  graduated  in  1845  ; 
studied  law  and  then  theology  at  East  Wind- 
sor and  Princeton,  N.  J.,  and  was  licensed  to 
preach  by  the  Hartford  Central  Association. 
He  preached  at  West  Hartland  and  New  Hart- 
ford Center,  Conn. ;  then  at  East  Long  Meadow, 
Mass. ;  was  ordained  pastor  of  the  Second  Pres- 
byterian Church  in  Hanover,  N.  J.;  came  West 
to  McHenry  County,  111.,  in  1854,  when  he 
bought  a  good  farm,  yet  taught  and  preached. 
In  New  Hartford,  Conn.,  he  married  Sarah 
Northrop,  by  whom  he  had  one  child — Florence, 
who  died  in  New  England.  In  1856,  he  mar- 
ried Eliza  E.  Squires,  who  was  killed  by  the 
cars  at  Western  Springs.  In  1858,  he  removed 
to  Indiana,  where  he  resided  during  the  war,  in 
which  he  took  an  active  part.  In  1865,  he  re- 
moved to  Noble,  Richland  Co.,  111.,  and  was  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business  there  for  some 
ten  years  with  success.  While  in  Indiana,  he 
was  for  a  season  connected  with  the  Terre  Haute 
Female  College.  In  1875,  he  removed  to  Cook 
County,  and  in  1878  married  Miss  Mary  John- 
son, of  Richland,  who  has  borne  him  two  chil- 
dren— Fannie  and  May.  In  1880,  he  bought 
the  Rogers  farm,  near  Downer's  Grove.  Mr. 
Cossitt  is  a  man  of  books  ;  has  read  and  written 
much  and  is  a  good  speaker. 

HENRY  CARPENTER,  retired  merchant, 
Downer's  Grove,  is  a  native  of  Washington 
County,  N.  Y.,  born  February  22,  1810,  son  of 
William  and  Lois  (Austin)  Carpenter,  who  were 
the  parents  of  six  children.  William  Carpenter 
was  a  native  of  West  Chester  County,  N.  Y., 
and  died  in  Herkimer  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1822  ; 
his  wife,  a  native  of  Saratoga  County,  N.  Y., 
died  in  1814.  Mr.  Carpenter  was  apprenticed 
to  the  harness-maker's  trade,  at  which  he  worked 
several  years,  and  in  1837  came  to  Downer's 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


87 


Grove  Township,  this  county  ;  bought  a  farm, 
brought  his  family  there  in  1839,  and  in  1840 
moved  to  the  village  of  Downer's  Grove.  In 
1845,  he  built  a  storeroom  adjoining  his  dwell- 
ing-house, and  continued  in  business  until  1857, 
when  he  sold  out  to  Hatch  &  Thatcher.  Since 
that  time  he  has  been  engaged  in  farming  ;  was 
also  in  the  boot  and  shoe  business,  but  is  now 
living  retired.  In  Orleans  County,  N.  Y.,  October 
14, 1832,  he  married  Martha  Blanchard,  a  native 
of  Whitehall,  N.  Y.,  born  January  21,  1813, 
died  October  2,  1882  ;  they  had  three  children 
— Walter,  born  November  5,  1833,  a  fireman 
on  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Eailroad, 
killed  at  Chicago  by  the  bursting  of  a  boiler  ; 
William  H.,  born  August  6,  1842,  died  when 
young ;  Martha  J.,  born  September  15,  1845, 
wife  of  E.  W.  Farer  (the  first  white  child  born 
in  Downer's  Grove),  and  an  adopted  son  of 
William  S.,  employed  in  a  notion  store  in  Chi- 
cago. Mrs.  Carpenter  was  a  daughter  of  Ahi- 
mas  and  Mary  (Tolford)  Blanchard,  natives  of 
New  Hampshire  ;  he  was  born  April  27.  1765, 
died  in  1817;  she  died  in  1833.  Mr.  Carpenter 
is  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Downer's  Grove, 
is  an  influential  man,  and  one  highly  respected 
in  the  community  in  which  he  resides.  He  has 
held  the  offices  of  Assessor,  Justice  of  the 
Peace  and  Notary  Public;  was  Enrolling  Officer 
during  the  late  war.  He  was  formerly  a  Whig, 
now  a  Republican. 

JOHN  S.  COE,  retired  blacksmith,  Fullers- 
burg,  was  born  in  Rockland  County,  N.  Y., 
November  28,  1815  ;  son  of  Samuel  and  Mary 
(Conkling)  Coe,  who  were  the  parents  of  fifteen 
children,  seven  of  whom  are  living.  Ann,  the 
eldest  child,  was  born  in  1801,  and  is  still  liv- 
ing, and  hale  and  hearty.  Subject's  father 
served  in  the  war  of  1812.  .John  S.  received 
but  a  limited  education,  his  mother  dying  when 
he  was  young.  He  made  his  home  with  his 
cousin,  John  Halsted,  with  whom  he  learned 
the  trade  of  a  millwright.  In  1831,  he  went  to 
New  York  City,  where  he  learned  the  black- 


smith's trade  ;  was  in  that  city  during  the 
cholera  epidemic  in  1832.  After  working  in 
New  York  five  years,  he  went  to  Bristol,  where 
he  worked  for  Chauncey  Jerome.  He  after- 
ward went  to  Ypsilanti,  Mich.,  where  he  worked 
at  his  trade  for  awhile,  then  went  to  Ann 
Arbor,  Mich.,  and  thence,  in  1839,  to  Summit, 
Cook  Co.,  111.,  where  he  remained  till  1841, 
when  he  located  at  York  Centre,  this  county, 
where  he  engaged  in  farming  and  also  worked 
at  his  trade.  In  1844,  he  came  to  Fullersburg, 
where  he  ran  a  blacksmith  shop  till  lately, 
when  he  retired,  his  son  taking  charge  .of  the 
business.  He  owns  160  acres  of  land  in  this 
township,  which  he  farmed  for  many  years,  but 
which  he  now  rents.  His  children  are  Samu- 
el, Elizabeth  (Mrs.  James  Walls),  Alice  (Mrs. 
George  Long)  and  Clarence  T.  The  latter  was 
married  April  7,  1882,  to  Libbie  Chloe,  of  Chi- 
cago; and  is  running  the  shop  formerly  owned 
by  his  father,  and  makes  a  specialty  of  the 
manufacture  of  buggies,  carriages,  etc.  Mr. 
Coe  was  director  of  the  first  school  in  this  part 
of  the  county,  and  was  the  first  storekeeper 
here. 

SAMUEL  COL  WELL,  farmer,  P.  0.  Down- 
er's Grove,  was  born  in  Madison  County,  N.  Y., 
September  20,  1842,  and  is  a  son  of  James 
and  Ann  (Reese)  Col  well,  who  were  the  parents 
of  four  children,  viz.,  Louise  (deceased),  Will- 
iam, Samuel  and  Charles.  Our  subject  at- 
tended school  in  the  country  and  also  three 
terms  at  the  0.  C.  Seminary,  Madison  County, 
N.  Y.  He  has  always  worked  on  a  farm,  save 
five  years,  during  which  he  was  employed  in 
the  Remington  fire-arm  manufacturing  estab- 
lishment in  New  York.  He  was  married  in 
1864,  to  Nettie  Putnam,  a  daughter  of  Benja- 
min and  Sophia  (Myers)  Putnam,  who  were  the 
parents  of  the  following  children,  viz.,  Oscar, 
Austin,  Ellen.  Gilbert,  Helen,  Charles  B., 
Sophia,  Louisa  and  Elizabeth.  Mrs.  Colwell's 
mother  died  in  1859,  when  she  was  quite  a 
child.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Colwell  are  the  parents 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


of  four  children,  viz.,  Edward,  Benjamin,  Fan- 
nie and  Carrie.  He  came,  directly  after  his 
marriage,  to  Christian  County,  111.,  where  he 
farmed  two  years,  then  returned  to  New  York, 
and  some  time  afterward,  came  again  to  Chris- 
tian County,  where  he  remained  till  1879, 
when  he  rented  261  acres,  the  present  farm  of 
his  niece,  Louisa  Lesznsky,  where  he  now  re- 
sides. Mr.  Colwell  votes  the  Democratic  ticket; 
he  is  now  Pathmaster.  His  grandfathers,  Col- 
well  and  Myers,  were  in  the  Revolutionary 
war. 

MRS.  L.  A.  DODGE,  Downer's  Grove.  Mrs. 
L.  A.  Dodge,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was 
born  July  11, 1815,  in  Williamsville,  N.  Y.  She 
is  a  daughter  of  George  and  Rosannah  (Knox) 
Hickman,  natives  of  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  and 
residents  of  New  York  soon  after  marriage, 
and  to  whom  were  given  four  children  as  I 
pledges  of  their  marriage  vow,  viz.,  Folding, 
Reuben,  Lucy  A.  and  Hiram.  The  former  son 
was  with  "  Commodore "  Perry  at  the  time 
when  negotiations  were  opened  up  between 
Japan  and  the  United  States  ;  was  lost  or  died 
while  on  a  voyage.  Mrs.  D.  attended  school 
as  much  as  was  convenient  in  her  younger 
days.  She  was  married,  in  1830,  at  the  age  of 
fifteen,  to  Horace,  a  son  of  Zebulou  and  Salome 
(Thayer)  Dodge,  natives  of  Massachusetts,  and 
parents  of  twelve  children,  eleven  of  whom  grew 
up,  viz.,  Avis  (Mrs.  Blodgett),  Charles  Parker, 
(deceased),  Parker,  Horace,  Harriett,  Salome, 
Ezra,  Caroline,  Seva,  Mariam  and  Hannah. 
Horace  was  born  in  1802,  in  Belchertown, 
Mass.  At  marriage,  Mrs.  D.  and  her  husband 
settled  at  Williamsville,  where  he  worked  in  a 
plow  shop.  In  two  years  they  moved  to  Fre- 
donia,  same  State,  he  continuing  the  same 
avocation.  In  1836,  they  came  to  Du  Page 
County,  111.,  and  settled  on  the  farm  which 
she  now  owns  in  Milton  Township.  At 
that  time  the  country  was  a  wild,  raw  prairie, 
inhabited  by  wild  animals,  with  now  and  then 
a  family.  Here  they  experienced  all  the  hard- 


ships that  fell  to  the  lot  of  early  pioneers,  such 
as  going  to  church  on  horseback,  milling  and 
marketing  with  ox  teams  and  truck  wagons, 
and  plowing  with  the  old  cast  iron  plow,  which 
they  brought  from  New  York.  Mr.  D.  hauled 
the  logs  to  Warrenville  on  one  of  the  above- 
described  wagons,  a  distance  of  eight  miles, 
from  which  lumber  was  made  to  construct  their 
first  house.  Their  building  was  near  an  old 
Indian  camping-ground  and  these  red  men 
often  pitched  their  tents  near  by.  On  one  oc- 
casion Mrs.  D.  was  alone  with  three  children, 
when  one  of  the  little  fellows  informed  her  of  a 
large  "  crowd "  of  people  approaching.  She 
soon  perceived  them  to  be  Indians,  and  gath- 
ered her  babies  and  left  the  house  to  care  for 
itself,  retiring  to  a  neighbor's,  some  distance  to 
the  south.  The  red  men  camped  near  the 
dwelling  for  several  days  and  she  returned  to 
her  home  before  they  left.  In  their  house  were 
preached  the  first  sermons  in  this  part  of  the 
country.  Revs.  Beggs  and  Gaddis  often  held 
meetings  here.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  D.  had  ten  chil- 
dren, seven  of  whom  grew  up,  viz.,  Sarah  (Mrs. 
F.  Irwin),  Harriet  (Mrs.  Theodore  Aldrich), 
Lucy  (Mrs.  Webster),  Rosannah  (Mrs.  Bracken), 
Horace  was  in  Company  E,  Eighth  Illinois 
Cavalry;  is  a  physician  in  Colorado;  Julia 
(Mrs.  E.  Willard,  of  Joliet),  and  Bertha  (Mrs. 
Stover);  she  and  her  husband  are  mission- 
aries in  Southwest  Africa,  where  they  are  ac- 
complishing a  good  that  will  only  be  known 
on  that  day  when  the  secrets  of  all  hearts  shall 
be  revealed.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  D.  took  every  ad- 
vantage in  their  power  to  educate  their  chil- 
dren. After  sending  them  a  short  time  to  the 
country,  they  hired  teachers  to  instruct  their 
children  at  their  residence;  they  afterward  sent 
them  to  graded  schools,  and  each  obtained  a 
good  education,  five  having  taught  school. 
Mrs.  D.  was  robbed  of  her  loving  companion 
by  death,  August  31,  1881.  She  has  275  acres 
of  well-improved  land  in  Milton  Township,  a 
portion  of  their  first  pre-emption.  In  March, 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


91 


1840,  her  husband  planted  the  apple  seed  from 
which  their  fine  orchard  has  sprung.  They 
brought  many  shrubs  with  them  from  New 
York,  which,  with  their  increase,  adorn  the 
landscape  around.  The  beautiful  maples  that 
lie  adjacent  to  her  residence  were  planted  there 
earl}-  by  her  husband,  who  took  them  from 
Downer's  Grove.  Mrs.  D.  is  an  active  member 
of  the  Baptist  Church  of  Downer's  Grove. 
She  was  a  teacher  of  a  Bible  class  for  many 
years  at  York  Center.  A  few  months  ago,  she 
was  thrown  from  a  carriage  and  badly  bruised 
about  the  face,  but  with  her  ever-enduring  pa- 
tience, she  has  borne  all,  and  has  recovered- 
Now,  being  advanced  in  years,  possessed  of  a 
competency  of  this  world's  goods,  enjoying 
reasonably  good  health,  she  has  retired  from 
the  toils  and  labors  accompan3'ing  rural  pur- 
suits, and  is  making  her  home  in  Hinsdale. 
We  have  only  mentioned  a  few  of  the  leading 
events  that  have  made  up  the  life  of  Mrs.  D. 
and  her  companion,  and  tfo  enlarge  on  what  we 
have  said  would  be  unnecessary  ;  we  will  say, 
however,  that  she  takes  a  deep  interest  in  the 
benevolent  enterprises  of  her  neighborhood 
and  her  duty  is  her  greatest  pleasure,  as  was 
also  her  deceased  consort. 

MRS.  HANNAH  DREHER,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Lemont,  Will  County,  widow  of  Israel  Dreher, 
was  born  December  30,  1827,  daughter  of 
Andrew  and  Esther  (Foust)  Kimmel,  who 
had  twelve  children — George,  Hannah,  Dan- 
iel, John,  Hetty,  Maria,  Jacob,  Andrew, 
Lewis,  Sallie,  and  two  deceased.  The  par- 
ents are  both  dead.  Mrs.  Dreher,  our  sub- 
ject, was  married,  December  12,  1846,  to  Is- 
rael Dreher,  whose  parents  were  Daniel  and 
Mary  M.  (Huntsinger)  Dreher,  who,  like  his 
wife's  parents,  had  twelve  children.  The  old 
gentleman  is  dead,  but  the  old  lady,  now 
over  ninety  years  of  age,  is  living  in  Penn- 
sylvania, hale  and  hearty  for  her  great  age. 
Mrs.  Dreher  bore  her  husband  eight  children, 


six  of  whom  are  living — Violet,  Mrs.  Fey; 
Elizabeth,  Mrs.  Steigerwalt;  Silas  K.,  in 
Iowa;  Titus,  married  to  Mary  Oldfield,  at 
home;  Mary  and  Esther.  July  12,  1870, 
Mr.  Dreher  died,  and  was  buried  at  Naper- 
ville.  Settled  their  farm  in  1864.  It  con- 
sists of  120  acres,  well  improved.  Albert 
Fey,  the  husband  of  Violet,  and  Frank  Steig- 
erwalt, husband  of  Elizabeth,  were  in  the 
late  war  in  defense  of  the  Union. 

JOHN  W.  DIXON,  farmer,  P.  O.  Down- 
er's Grove,  was  born  March  25,  1843,  in  this 
county,  where  he  has  ever  since  resided.  His 
parents,  Robert  and  Mary  E.  (Wilson)  Dixon, 
nsitives  of  Ireland,  emigrated  to  New  York 
in  1833,  thence  to  this  county  in  the  same 
year.  They  had  eight  children,  viz.,  Henry, 
James,  Robert,  Jane,  Catharine,  Charles, 
John  W.  and  Mary.  Subject's  father  was 
Justice  of  the  Peace  for  many  years;  he  was 
an  Old-Line  Abolitionist;  four  of  his  sons, 
Henry,  James,  Robert  and  Charles,  fought  for 
their  country  in  the  late  civil  war.  He  and 
his  wife  were  members  of  the  Methodist 
Church.  Our  subject  received  his  education 
in  the  early  schools  of  his  native  township. 
He  was  married,  in  1868,  to  May  L.,  daugh- 
ter of  Emerson  and  Cynthia  Osgood  Gleason, 
natives  of  Massachusetts,  and  early  settlers  of 
this  county;  she  was  one  of  six  children,  viz., 
Watson,  Stella,  Emeroy,  May,  Ella  and  Eu- 
gene; her  parents  were  Baptists.  From  this 
union  four  children  have  been  born,  viz., 
Maude,  Eugenia,  May  and  Estella.  He  has 
100  acres  of  finely  improved  land,  part  of 
which  he  inherited,  the  remainder  being  ac- 
cumulated by  his  own  labors.  The  build- 
ings cost  about  $2, 500.  He  makes  a  special- 
ty of  cattle,  and  is  also  engaged  in  the  dairy 
business.  He  is  an  active  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church;  his  wife  belongs  to  the 
Baptist  Church. 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


JAMES  DREW,  farmer,  P.  O.  Cass,  was 
born  in  England  November  3,  1828,  son  of 
Thomas  an  I  Eosamond  (Jacobs)  Drew,  na- 
tives of  England;  the  former  came  to  Du 
Page  County  in  1853,  and  the  latter  in  1854. 
Six  of  their  children  are  now  living.  The 
father  died  March  13,  1864,  and  is  buried  at 
Cass;  the  mother  makes  her  home  with  the 
subject,  James  Drew.  The  latter,  although 
a  well-informed  man,  is  entirely  self-educat- 
ed, with  the  exception  of  some  private  in- 
struction rendered  by  Rev.  Lyman.  At  ten 
years  of  age,  Mr.  Drew  commenced  for  him- 
self. He  attended  to  stock  and  engaged  in 
numerous  kinds  of  work  until  he  became 
twenty  years  of  age,  when  he  came  to  Illinois 
in  company  with  Mrs.  Wells,  then  Mrs. 
Pitcher),  Mr.  Rooke  and  daughter  Sarah, 
and  Jonathan  Clark.  Mr.  Drew  was  em- 
ployed on  different  farms  until  1853,  when 
he  married  Maria  Rooke  and  settled  on  the 
farm  of  D.  H.  Naramore,  where  he  remained 
until  1867,  when  his  wife  died;  she  had  borne 
him  eight  children,  of  whom  five  are  living — 
Rosamond,  now  Mrs.  Loughlin,  Jonathan, 
James,  Anna  and  Arthur.  He  then  went  to 
Chicago  and  worked  at  carpentering  until 
1870,  when  he  married  Mrs.  Anna  Palmer, 
born  August  24,  1831,  daughter  of  Robert 
and  Martha  Bean,  natives  of  England.  At 
this  time,  Mr.  Drew  settled  on  his  present 
farm  of  140  acres,  which  belonged  to  his 
wife.  The  result  of  this  second  union  is  two 
children,  viz.,  Fannie  M.  and  Thomas.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Drew  are  prominent  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Cass. 
He  votes  the  Democratic  ticket  Mrs.  "Wells, 
by  her  first  husband,  Thomas  Palmer,  had 
four  children,  of  whom  two  are  living — 
Harry  B.  and  Annie  E. 

AZEL  DORATHY,  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
Hinsdale,  was  born  October  19,  1822,  in 
Pierrepont,  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  is  a 


son  of  Joseph  and  Jerusha  (Hatch)  Dorathy, 
natives  of  Massachusetts,  and  the  parents  of 
eleven  children,  six  of  whom  survive — Eu- 
nice, Mary,  Charles,  Jerusha,  Lucinda,  Azel. 
Mr.  Dorathy  attended  school  in  the  country, 
and  for  awhile  in  an  academy.  At  the  age 
of  eighteen  years,  he  began  clerking  at  Pots- 
dam, N.  Y.,  at  from  $12  to  $25  per  month, 
for  about  five  years,  when  he  engaged  in  gen- 
eral merchandising  for  himself  at  that  vil- 
lage. In  1854,  he  entered  the  real  estate 
business  at  Chicago,  which  he  continued  for 
twenty  years,  a  part  of  the  time  with  success, 
and  also  sustained  some  losses.  In  1874,  he 
had  mostly  retired,  on  account  of  ill  health. 
Was  married,  in  1859,  to  Mariam  Dewey,  a 
native  of  Potsdam,  N.  Y.,  the  result  being 
one  daughter,  Kate,  deceased;  his  wife  is 
also  deceased.  In  1881,  he  was  elected  Po- 
lice Magistrate  of  Hinsdale,  which  position 
he  still  holds,  and  is  distinguished  as  a  very 
efficient  officer.  He  is  a  stanch  Republican. 
WILLIAM  DAVEY,  farmer,  P.  O.  Le- 
mont,  Cook  County,  was  born  in  England 
March  7,  1825.  His  parents,  John  and 
Catharine  (Pomplin)  Davey,  came  to  New 
York  in  1855,  thence  to  Downer's  Grove  in 
1858,  where  they  farmed  until  1868,  when 
they  went  to  Iowa,  where  his  mother  died 
September  13, 1881;  his  father  still  survives; 
their  children  were  ten  in  number,  seven 
living.  Mr.  Davey  attended  school  in  Eu- 
rope, and  was  a  policeman  two  years  in  Lon- 
don. He  came  to  New  York  in  1852,  and 
worked  on  a  farm  at  $130  per  year.  In  1857, 
he  came  to  Illinois  and  rented  land  of  Ben- 
jamin Prentiss.  He  married,  in  1858,  Mary 
A.  Dodge.  Her  parents,  Sceva  and  Ruhama, 
came  here  single;  her  father  died  in  1870, 
and  her  mother  in  1860;  they  had  eleven 
children.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davey  are  the  par- 
ents of  nine  children — Carrie  B.,  who  grad- 
uated at  Downer's  Grove  High  School,  and 


DOWXER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


93 


is  among  the  leading  teachers  of  the  county; 
Alice  C.,  Mary  E.,  George  W.,  John  S.,  Ed- 
ward, Charlie,  Laura  and  Elvira.  Mr.  Davey 
has  been  School  Director.  He  had  three 
brothers  in  the  late  war,  who  returned  unin- 
jured. He  has  twenty-three  acres  of  tine 
timber,  worth  about  $100  per  acre,  which  has 
been  made  by  his  own  labor;  he  is  at  present 
farming  on  John  Oldfield's  farm.  Himself, 
wife  and  daughter,  Carrie  B. ,  are  active  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at 
Cass. 

A.  F.  FOSTER,  retired  mechanic  and 
farmer,  Downer's  Grove,  was  born  in  Middle- 
town,  Conn.,  October  17,  1815,  son  of  Chancy 
and  Sallie  (Atkins)  Foster,  natives  of  Con- 
necticut, he  born  May  14,  1783,  she  Septem- 
ber 25,  1785.  Chancy  Foster,  subject's  fa- 
ther, served  as  private  in  the  war  of  1812. 
They  had  seven  children — Eliza  (deceased), 
Oliver,  Giles  (deceased),  Sallie,  A.  F., 'Wal- 
ter and  Lydia.  At  the  age  of  fifteen,  was 
bound  apprentice  to  the  carpenter's  trade, 
and,  after  serving  three  years,  went  to  Can- 
ada. In  1835,  he  came  to  "Will  County,  111. 
Married,  on  July  16,  1839,  Nancy  Adams, 
who  has  born  him  eight  children — William, 
a  farmer  in  Kendall  County,  111. ;  Ellen, 
married  Edward  Vial,  living  in  Iowa;  Emma, 
married  Frank  Miller;  Eugene,  married  Ger- 
tie Bettles,  lives  in  town;  Albert,  married 
Susie  Bean,  lives  at  Mt.  Carroll,  111. ;  Jonas, 
married  Fannie  Reynolds,  living  in  Iowa; 
George,  in  Mt.  Carroll,  111. ;  and  Harry,  at 
home.  Mrs.  Foster  is  a  daughter  of  Jonas 
and  Olivia  (Seeley)  Adams;  he,  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  born  April  8,  1777,  was  a 
Lieutenant  in  the  war  of  1812,  now  deceased; 
she,  also  deceased,  was  born  in  Vermont 
April  7,  1799;  they  were  the  parents  of  five 
children.  Mr.  Foster,  after  his  marriage, 
settled  in  Plainfield,  Will  Co.,  111.;  in  1845, 
bought  eighty  acres  of  Government  land, 


which  he  sold  in  1849,  and  soon  after  bought 
some  town  lots  in  Downer's  Grove,  this 
county,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He 
built  the  first  Methodist  Church  in  Downer's 
Grove,  and  was  influential  in  raising  sub- 
scriptions and  keeping  the  church  free  from 
debt.  He  enlisted  in  Company  B,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Fifth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry, 
and  was  disabled  at  Frankfort.  Himself  and 
wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Church. 
He  voted  the  Democratic  ticket  till  the  elec- 
tion of  Lincoln,  since  which  time  he  has  been 
a  supporter  of  the  Republican  party. 

JOHN  FLEMING,  farmer,  P.  O.  Gower, 
was  born  in  1827,  in  Ireland,  and  is  the  son 
of  Richard  and  Ann  (Moran)  Fleming,  who 
came  here  in  1837  and  settled  in  Will 
County,  where  the  father  worked  on  the  Illi- 
nois &  Michigan  Canal.  Subject's  father 
died  in  1837.  His  mother  died  in  1870,  and 
was  buried  in  the  Catholic  Cemetery  at  Cass. 
Mr.  Fleming  was  able  to  obtain  but  little 
education.  When  quite  young,  he  hired  out. 
at  a  few  pennies  per  day.  By  frugality  and 
industry,  he  and  a  brother  were  at  last  ena- 
bled to  purchase  some  ox  teams,  with  which 
they  broke  prairie  for  the  public,  and  soon 
were  able  to  purchase  a  home.  December  26, 
1851,  Mr.  Fleming  bought  eighty  acres  of  land 
of  the  Illinois  &  Michigan  Canal  Company. 
This  he  has  added  to  until  now  he  has  187 
acres  of  well -improved  land,  upon  which  he 
has  erected  buildings  worth  about  $2,000. 
In  1853,  he  married  Bridget  Maloney,  a 
daughter  of  Michael  and  Bridget  Maloney, 
natives  of  Ireland,  who  were  among  the  early 
settlers  of  this  county.  Mr.  Maloney  died 
many  years  ago,  but  Mrs.  Fleming's  mother 
is  still  living.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fleming  have 
eight  children — Ellen,  Richard,  James,  John, 
Ann,  Thomas,  Bridget  and  Michael.  The 
entire  family  are  members  of  the  Catholic 
Church.  Mr.  Fleming  came  to  Du  Page 


94 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


County  May  10,  1842,  since  which  time  he 
has  been  engaged  in  farming.     He  is  an  ac-  | 
tive  temperance  man. 

THOMAS  FLEMING,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Gower,  was  born  in  Ireland  February  1,  1801. 
His  educational  advantages  were  limited. 
He  came  to  this  country  and  settled  in  Illi- 
nois in  1837.  He  married  Hannah  Welch, 
and  soon  after  settled  on  his  present  farm 
of  120  acres.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fleming  have 
had  twelve  children,  seven  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing; they  are  John,  Elizabeth,  Michael,  Han- 
nah, James,  Ellen  and  William.  When  Mr. 
Fleming  first  came  to  this  county,  he  con- 
structed a  log  cabin,  in  which  he  lived,  and 
was  obliged  to  bring  the  necessaries  of  life 
from  Chicago  with  ox  teams.  He  worked  on 
the  Erie  Canal  for  a  short  time,  also  on  the 
Illinois  &  Michigan  Canal.  He  now  has  a 
fine  home  as  a  result  of  his  hard  labor. 

VICTOR  FREDENHAGEN,  farmer,  P. 
O.  Downer's  Grove,  was  born  June  11,  1832, 
in  Mecklenburg,  Germany;  is  a  son  of  Victor 
and  Paulina  (Jurgens)  Fredenhagen,  who 
came  to  Du  Page  County,  111. ,  in  1855.  Our 
subject  received  his  early  education^  at  his 
father's  house,  a  Professor  being  employed 
by  the  father.  In  1843,  subject  entered  col- 
lege; after  five  years,  he  graduated,  and  en- 
gaged on  a  farm  of  1,200  acres,  where  for 
three  years  he  was  "  sub-boss,"  and  where  he 
learned  farming  in  a  scientific  manner.  He 
then  remained  with  his  father  until  1851, 
when  he,  in  company  with  E.  Napp,  came  to 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  they  worked  at  farm- 
ing until  1852,  when  Mr.  Fredenhagen  made 
a  prospective  trip  through  Illinois  and  Iowa, 
which  resulted  in  his  coming,  with  Daniel 
Cook,  to  Du  Page  County,  111.  Here  they 
rented  a  farm,  which  our  subject  soon  had 
entire  charge  of.  In  the  fall  of  1853,  he 
bought  480  acres  of  land,  with  money  fur- 
nished by  his  father;  to  this  the  latter  after- 


ward added  160  acres.  In  1855,  our  subject 
married  Mary  Lambe,  a  daughter  of  William 
and  Mary  Lambe,  and  soon  after  settled  on 
the  present  farm  of  324  acres,  upon  which 
Mr.  Fredenhagen  had  previously  erected  a 
fine  residence.  They  have  seven  children — 
Sophia  (Mrs.  Cawley),  Victor,  Edward  A.  (en- 
gaged with  the  Hill  Standard  Book  Com- 
pany), Paulina,  Augusta,  Martin  and  Frank. 
From  1857  to  1872,  our  subject  was  engaged 
with  other  parties  in  the  millinery  business 
at  Warrenville.  He  has  been  Supervisor, 
and  was  one  term,  in  1875,  a  member  of  the 
General  Assembly  of  this  State.  He  is  at  the 
present  time  Township  Trustee,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  Hinsdale  Lodge,  No.  649,  A.,  F.  &  A. 
M.  He  and  family  are  Lutherans.  He  is  a 
Democrat. 

S.  H  FISH,  inventor,  Hinsdale,  was  born 
May  13,  1 854,  in  Jefferson  County,  N.  Y. ;  is 
a  son  of  Edward  and  Jane  (Barber)  Fish,  the 
former  a  native  of  Windham  County,  Vt.,  and 
the  latter  of  Franklin  County,  Mass.,  she  be- 
ing born  December  18,  1815.  The  parents 
settled,  at  marriage,  in  Windham  County, 
Vt.,  where  they  had  four  children,  two  of 
whom  survive,  viz.,  Mary  J.,  Mrs.  Gilbert 
Pierce,  sewing  machine  agent,  Boston, 
Mass.;  and  S.  EL,  our  subject.  The  father 
was  a  farmer  and  merchant  in  Boston,  and 
died  April  25,  1857;  was  a  Methodist,  to 
which  denomination  his  consort  now  belongs. 
The  mother  came  to  this  county  in  1874,  and 
is  keeping  house  for  her 'son,  who  has  never 
married.  Mr.  Fish  bought  a  lot  and  built  on 
the  same  in  Clarendon  Hills  in  1873.  From 
childhood  his  active  mind  has  been  engaged 
on  the  subject  of  machinery,  and  he  has 
already  completed  some  valuable  inventions. 
He  is  now  just  finishing  a  potato-planter,  the 
efforts  of  three  years'  active  labor.  The  me- 
chanical arrangement  of  this  wonderful  in- 
vention is  complicated  yet  simple,  and  is  the 


DOAVXER'S  GROVE  TOWXSHIP. 


95 


only  complete  planter  in  the  world  Mr.  Fish 
is  very  sanguine  as  to  its  success,  and  has 
several  of  the  leading  men  of  Chicago  inter- 
ested in  its  completion.  Success  is  certain, 
and,  when  once  put  into  actual  use,  will  be 
a  fortune  to  the  inventor. 

FOX  BEOTHEES,  merchants,  Hinsdale. 
Charles,  the  senior  member  of  this  firm,  was 
born  in  Vermont  May  14,  1837;  attended 
school  in  the  country,  and  one  term  at 
Wheaton,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty  he  took 
the  contract  of  carrying  the  mail  from  Brush 
Hill  to  Summit,  Cook  County,  for  $200  per 
year,  making  two  trips  each  week.  He  then 
bought  the  stock  and  crop  on  a  farm  near 
Summit;  afterward  ran  a  hotel  for  nearly  a 
year;  was  burnt  out,  and  then  engaged,  in 
1864,  in  the  general  merchandise  business  at 
Brush  Hills  (now  Fullersburg)  on  his  own 
account  two  years,  then  took  in  as  partner  Ben- 
jamin Fuller,  who,  after  a  year,  withdrew, 
Hermon,  Jr. ,  member  of  the  present  firm,  tak- 
ing his  place.  On  August  17,  1875,  they 
sold  their  building,  and  transferred  their 
stock  to  Hinsdale,  building  at  that  time 
their  present  fine  brick  store,  where  they  have 
since  continued  in  business,  keeping  a  gen- 
eral line  of  dry  goods,  notions,  groceries, 
hardware,  drugs,  boots,  shoes,  etc.  Charles 
was  married,  in  1861,  on  the  day  Lincoln  was 
inaugurated,  to  Miss  Betsey  E.,  daughter  of 
Benjamin  Fuller;  they  have  had  three  chil- 
dren, viz.,  William  A.,  Eva  T.  and  Delner 
E.  (deceased).  He  has  been  Township  Clerk 
and  Constable  eight  years;  is  a  member  of 
Hinsdale  Lodge,  No.  649,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  votes  the  Eepublican  ticket.  Hermon 
M.,  the  junior  member,  was  born  in  Vermont 
in  1843,  son  of  Marvin  and  Amy  Fox,  natives 
of  New  York,  and  parents  of  ten  children, 
five  living.  Hermon  M.  attended  the  common 
schools,  and  also  one  year  at  Manchester,  Vt. 
When  twenty-one  years  old,  he  enlisted  in 


Company  L,  Second  Light  Artillery  Regi- 
ment, and  served  about  one  year.  He  taught 
school  one  winter,  and  then  engaged  with 
his  brother  in  business.  Married,  Septem- 
ber 15,  1870,  Phcebe,  daughter  of  Lyman  and 
Phoebe  Babcock,  natives  of  Ohio;  the  latter 
died  when  Mrs  Fox  was  an  infant.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Fox  are  the  parents  of  three  chil- 
dren, one  deceased — Estella  H. ,  Marvin  and 
Edith  E.  (deceased).  He  votes  the  Eepub- 
lican ticket.  The  parents  of  our  subject  are 
living  in  Hinsdale,  at  a  ripe  old  age. 

ALMEEON  FOED,  merchant,  Fallers- 
burg,  is  a  native  of  Oneida  County,  N.  Y. , 
born  November  4,  1829,  son  of  Orrin  and 
Sally  (Jones)  Ford,  natives  of  New  York,  and 
parents  of  five  children — Frances,  Almeron, 
Levi,  Libbeus  and  Sarah  E.  (Mrs.  Wylie). 
Orrin  was  born  October  5,  1801,  and  died 
July  4,  1869;  his  wife  was  born  December 
9,  1805,  and  died  July  17,  1856.  Almeron 
attended  the  country  schools,  and  also  one 
term  at  an  academy,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  began  clerking  in  a  country  store, 
working  for  his  board  six  months,  afterward 
receiving  $4  per  month,  and,  after  working 
six  months  at  that  rate,  came  to  Chicago, 
arriving  there  with  only  $1.30  in  his  pocket. 
He  left  Chicago  and  went  to  Aurora,  111., 
where  he  found  his  old  employer,  with  whom 
he  started  for  Iowa.  His  employer,  however, 
bought  land  near  Shabbona  Grove,  De  Kalb 
Co.,  111.,  and  Mr.  Ford  hired  with  him  to 
work  on  the  farm.  He  afterward  engaged  as 
clerk  in  tho  store  of  Mr.  Sutherland,  in  Kan- 
kakee,  111.,  where  he  remained  four  years, 
after  which  he  bought  160  acres  of  raw  prai- 
rie land,  which,  after  farming  two  years,  he 
sold.  He  then  bought  out  Walter  Vanvelzer, 
a  merchant  of  Fullersburg,  where  he  has 
since  carried  on  business,  doing  a  good  trade 
in  dry  goods,  notions,  groceries,  boots  and 
shoes,  etc.,  his  being  the  only  store  in  the 


96 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


place  save  one.  He  was  married,  in  Kanka- 
kee,  November  4,  1857,  to  Angeline  Fuller, 
born  in  New  York  May  2.  1834;  they  have 
four  children — Frank  A.,  Leona  B.,  Carrie 
B.  and  Arthur  M.  Mr.  Ford  has  been  Su 
pervisor,  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  School  j 
Director;  is  now,  and  has  been  for  some  time, 
Notary  Public.  He  has  good  property  on 
Lots  2  and  3  in  this  village,  a  lot  at  We&tern 
Springs,  and  four  acres  of  timber  in  York 
Township,  this  county.  He  is  a  Democrat. 
J.  B.  FINCH,  real  estate,  Hinsdale,  was 
born  in  Sussex  County,  N.  Y.,  March  16, 
1820,  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth^(Crampton) 
Finch,  natives  of  New  Jersey.  John  Finch 
was  of  German  and  French  descent,  and 
served  in  the  war  of  1812;  he  died  at  the  age 
of  eighty-eight  ;  his  wife  was  of  English 
and  Irish  descent;  they  had  eight  children. 
J.  R.  received  a  limited  education  in  his  na- 
tive State,  and  was  apprenticed  to  the  car- 
penter's trade.  At  twenty-two  years  of  age, 
he  engaged  as  solicitor  and  peddler  for 
Wheeler,  France  &  Madden,  a  hardware  and 
tinware  firm,  in  whose  employ  he  remained 
four  years.  In  1842,  he  married  Maria  M. 
Vliet,  of  Warren  County,  N.  Y.,  who  has 
borne  him  six  children;  those  living  are  J. 
Warren,  a  stock  farmer  in  Nebraska;  Joseph 
K.,  a  stock  farmer  in  Smith  County,  Kan.; 
Emma  A.,  -Mrs.  William  Gillett;  and  Em- 
manuel C.,  at  home.  Mr.  Finch  engaged  in 
mercantile  business  for  a  time,  and  afterward, 
with  his  wife  and  two  children,  went  to  Mil- 
ton, Eock  Co.,  Wis.,  and  bought  forty  acres  of 
land,  which,  after  eleven  months,  he  sold  at 
a  profit  of  $300,  which  he  invested  in  land 
warrants,  and  has  since  dealt  in  real  estate. 
He  located  300  acres  in  Wisconsin,  which  he 
exchanged  for  a  hardware  stock  in  Evansville, 
Wis.,  which  he  sold,  and  invested  the  pro- 
ceeds in  land  in  Virginia,  on  which  was  after- 
ward built  the  town  of  Finchville.  He  has 


dealt  in  property  in  Washington,  Philadel- 
phia and  Chicago,  and  now  owns  property  to 
the  amount  of  160,000  or  $70,000.  He  sus- 
tained but  two  actual  losses  in  the  whole 
course  of  his  extensive  transactions.  He 
now  resides  in  Hinsdale.  His  wife  is  a  Meth- 
odist. He  is  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M. 

WESLEY  FELL,  farmer,  P.  O.  Gower,  was 
born  in  Cass,  this  county,  October  24,  1861 ; 
son  of  Joshua  and  Emeline  (Hewitt)  Fell. 
His  mother  was  born  February  22,  1830, 
and  is  the  daughter  of  Orsemus  and  Ida 
(Spaulding)  Hewitt,  natives  of  Ohio;  she  was 
one  of  nine  children,  six  of  whom  are  living. 
Mrs.  Fell's  mother  was  a  school-teacher  in 
her  younger  days,  and  attained  her  knowl- 
edge of  arithmetic  by  ciphering  on  birch 
bark.  She  was  also  a  very  popular  nurse 
among  the  sick  The  grandfather,  Spauld- 
ing, was  a  teacher  of  vocal  music.  The 
father  of  our  subject  is  a  brother  of  Mrs. 
Elijah  Smart,  wife  of  Elijah  Smart,  whose 
sketch  is  in  this  work.  Mrs.  Fell  had,  by  her 
marriage  with  Joshua  Fell,  nine  children, 
five  of  whom  are  living,  viz.,  Alson,  who  is 
married  to  Susan  Bonner,  and  is  a  farmer 
in  Jasper  County,  Ind. ;  Anna;  Carrie;  Ed- 
gar, who  is  with  his  brother  in  Indiana;  and 
Wesley,  our  subject,  who  attends  to  the  old 
homestead.  The  farm  now  consists  of  eighty 
acres  of  well-improved  land.  The  boys  are 
as  energetic  a  class  of  young  men  as  can  be 
found,  and  are  fast  accumulating  means. 
Mrs.  Fell,  the  mother  of  Wesley  Fell,  io  a 
faithful  member  of  the  Methodist  Church,  in 
which  denomination  the  children  are  deeply 
interested. 

GEORGE  FRENCH,  blacksmith,  Hins- 
dale, was  born  in  Denmark  June  21,  1844, 
son  of  George  H.  and  Helena  French,  who 
had  six  children — Christ,  Peter,  Nelson,  Han- 
nah, Christina  and  George  H.  Mr.  French 
attended  school  eight  months  in  each  year 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


97 


until  he  was  sixteen  years  old,  when  he  be- 
gan learning  the  blacksmith's  trade.  He 
came  to  Du  Page  County  in  1872,  engaging 
on  a  farm  in  order  to  learn  the  English  lan- 
guage. In  1875,  he  worked  at  his  trade  in- 
Chicago,  where  he  continued  two  years,  and 
has  since  been  doing  a  fine  business  here, 
making  horseshoeing  a  specialty.  He  was 
married,  in  1873,  to  Mary  Hanson,  a  native 
of  Denmark,  and  by  her  has  one  child,  Hel- 
ena. He  has  two  houses  and  lots  in  this 
place,  worth  about  $3.000,  the  result  of  his 
own  labors.  Is  a  member  of  A.  O.  U.  W. 
He  attends  the  Congregational  Church,  and 
is  one  of  our  leading  citizens.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican. 

GIFFORD  &  BURTT,  butchers,  Hinsdale. 
Prominently  identified  among  the  leading 
firms  of  Hinsdale  is  that  of  Gifford  &  Burtt. 
Mr.  J.  A.  Gifford,  the  senior  member  of  the 
firm,  was  born  September  24, 1834,  in  Benning- 
ton  County,  Vt.,  son  of  Ora  and  Olivia  (Turner) 
Gifi'ord,  and  was  one  of  eight  children — Ly- 
man  H.,  Samuel  L.,  J.  A.,  Lewis  E.,  Sarah 
A  .  Lizzie  H.  and  two  deceased.  Mr.  Gifford 
attended  school  in  the  country  and  one  term 
in  a  select  school.  In  1862,  came  to  Brush 
Hills,  Du  Page  County,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming  and  teaming.  In  1868,  began  a 
meat  market  at  Hinsdale,  continuing  about 
five  years,  and  then  entered  a  general  store 
under  the  firm  name  of  J.  A.  &  Lewis  E. 
Gifford.  The  latter  was  Postmaster.  In 
1873,  Lewis  E.  died,  and  the  business  was 
closed.  In  1877,  our  subject  went  into  the 
meat  market  with  C.  A.  Walker,  who  with- 
drew January  1,  1881,  at  which  time  E.  A. 
Burtt,  the  junior  member  of  the  firm,  stepped 
in.  These  gentlemen  are  doing  a  first-class 
business,  merited  by  their  own  personal  at- 
tention. Mr.  G.  has  never  been  married,  and, 
with  his  sister,  makes  his  home  in  an  elegant 
little  cottage  in  this  place.  He  votes  the 


Democratic  ticket  Mr.  E.  A.  Burtt,  the  jun- 
ior member,  was  born  April  28,  1834,  in 
New  Hampshire;  son  of  Benjamin  and  Lucy 
(Wilson)  Burtt,  the  former  a  native  of  Mas- 
sachusetts and  the  latter  of  New  Hampshire. 
They  were  the  parents  of  three  children, 
viz.,  E.  A.,  G.  H.  and  Frederick,  the  latter 
dying  when  two  years  old.  The  father  was 
a  miller  the  most  of  his  life.  The  parents 
were  Congregationalista.  E.  A.  attended 
school  long  enough  to  obtain  a  good  business 
education.  At  the  age  of  fourteen,  he  began 
learning  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  con- 
tinued until  he  was  twenty-one  years  old,  at 
which  period  he  engaged  for  a  lumber  firm, 
at  Potsdam,  N.  Y.  In  1861,  he  withdrew 
from  that  business,  and  enlisted  in  Company 
E,  New  Hampshire  Volunteer  Sharp  Shoot- 
ers, where  he  remained  till  1862;  he  became 
disabled  at  that  time  by  a  wagon  running 
over  his  ankle,  but,  as  soon  as  able,  he  en- 
gaged as  baggage  master,  brakeman  and  fore- 
man of  the  track-laying  of  the  Concord  & 
Portsmouth  Railroad.  In  1871,  he  came  to 
Hinsdale  and  farmed  a  short  time  with  his 
brother,  afterward  working  in  Ohio.  In  two 
years,  he  returned  to  Hinsdale  and  engaged 
in  butchering,  until  1880,  at  which  time  he 
entered  the  partnership  as  mentioned  above, 
and  with  Mr.  Gifford  he  makes  his  home, 
having  never  married.  He  votes  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket. 

EDWARD  GOODNOUGH,  retired  farmer, 
P.  O.  Downer's  Grove,  was  born  in  Vermont 
August  9,  1803;  son  of  Liberty  and  Susan 
nah  (Barney)  Goodnough,  natives  of  Vermont 
and  parents  of  eleven  children,  of  whom  two 
are  living,  viz.,  Edward  (subject)  and  Ira. 
Subject  attended  one  of  the  log-cabin  school- 
houses  of  that  day,  during  three  months  of 
the  year,  and  worked  on  the  farm.  In  1843, 
he  came  to  Downer's  Grove,  bought  1JO  acres 
of  land,  which  he  farmed  until  1867,  when 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


he  sold  out  and  removed  to  the  village  of 
Downer's  Grove,  where  he  lives  retired  from 
active  business  life.  He  married,  in  .1825, 
Lura  A.  Harmon,  who  has  borne  him  three 
children,  all  living,  viz.,  Harmon,  Antoinette 
(married  Mr.  Trumbull,  and  they  have  one 
child — Florence,  an  efficient  school  teacher), 
and  Ann  Eliza,  now  Mrs.  Alf  Nixon,  of  Austin, 
111.  Mrs.  Goodnough  is  a  daughter  of  David 
and  Adelia  (Overton)  Harmon,  who  were  the 
parents  of  eleven  children,  all  living,  the 
eldest  being  over  eighty,  the'  youngest  over 
sixty-one  years;  they  are  as  follows:  David, 
Samuel,  Lura  A.  (Mrs.  Goodnough),  Eliza, 
Lydia,  Chauncey,  Joseph,  Mary,  Franklin, 
Nancy  and  Joel.  Eliza  Harmon,  Mrs.  Good- 
nough's  sister,  married  Ira  Persons;  came  to 
Downer's  Grove  in  1865;  they  had  two  sons 
— Edwin  and  Chauncey,  the  former  killed  at 
the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  the  latter  at  Bull 
Bun.  Liberty  Goodnough,  subject's  father, 
was  in  the  war  of  1812.  Mr.  Goodnough  and 
wife  have  long  been  members  of  the  Baptist 
Church. 

J.  B.  HAGGARD,  physician  and  surgeon, 
Downer's  Grove,  was  born  in  Clark  County, 
Ky.,  October  29,  1839.  His' parents,  David 
J.  and  Sarah  A.  (Edmonson)  Haggard,  are 
,  natives  of  the  same  State;  they  had  four 
children — J.  B. ;  Sarah,  married  to  James 
Shaw,  farmer  in  Nebraska;  Z.  W.  and  George 
T. ,  farmers  in  Nebraska.  The  parents  are  li v  - 
ing  in  Nebraska.  The  Doctor  came  with  his 
father's  family  to  Scott  County,  III.,  in  1840. 
He  took  an  academic  course  at  Winchester, 
this  State,  and  then  entered  the  popular 
school  at  North  Prairie.  In  August,  1862, 
he  enlisted  in  Company  D,  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-ninth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry, 
and  remained  until  the  close  of  the  war;  was 
a  private,  and  afterward  Hospital  Steward. 
He  began  reading  medicine  in  Scott  County 
with  Drs.  Skilling  and  Brengle.  He  was 


wounded  in  the  left  hip  at  Kennesaw  Mount- 
ain. On  his  return  from  the  war,  he  resumed 
his  studies;  was  elected  County  Superintend- 
ent, which  position  he  took  in  1865.  At- 
tended lectures  at  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.,  and 
Bush  Medical  College,  Chicago,  graduating 
from  the  latter  institution  in  1868.  He  be- 
gan practice  at  Winchester,  111.,  the  season 
before  he  graduated,  and  was  selected  as 

i  County  Physician  for  Scott  County.  In  1869, 
he  located  in  Knox  County,  where  he  met 
with  good  success,  and,  in  1870,  came  to 
Downer's  Grove,  where  he  has  since  remained. 
In  1877,  he  was  elected  County  Superin- 
tendent, which  position  he  filled  with  credit 
for  four  years.  In  Winchester,  Scott  Co., 

!  111.,  September  24,  1867,  he  married  Fannie 
H.  Avery,  a  native  of  that  county,  born  Octo- 
ber 3,  1846.  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Eliza- 
beth (Haxby)  Avery,  he  a  native  of  New 
York,  born  March  19,  1819,  died  in  1866; 

'  she,  a  native  of  England,   still   living,  was 

|  born  in  April,  1825.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Haggard 

!  have  been  blessed  with  four  children — Laura 
A.,  born  November  1,  1868;  David  A.,  born 
June  9,  1870;  Bobert  C.,  born  June  23, 1874; 
and  Balph  Waldo,  born  August  18,  1876. 
The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  Winchester  Lodge, 
No.  105,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M. 

CHAUNCEY  HAEMON,  retired  mechanic, 
Downer's  Grove,  is  a  native  of  Oswego  County, 

|  N.  Y.,  born  April  1,  1813;  son  of  David  and 
Delia  (Overton)  Harmon,  he  a  native  of  Con- 
necticut, born  January  20,  1772,  died  in 
Jefferson  County,  N.  Y.,  August  7,  1859, 
where  his  wife,  born  March  18, 1782,  who  was  a 
native  of  Long  Island,  also  died,  July  2, 1841; 

!  they  were  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  all 
living;  the  eldest  being  over  eighty  years,  the 
youngest  over  sixty-two  years  of  age,  named  as 

|  follows:  David,  Samuel,  Lura,  Ann  Eliza, 
Lydia,  O.  J.,  Chauncey,  Joseph  W.,  Mary,  Ben- 
jamin and  Nancy  J.  Chauncey  attended  a  pri- 


BOWNEK'S  GROVE  TOWXSHIP 


vate  school  in  Massachusetts  for  a  year,  and, 
while  quite  young,  went  on  a  whaling  voyage 
to  the  Indian  Ocean.  He  afterward  engaged  in 
railroading  on  the  Richmond,  Fredericksburg 
&  Potomac  Railroad  as  an  engineer,  having 
learned  to  ran  an  engine  while  in  a  machine 
shop,  and,  after  being  on  that  road  about  two 
years,  transf erred  to  the  Great  South  Carolina 
Railroad,  from  Charleston  to  Augusta,  and,  af- 
ter one  season,  engaged  on  the  Alabama,  Mem- 
phis &  Charleston  Railroad  for  nine  years. 
He  then  traveled  for  about  four  years,  and,  in 
1842,  located  in  Downer's  Grove  and  engaged 
in  carpentering,  building  houses,  railroad 
bridges,  etc.  He  married,  November  6, 1850, 
Mary  L.  Rogers,  sister  of  J.  W.  and  Capt. 
Rogers,  of  this  place,  and  from  this  union 
two  children  have  been  born — Isabel  A.,  wife 
of  J.  W.  Tucker,  of  Aurora,  and  Velonia, 
wife  of  E.  H.  Andrews,  corresponding  clerk 
of  the  Northwestern  Bank,  Chicago.  Mrs. 
Andrews  is  engaged  in  the  millinery  business 
in  this  place,  and  has  a  large  patronage. 
Mr.  Harmon  is  a  Republican;  his  parents  were 
active  members  of  the  Baptist  Church. 

J.  HULANISKI,  real  estate  and  building 
material  dealer,  Hinsdale,  was  born  in  1839, 
in  Chicago,  and  is  the  son  of  Julian  and  Mar- 
cia  (Tuttle)  Hulaniski,  the  former  a  native  of 
Poland,  and  the  latter  of  New  York  State. 
The  father  graduated  at  the  Warsaw  Poland 
University;  was  a  Colonel  in  the  battle  of 
Warsaw  in  1833,  soon  after  which  engage- 
ment he  was  banished  to  this  country,  thus 
being  robbed  of  a  vast  fortune.  Upon  arriv- 
ing in  this  country,  he  engaged  in  civil  en- 
gineering in  New  York  State;  he  was  also  at 
one  time  Professor  of  Languages  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Richmond  in  Virginia.  After  this, 
he  was  engaged  in  civil  engineering  in  Keo- 
kuk,  Iowa,  where  he  was  living  with  his  fam- 
ily at  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1855;  he  had 
seven  children,  five  of  whom  are  living,  viz., 


Julian,  Polonia,  Thaddeus,  Edmund  and 
Frederick.  Our  subject  obtained  a  good 
business  and  literary  education  at  Keokuk, 
Iowa,  where  he  spent  a  portion  of  his  younger 
days  in  civil  engineering  with  his  father.  In 
1861,  subject  entered  the  Chicago  Post  Office; 
where  he  remained  two  years  under  P.  M. 
Scrips.  In  1863,  he  became  chief  clerk  of 
the  general  freight  department  at  the  Canal 
depot  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy 
Railroad  in  Chicago,  which  position  he  held 
ten  years.  From  this  time,  he  held  various 
positions  in  railroading,  until  June  1,  1882, 
when  he  withdrew,  and,  August  1,  started  bis 
present  business  at  Hinsdale.  He  is  doing 
some  building,  as  well  as  dealing  in  lime, 
cement,  brick,  lumber  and  real  estate.  In 
1861,  he  married  Miss  Fannie  Hugunin,  by 
whom  he  has  one  child — Dora,  who  keeps 
j  house  for  him,  her  mother  having  died  in 
1871.  In  1869,  Mr.  Hulaniski  bought  his 
present  property  and  erected  buildings  at 
Hinsdale,  where  he  is  one  of  the  Village  Trust- 
ees. His  daughter  is  a  Congregational  ist; 
he  is  a  Unitarian,  and  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Village  Trustees. 

WILLIAM  J.  HEARTT,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Downer's  Grove,  was  born  December  2,  1812, 
in  New  York  State;  is  the  son  of  Daniel  and 
Jane  (Calander)  Heartt,  who  came  to  Illinois 
in  1838.  In  1845,  the  family  moved  to  this 
township,  and  bought  120  acres  of  land, 
known  as  the  "Covely  farm;"  here  they  re- 
mained but  a  few  years,  when  they  returned 
to  Chicago.  There,  subject's  father,  who 
had  been  Deputy  Sheriff  and  Constable  many 
years,  died.  Subject's  mother  is  still  hale 
and  hearty  at  the  age  of  ninety-three.  Will- 
iam attended  school  until  fourteen  years  of 
age,  when  he  began  working  in  a  harness  shop 
in  Massachusetts,  he  having  partly  learned 
that  trade  with  his  father.  Here  he  remained 
until  1837,  when  he  came  to  Pike  County, 


100 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


111.,  where  he  built  a  harness  shop  of  his 
own.  In  1840,  he  located  in  Chicago,  where 
he  ran  a  "  stage  wagon, "  carrying  passengers 
to  different  parts  of  the  country.  Here  he 
remained  two  years,  when  he  located  on  a 
farm  in  this  county.  Two  years  later,  he 
bought  133  acres  of  land,  a  part  of  his  pres- 
ert  well-improved  farm  of  180  acres.  In 
1839,  Mr.  Heartt  married  Susan  B.  Roberts, 
daughter  of  John  and  Sallie  (Davis)  Roberts, 
natives  of  New  Hampshire,  who  settled  in 
Canada,  where  Mrs.  Heartt  was  born  in  1821. 
Her  parents  came  to  Pike  County,  111.,  in 

1836.  They  both  died  in  1874,  were  promi- 
nent Methodists,  he  being  a  class  leader  forty 
years.     Mr.  and  Mrs.    Heartt  have  thirteen 
children — -George  B.,  Mary  J.,  Edwin,  Em- 
ma,   John,    Jerusha,    Smith,    Sarah,    Emily, 
Chester,  Rolla,  Frank  and  Ira.     George  and 
Edwin  served  during  the  late  war,  the  former 
in  Company  B,  Thirty-third  Illinois  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  the  latter  in  the  Seventeenth 
Illinois  Volunteer  Cavalry.      Mr.  Heartt  is 
one  of    the    early  pioneers.       On  his    farm 
stands  a  cabin,  10x12,  which  was  the   first 
schoolhouse  in  this  neighborhood.     Mr.  and 
Mrs.  H.  are  members  of  the  M.  E.  Church, 
of  which  Mr.  H.  is  a  Trustee. 

GEORGE  HOFFMIRE,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Lemon t,  Cook  County,  was  born  March  5, 
1807,  in  Germany,  son  of  L.  and  Mary  (Brin- 
kle)  Hoffmire,  who  were  the  parents  of  six 
children — Joseph,  George,  Leonard,  Mary, 
Abbie  and  Julia  Our  subject  attended 
school  very  little,  but  has  managed  to  acquire 
sufficient  education  to  fit  him  for  the  transac- 
tion of  all  necessary  business,  and  has  that 
which  is  ofttimes  more  valuable  to  a  man 
than  "book  larnin" — common  sense.  In 

1837,  he  was  married  to  Susan  Hoffman,  and 
has  five  children — Abbie,  Vila,  John,   Nick 
and  Charlie;  they  came  to  Illinois  in  1837, 
when  he  worked  by  the  day  at  any  kind  of 


labor  on  farms.  In  1875,  he  bought  112 
acres,  his  present  farm  in  Will  County, 
which  is  highly  improved.  Himself  and 
wife  are  members  of  the  German  Church  at 
Lemont. 

WENDEL  HIX,  butcher,  Hinsdale,  was 
born  June  9,  1832,  in  Germany;  is  a  son  of 
John  and  Barbara  (Raerich)  Hix,  natives  of 
Germany;  she  came  here  in  1863,  and  died 
at  the  home  of  our  subject;  he  died  in  his 
native  country.  Mr.  Hix  is  one  of  ten  chil- 
dren, three  of  whom  are  living.  After  at- 
tending school  eight  years'  in  his  native 
country,  our  subject  was  engaged  in  farming 
and  butchering.  He  came  to  New  York  in 
1852,  and  remained  there  till  1854,  when  he 
opened  a  butcher  shop  in  Naperville,  Du 
Page  County.  Here  he  remained  until  1880, 
when  he  begau  the  business  at  Hinsdale, 
si  ace  following  the  same,  having  a  large 
patronage  at  the  present  time.  He  has  been 
engaged  in  this  business  all  his  life,  and  but 
few  are  as  well  posted  in  the  same  as  he.  In 
1855,  he  was  married  to  Josephine  Loos,  a 
native  of  France.  She  bore  him  eight  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  survive.  They  are  Richard, 
Louisa,  France,  Peter,  John,  Mary,  Willie 
and  Josephine.  His  consort  died  in  1877, 
and,  in  1880,  he  married  Mrs.  Caroline  Ditz, 
who  had  been  a  resident  of  Hinsdale  since 
1870.  She  came  to  this  country  in  1857,  and 
settled  in  Chicago,  where  her  former  husband 
was  engaged  in  a  planing  mill.  Mrs.  Hix  is 
a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  Mr. 
Hix  is  a  Catholic,  and  votes  the  Democratic 
ticket. 

MITCHELL  HEINTZ,  harness,  Downer's 
Grove,  was  born  January  5,  1842,  in  France, 
now  a  portion  of  the  German  Empire,  son  of 
Mitchell  and  Catharine  Heintz,  who  were 
the  parents  of  nine  children,  all  living — 
Catharine,  George,  Ellen,  Mitchell,  Mary, 
Sarah,  Frederick,  Christian  and  Charles. 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


101 


The  whole  family  came  to  this  country  in 
1851,  landing  at  New  Orleans,  whence  they 
came  to  Chicago  and  from  there  to  Naper- 
ville,  where  they  rented  land  for  two  years, 
and  then  bought  forty  acres  in  Downer's 
Grove  Township.  The  father  and  mother 
died  within  one  year  of  each  other.  Our 
subject  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  this 
county,  and  began  farming.  In  1861,  he 
enlisted  for  the  three-months  service,  in  the 
Thirteenth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  but 
remained  two  years.  Was  wounded  at  Vicks- 
burg  by  a  shell,  from  which  he  lost  an  arm. 
In  1871,  he  was  married  to  Catharine  Mich- 
el, who  has  borne  four  children,  only  one  of 
whom  is  living — "William  Fred.  Mr.  Heintz 
went  into  the  manufacture  of  harness  at 
Downer's  Grove  with  George  E.  Downer, 
and  is  doing  a  good  business.  He  also  has 
a  farm  of  eighty  acres,  well  improved,  also 
house  and  lot  in  Downer's  Grove.  Him- 
self and  wife  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
Church,  and  he  is  a  Republican.  Mrs. 
Heintz's  parents  were  natives  of  Germany; 
they  had  five  children — Thomas,  Catharine, 
Julia,  Mary,  and  Eva  (dead).  They  were 
also  Lutherans. 

HENRY  HOGREFE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Gow- 
er,  was  born  in  Germany  in  1841,  and  is  a 
son  of  Frederick  and  Mary  Hogrefe,  the  lat- 
ter dying  when  the  subject  was  quite  small. 
The  father  lives  in  this  county  with  his  chil- 
dren When  thirteen  years  of  age,  our  sub- 
ject came  to  America  with  his  father,  and  for 
two  years  lived  with  his  uncle  Bermen.  He 
then  commenced  work  for  Mr.  Mendel  (his 
present  brother-in-law),  where  he  remained 
ten  years.  In  1872,  he  settled  on  his  present 
farm  of  160  acres.  In  1863,  he  married 
Mena  Hasamier,  by  whom  he  has  six  chil- 
dren, viz.,  Willie,  Henry,  Louise,  Sophia, 
Jacob  and  Emma.  Subject  and  wife  are 
Lutherans.  He  has  been  School  Director. 


JACOB  JEANS,  farmer,  P.  O.  Gower, 
was  born  in  England  July  31,  1821;  is  the 
son  of  Charles  and  Keziah  (Williams)  Jeans, 
natives  of  England,  and  Episcopalians.  Our 
subject  closed  his  school  days  when  twelve 
years  old,  and  commenced  to  work  in  the 
blacksmith  shop  with  his  father;  he  also 
learned  the  shoemaker's  trade.  He  came  to 
Illinois  in  1847  with  Judge  Morey,  Henry 
Dike  and  others.  The  company  landed  in 
Chicago,  and  our  subject  began  working  for 
a  commission  merchant.  In  1848,  Mr.  Jeans 
was  married  to  Mary  Coan,  and  settled  at 
North  Branch;  sixteen  miles  from  Chicago, 
where  they  rented  land  for  two  years,  after- 
ward renting  at  Romer.  In  1852,  our  sub- 
ject bought  eighty  acres  of  land,  a  part  of  the 
lOOf  acres  of  fine  land  upon  which  he  now 
lives.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jeans  have  had  seven 
children,  five  living — Mary  A.,  Harriet,  Cath- 
arine, William  C.  and  Jacob  T.  Mr.  Jeans 
has  plowed  with  the  ox  team,  and  experi- 
enced all  the  hardships  of  pioneer  life. 
About  nineteen  years  ago,  he  lost  his  health, 
and  has  since  been  an  invalid.  Notwithstand- 
ing this,  he  takes  a  deep  interest  in  general 
improvements,  literary  productions,  etc. 

MRS.  A.  P.  KENNEDY,  Hinsdale,  was 
born  in  Tompkins  County,  N.  Y.,  November 
11,  1833,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  A. 
(Slater)  Sears,  he  a  native  of  Connecticut 
and  she  of  New  York;  her  parents  settled  in 
Lake  County,  111.,  in  1845,  where  her  father 
had  purchased  land  in  1840,  with  the  view 
of  getting  his  sons  interested  in  rural  life, 
yet  they  all  sought  other  occupations;  her 
father  graduated  at  college  and  early  began 
labor  as  a  minister  of  the  Baptist  Church, 
whiqh  he  continued  until  his  death,  in  Iowa, 
at  the  age  of  sixty- one.  Almost  immediately 
after  marriage,  he  and  his  wife  were  sent  to 
Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  as  missionaries  among  the 
Indians.  The  father  of  Mr.  Sears  was  also 


102 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


a  minister,  and  for  a  time  assisted  his  son  at 
Fort  Wayne,  after  which  he  returned  to  Ohio 
and  died  there.  The  mother  of  our  subject 
survived  her  husband  several  years;  after 
selling  the  old  homestead,  she  located  in  De- 
troit, Mich.,  where  she  died  at  the  age  of 
seventy-one.  Their  union  resulted  in  eight 
children,  as  follows:  Eliza,  Olivia,  Anna,  J. 
J.  (deceased),  Lucy,  Harriet,  Sarah  and  Asa. 
Mrs.  Kennedy  was  married  in  1866  to  A.  P. 
Kennedy,  of  Saratoga  County,  N.  Y. ;  he  was 
born  in  1814  and  was  the  son  of  Lanson  and 
Electa  (Kellogg)  Kennedy.  Subject's  hus- 
band was  an  early  settler  of  De  Kalb  County, 
having  come  there  in  1840;  was  a  member  of 
the  First  Congregational  Church  of  Chicago. 
May  2,  1881,  while  the  family  were  residing 
at  Downer's  Grove,  Mr.  Kennedy  fell  into  a 
well  and  was  drowned.  Mrs.  Kennedy  has 
four  children — Lina,  Asa  S.,  Grace  and  Carl 
S. ;  she  now  resides  in  a  beautiful  residence 
in  this  village,  possessed  of  an  abundance  of 
this  world's  goods,'  sufficient  for  the  comfort 
and  happiness  of  herself  and  children  through 
life. 

VALENTINE  KLINE,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Gower,  was  born  in  Germany  in  1815,  and 
is  a  son  of  Valentine  and  Margaret  Kline, 
residents  of  Germany.  Subject  attended 
school  until  fourteen  years  of  age,  when  he 
commenced  to  work  at  farming,  which  he 
continued  until  1845,  when  he  emigrated  to 
this  country.  Soon  after  landing,  he  was 
married,  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  to  Sallie  Shupp, 
who  came  over  in  the  same  vessel  with  sub- 
ject. Soon  after  marriage,  they  settled  in 
Du  Page  County,  where  they  worked  by  the 
month  until  1846,  when  they  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land.  This  has  been  added 
to  until  now  Mr.  Kline  has  120  acres  of  well- 
improved  land,  the  result  of  his  own  labor. 
In  connection  with  his  farming,  he  raises  a 


are  the  parents  of  four  children,  viz.,  Sally, 
Mrs.  Jacob  Lehman;  Frederick;  Magdalena, 
Mrs.  Lawrence  Vix,  living  in  Nebraska,  and 
Catharine.  They  are  all  members  of  the 
Lutheran  Church.  Mr.  Kline  is  a  Republi- 
can. 

DAVID  KLINE,  merchant,  Downer's 
Grove,  was  born  May  20,  1838,  in  Alsace, 
France  (now  Germany),  son  of  David  and 
Catharine  (Wickersham)  Kline,  natives  of 
Europe.  David  Kline,  subject's  farmer,  emi- 
grated with  his  family  to  America  and  settled 
in  this  county  in  1853,  where  he  bought  125 
acres  of  land;  he  died  in  1871,  his  wife  in 
1853;  they  were  the  parents  of  nine  children. 
Subject  received  an  ordinary  education,  and 
worked  on  the  farm  till  1863,  when  he  en- 
listed in  Company  C,  Sixty-fourth  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  about  two 
years,  participating  in  the  battles  of  the 
campaign  from  Dallas,  Ga.,  to  Atlanta,  Ga. ; 
in  the  battle  at  the  latter  place,  July  22, 
1864,  he  lost  his  left  leg,  which  was  taken  off 
above  the  knee.  He  engaged  in  the  grocery 
business  in  1868;  afterward  took  J.  W.  La- 
selle  in  partnership  for  four  years;  then  with- 
drew for  about  two  years  and  Lasalle  moving 
the  goods,  Mr.  Kline  put  in  a  full  line  of 
goods  in  his  present  building;  he  carries  a 
general  stock  and  does  a  good  trade.  He 
married,  in  1875,  Miss  Lena  Heintz,  who 
has  borne  him  three  children,  viz.,  Edwin, 
Albert  and  George,  he  also  had  by  a  former 
marriage  one  child — Rosa.  He  has  filled  the 
office  of  Trustee;  he  is  a  Republican;  polled 
his  first  vote  for  Lincoln.  Mr.  Kline  attends 
strictly  to  business  himself;  is  a  pleasant, 
genial  gentleman,  and  enjoys  the  confidence 
of  all;  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Lutheran  Church. 

KLINE    BROTHERS,     farmers,    P.     O. 
Downer's  Grove.     John  and  Mathias  Kline 


good  many  fine  cattle.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kline  ar       among  the  leading  farmers  of  this  town- 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


103 


ship;  they  are  the  sons  of  David  and  Catha- 
rine (Wickersham)  Kline,  natives  of  Alsace, 
Germany;  they  came  here  in  1854,  settling 
where  the  subjects  now  live;  here  the  father 
died  in  1870,  the  mother  having  died  with 
cholera  at  Chicago  just  before  the  family  came 
to  this  county;  the  parents  were  Lutherans 
and  had  twelve  children,  nine  of  whom  grew 
up,  viz.,  Catharine  (Mrs.  Shuster),  Mary  (Mrs. 
Storm),  David,  Jacob,  John,  Mathias,  Sarah 
and  Caroline.  The  subjects  of  this  biogra- 
phy have  never  married,  and  their  two 
youngest  sisters  are  keeping  house  for  them. 
They  are  making  a  specialty  of  Durham  cattle 
on  their  elegant  little  farm;  they  vote  the 
Republican  ticket. 

WILLIAM. C.  KESSER,  farmer,  Lemont, 
Cook  County,  was  born  December  18,  1847, 
in  Blair  County,  Penn.,  son  of  Valentine  and 
Martha  (Brower)  Kesser,  natives  of  Germany, 
who  came  to  America  in  1842,  and  settled  in 
Pennsylvania,  but  afterward  removed  to  Lock- 
port,  Will  County;  they  had  eight  children, 
six  of  whom  are  living  —  William,  Sarah, 
Martha,  Alice,  Emma  and  Sylvester.  The 
father  is  dead,  but  the  mother  is  living  with 
subject.  Mr.  Kesser  has  always  followed 
farming,  with  the  exception  of  one  year, 
which  he  spent  as  a  traveling  salesman  for  a 
Cincinnati  tobacco  house;  he  is  unmarried, 
and  lives  with  his  mother  and  sister  Emma; 
they  have  fifty-five  acres  of  land  in  Will 
County,  and  twenty- eight  acres  of  timber  at 
another  point;  makes  some  specialty  in  rais- 
ing Clydesdale  stock.  His  father  was  a  shoe- 
maker, and  had  a  shop  on  the  farm.  The 
family  have  acquired  their  property  since 
they  came  here,  and  are  industrious  and  fru- 
gal. 

HENRY  M.  LYMAN,  farmer,  P.  O.  Dow- 
ner's Grove,  was  born  in  Vernon,  Oneida  Co. , 
N.  Y.,  October  27,  1821,  and  is  a  son  of 
Orange  and  Marcia  (Dewey)  Lyman.  Orange 


Lyman  was  born  in  New  Hartford,  Litchfield 
Co.,  Conn.,  July  26,  1781;  died  at  Downer's 
Grove  July  16,  1851,  and  was  buried  at  Na- 
perville;  his  wife  was  born  in  Sheffield,  Mass., 
April  30,  1796,  died  in  Iowa  January  9, 
1873.  Mr.  Lyman  removed  with  his  parents 
to  Chicago  in  1838,  and,  the  following  year, 
came  to  Downer's  Grove  Township.  He  at- 
tended school  in  Ohio,  in  which  State  his 
parents  lived  for  several  years,  and,  at  the 
age  of  seventeen,  began  teaching  school  in 
Will  County,  111.,  Judge  Williams,  of  Chi- 
cago, being  one  of  his  pupils.  In  Painesville, 
Lake  Co.,  Ohio,  September  18,  1850,  he  mar- 
sied  Lovancia  Pease,  born  in  Madison,  Ohio, 
December  23,  1821,  daughter  of  George  and 
Lucinda  (Campbell)  •  Pease,  natives  of  Con- 
necticut and  parents  of  six  children,  viz., 
Lovern,  Lovancia,  Carlos  C.,  Lauren  S., 
Sarah  B.  and  Granville  W.  Mrs.  L's  mother 
was  a  distant  relative  of  the  poet  Campbell. 
She  was  educated  at  Oberlin  College,  and 
taught  school  for  several  terms  in  Lake 
County,  Ohio.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lyman  are  the 
parents  of  two  children:  Sarah  Estella  and 
Walter  Campbell.  Our  subject  has  265  ares 
of  well-improved  land,  on  which  he  makes  u 
specialty  of  raising  Durham  cattle;  he  brought 
his  stock  here  over  thirty  years  ago;  he  was 
one  of  the  first  Road  Commissioners  of  this 
township,  the  most  of  the  early  records  of 
which  were  written  by  him;  he  was  chosen 
Foreman,  by  Judge  Blodgett,  of  the  United 
States  Grand  Jury  of  this  district  in  the 
great  whisky  prosecution.  He  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Congregational  Church; 
he  is  a  stanch  Republican.  Mr.  Lyman's 
parents,  Rev.  Orange  and  Marcia  (Dewey) 
Lyman,  were  among  the  early  settlers  here. 
Our  subject  is  one  of  seven  children,  viz., 
Stephen  D.,  Cornelia,  Henry  M.,  Thomas, 
Euratas,  Mary  E.  and  Edward.  In  the  pos- 
session of  Mr.  Lyman  is  a  barrel  which  was 


104 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


shipped  to  the  family  over  forty  years  ago,  by 
some  of  the  relatives,  containing  dried  apples, 
and  a  bag  of  specie,  with  which  "coin"  they 
paid  for  their  first  piece  of  land,  a  part  of 
the  old  homestead. 

THOMAS  LYMAN,  real  estate  dealer,  Chi- 
cago, Downer's  Grove,  was  born  in  1824 ;  son  of 
Rev.  O  and  Marcia  (Dewey)  Lyman,  he  a  na- 
tive of  Connecticut,  she  of  Sheffield,  Mass. ;  they 
came  to  Downer's  Grove  Township  in  1839. 
Subject's  father  was  a  Congregational  minis- 
ter, and  was  one  of  the  first  clergymen  in 
Downer's  Grove,  where  he  died  in  1851;  his 
wife  died  in  Iowa  in  1873;  they  were  the 
parents  of  seven  children,  three  of  whom  are 
living.  Mr.  Lyman  received  his  education  in 
the  East  and  at  Chicago,  and,  at  the  age  of 
nineteen  years,  entered  a  store  as  clerk 
When  twenty-three  years  old,  he,  in  company 
with  his  brother  Stephen,  opened  a  store  at 
Rockton,  111.,  thence  removed  to  Iowa,  re- 
maining in  business  there  eight  years;  he 
then  engaged  for  ten  years  as  real  estate 
agent  in  Chicago  for  parties  in  the  East,  and 
represented  for  many  years  more  property  be- 
longing to  Boston  capitalists  than  any  other 
dealer  in  Chicago.  For  the  last  seventeen 
years,  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  general 
real  estate  business  on  his  own  account,  and 
owns  a  great  deal  of  property  in  Chicago;  he 
built  Portland  Block,  one  of  the  best  in  Chi- 
cago. In  1847,  he  married  Miss  P.  Clark,  of 
Ashtabula  County,  Ohio;  they  have  had  one 
child — Bessie,  wife  of  R.  Giddings,  who  is 
in  business  with  Mr.  Lyman,  with  whom 
they  reside.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Giddings  have 
one  child — Edward  R.  Mr.  Lyman  attends 
very  closely  to  his  business,  in  thirty-eight 
years  not  having  lost  more  than  two  months' 
time  from  actual  business,  save  a  few  weeks' 
vacation  each  year;  he  settled  at  his  present 
place,  in  Downer's  Grove,  in  1867,  where  he 
has  a  fine  residence.  He  is  well  known 


throughout  the  United  States  as  a  dealer  and 
breeder  of  fine  Jersey  cattle.  Mr.  Lyman 
was  originally  a  Whig,  now  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican. 

R.  LYMAN,  farmer,  P.   O.  Lemont,  Cook 
County,  was  born  in  Massachusetts  in  1824; 
his  father,  Liberty,  was  born  in   1794,   and 
his  mother,  Lucinda  (Sikes)  Lyman,  in  1796; 
they  were  natives  of  Massachusetts,  and  set- 
tled in  Michigan,  where  the  father  died  in 
1863;  the  mother  of  subject  is  still  living; 
they  were  the  parents  of  ten  children.     At 
the  age  of  twenty-two,  our  subject  started  on 
foot  for  the  Southwest,  with  only  $10;  this 
soon  gave  out,  and  he  then  chopped  wood 
and  logs  for  a  time;  he  finally  came  to  Le- 
mont, 111. ,  where  he  took  charge  of  a  squad 
of  men  employed  in  constructing  the  Illinois 
&  Michigan  Canal.     In  1850,  he  engaged  in 
mining  and  the   lumber  business   in  Califor- 
nia,  which  he    continued  sixteen  years;  he 
was  married,  in  1856,  to  Mary  G.,  daughter 
of  George  W.  and  Adaline  M.  (Sharp)  Alder- 
man, who  came  to  Illinois  in  1838,  settling 
where  subject  now  resides,  he  dying  in  June, 
1879,  she  in  June,  1875.     He  returned  from 
California   in    1866,   and   farmed   here   two 
years;  then  went  back  to  California,  where 
he  stayed  four  years,  then  made  his  final  set- 
tlement on  the  present   farm    in   Downer's 
Grove   Township,   containing  167    acres   of 
land,  in  Sections  6  and  7.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ly- 
man are  the  parents  of  eight  children,  six  of 
whom  survive,  viz. ,  George  L. ,  Marua  (Mrs. 
A.  Bannister),  Henry  M.,  Nellie  S. ,  Zolia  B. 
and  Sylvester  A.     Mr.  Lyman  was  Supervisor 
while  in  California;  heisa  Republican.     He 
is  making  a  specialty  of   Holstein  cattle  and 
Poland-China  hogs. 

THOMAS  LAMB,  retired  farmer,  P.  O. 
Downer's  Grove,  was  born  in  Hancock, Berk- 
shire Co.,  Mass.,  May  12,  1814;  only  son  of 
Phineas  and  Eunice  (Howe)  Lamb,  he  born 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


105 


in  Canada,  she  in  Massachusetts.  Phineas 
Lamb  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade,  and  died  in 
1816;  his  widow  married  Dennis  Eggleston, 
whom  she  bore  four  children.  By  a  marriage 
prior  to  that  with  subject's  father,  she  had 
one  child — Lothrop  Smith.  Thomas  received 
a  fair  education  in  the  country  schools,  and, 
at  the  age  of  eleven  years,  went  to  live  with 
Mr.  Samuel  W.  Wilson,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained till  he  was  twenty-three  years  old. 
In  1844,  he  came  to  Kendall  County,  111., 
bought  100  acres  of  land,  which  he  farmed 
for  seven  years;  thence  moved  to  De  Kalb 
County,  111.,  bought  land  and  remained  on 
it  three  years;  thence  to  Iowa,  where  he  in- 
vested in  land,  which  he  farmed  eleven  years. 
From  Iowa,  he  moved,  in  1865,  to  Lisle 
Township,  this  county,  where  he  bought  a 
well-improved  farm  of  160  acres,  where  he 
remained  till  1877,  when  he  retired  from 
farm  life  and  came  to  Downer's  Grove,  where 
he  has  since  resided.  He  married,  in  1835, 
Ellis  Jenks  (sister  of  Mrs.  Austin),  born  in 
Massachusetts  December  24,  1816;  they  had 
six  children,  of  whom  only  one  is  living — 
Milton,  married  Luella  Roe,  living  on  hisfarm; 
Palmer  W.  (deceased),  Thomas  P.  (deceased), 
Benjamin  F.,  died  in  Company  E,  Thirteenth 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry;  William  H., 
died  in  Company  H,  Seventh  Illinois  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  and  Charles  A.,  died  in  1881. 
Mr.  Lamb  is  a  Republican;  his  wife  is  a 
member  of  the  M.  E.  Church. 

GEORGE  LITTLEFORD,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Gower,  was  born  in  England  March  1,  1825; 
is  a  son  of  Reuben  and  Maria  (Hoar)  Little- 
ford,  natives  of  England,  and  parents  of 
seven  children;  his  father  was  a  hotel-keeper 
aud  farmer;  he  and  his  wife  were  both  Epis- 
copalians. Our  subject  attended  school  in 
those  days  when  each  pupil  was  obliged  to 
carry  fourpence  every  Monday  morning,  with 
which  to  pay  for  the  week's  schooling.  In 


1845,  he,  with  his  brother  William,  came  to 
America;  worked  at  farming  in  several  States 
until  1859,  when  they  bought  eighty  acres  of 
land,  a  part  of  our  subject's  present  farm  of 
240  acres.  Here  lie  began  labor  with  ox 
teams.  In  1851,  Mr.  Littleford  was  married 
to  Ann  Jones,  daughter  of  George  and  Ann 
(Leonard)  Jones,  born  May  17,  1830,  and  is  one 
of  a  family  of  eight  children.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Littleford  have  had  ten  children — Eliza  and 
Sydney,  deceased;  George  E.,  teacher  at  La 
Grange,  111.;  Reuben  H. ,  a  butcher;  Frank, 
Jackson,  Ann,  James,  Effie  and  Lottie,  still 
living.  Our  subject  and  wife  and  their  sons 
George  and  Frank  are  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Church  at  Cass. 

JACOB  LEHMANN,  farmer,  P.  O.  Gower, 
was  born  in  1839  in  Germany,  and  is  a  son  of 
Henry  and  Eva  Lehmann,  who  came  to  York 
Township,  Du  Page  County,  in  1858,  after 
residing  in  the  State  of  New  York  one  year. 
The  father  is  dead,  and  the  mother  lives  with 
her  son  Henry.  Our  subject  attended  school 
a  very  little,  and  worked  at  farming  while  in 
Germany.  In  1862,  he  married  Sallie  Kline, 
by  whom  he  has  six  children,  viz.,  Jacob, 
Sallie,  George,  Fred,  Louis  and  Valentine. 
Mr.  Lehmann  has  eighty-seven  acres  of  well- 
improved  land  as  a  result  of  his  labors;  he 
raises  some  fine  cattle.  He  and  his  wife  are 
active  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church;  he 
has  been  Pathmaster,  and  is  now  School  Di- 
rector. Subject's  eldest  son,  Jacob,  is  in 
partnership  with  John  Listen  in  blacksmith- 
ing,  and  they  are  doing  a  fine  business  in 
Downer's  Grove  Township,  at  the  junction  of 
the  Plainfield  and  Naperville  roads. 

J.  C.  MERRICK,  physician  and  surgeon, 
Hinsdale,  was  born  April  21,  1842,  in  Wai- 
worth  County,  Wis. ;  son  of  A.  L.  and  C.  P. 
(Cook)  Merrick,  natives  of  New  York  and 
Massachusetts  respectively;  he  living  in  Wis- 
consin; she  died  in  1855;  they  were  the  par- 


106 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


ents  of  seven  children.  The  Doctor  attended 
the  district  schools  in  the  winters,  until  he 
was  about  eighteen  years  old,  when  he  en- 
tered the  public  schools  of  Burlington,  Wis., 
•  attending  two  terms;  then  attended  Todd's 
Seminary,  at  Woodstock,  McHenry  Co.,  111., 
two  terms,  and  afterward  entered  the  Beloit 
College,  where  be  completed  his  studio's  in 
the  scientific  course  and  Latin;  he  then  read 
medicine  with  Dr.  G.  F.  Newell,  of  Water- 
ford,  Racine  County,  for  three  years,  attend- 
ing in  the  meantime  the  Rush  Medical  Col- 
lege, Chicago,  from  which  he  graduated  with 
high  honors,  in  January,  1869;  he  at  once 
began  to  practice  his  profession,  near  Mil- 
waukee, and  at  the  end  of  a  year  entered 
the  celebrated  Bellevue  Hospital  College  for 
five  months,  locating  afterward  at  Burlington, 
Wis.,  where  he  remained  three  years,  meeting 
with  success.  In  December,  1871,  he  located 
in  Hinsdale,  where  he  has  a  lucrative  prac- 
tice; he  kept  a  drug  store  here  for  several 
years,  which  he  lately  sold  to  William  Ever- 
enden;  he  was  married,  in  1868,  to  Louise 
Weage,  of  Wisconsin,  who  has  borne  him 
three  children — Harry  A.,  Fred  A.  and  one 
dead  He  is  a  member,  and  also  medical  ex- 
aminer, of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  is  now  serv- 
ing as  Village  Trustee. 

JOHN  MACKINDER,  retired  farmer,  P. 
O.  Hinsdale,  is  a  native  of  England,  born 
July  26,  1813;  son  of  John  and  Ann  (Black-- 
burn)  Mackinder,  who  were  the  parents  of 
seven  children — Mary  (Mrs.  William  Banks), 
John,  Elizabeth  (Mrs.  George  Taylor),  Rich- 
ard, Ann  (2),  Joseph  and  Edward.  His  par- 
ents were  members  of  the  Episcopal  Church. 
Mr.  Mackinder  received  a  limited  education, 
and  began  life  working  on  a  farm;  he  came 
to  Chicago,  111.,  in  1851,  thence  to  Fullers- 
burg,  this  county,  where  he  bought  eighty 
acres  of  land,  which,  after  five  years,  he  sold 
out  and  bought  100  acres  in  Cass,  where  he 


remained  several  years,  and  then  invested  in 
property  in  Fullersburg,  where  he  has  since 
resided.  In  1833,  he  married  Lydia,  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Lydia  Cross,  natives  of  En- 
gland; from  this  union  eight  children  have 
been  born — Mary  A.  (Mrs.  John  Fuller), 
Elizabeth  (deceased),  Ellen  (Mrs.  Morrell 
Fuller),  Jane  (Mrs.  Cyrus  Fetterman),  John, 
Edward  (deceased),  Emma  (deceased)  and 
Susan  (Mrs.  Robert  Chilvers).  Mrs.  Mack- 
inder died  September  7,  187-,  since  which 
time  Mr.  Mackinder  has  resided  with 
Mr.  Morrell  Fuller;  he  is  a  Republican  and 
is  connected  with  the  Universalist  Church. 
Mr.  Fuller,  with  whom  he  resides,  is  a  plas- 
terer in  Chicago,  and  served  three  years  in 
Company  B,  One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry  as  Drum  Major;  he  was 
married  in  1865,  and  has  one  child — Nellie. 

H.  C.  MIDDAUGH,  farmer,  P.  O.  Hins- 
dale,  was  born  February  19,  1833,  in  Scio, 
Allegany  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  is  a  son  of  Elijah  and 
Louisa  (Noble)  Middaugh,  he  born  in  Dry- 
den,  N.  Y.,  April  6,  1805,  died  October  17, 
1872;  she,  born  in  Whitehall,  N.  Y.,  October 
28,  1811,  is  living  with  her  son,  John  E.,  in 
Scio,  N.  Y. ,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Church.  Our  subject  had  the  educational 
advantages  usual  among  pioneers,  but  in  ad- 
dition, he,  for  a  few  years,  attended  Friend- 
ship Academy  and  Genesee  College,  taught 
for  a  short  time,  and,  in  1854,  came  West  to 
seek  his  fortune.  In  1855,  he  commenced 
work  in  a  lumber  and  sash  factory  in  Chi- 
cago, where  he  remained  three  years.  After 
teaching  school  a  short  time  at  Jefferson,  111., 
he  served  the  Merchants'  Loan  and  Trust 
Company  in  the  capacity  of  book-keeper  for 
three  years;  then,  for  four  years,  as  Teller; 
severing  his  connection  with  this  firm,  he  em- 
barked in  business  for  himself,  first,  in  the 
furniture  business,  which  he  continued  but  a 
short  time,  then  in  the  lumber  trade,  and 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


109 


afterward,  in  the  real  estate  business,  which 
he  continued  many  years.  In  1878,  he  in- 
vested $25,000  in  land  where  he  now  lives,  at 
Clarendon  Hills,  Du  Page  Co.,  111.  He  has 
since  invested  $25,000  more,  so  that  he  now 
has  180  acres  of  beautiful  land,  mostly  laid 
out  in  lots,  and  dotted  with  ornamental  and 
fruit  trees.  Near  this,  he  also  has  another 
plat  of  eighty  acres;  all  of  this  land  is  at  a 
fine  elevation,  and  upon  it  Mr.  Middaugh  has 
erected  buildings  valued  at  over  $13,000;  he 
raises  good  horses,  Berkshire  pigs  and  thor- 
oughbred Jersey  cattle;  has  barn  room  for 
500  tons  of  hay,  and  150  horses.  He  was 
married,  in  Chicago,  February  7,  1878,  to 
Miss  Susan  Price,  born  in  Lakeville,  Living- 
ston Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  March,  1828,  daughter  of 
Arthur  and  Agnes  (Sinclair)  Price,  he  a  na- 
tive of  England,  born  in  1783;  she,  born  in 
Pennsylvania  in  1793,  died  in  September, 
1875.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Middaugh  attend  the 
Methodist  Church  of  Hinsdale. 

CHARLES  MIHM,  farmer,  P.  O.  Gower, 
was  born  March  6,  1848,  at  Willow  Springs, 
Cook  Co.,  111.,  and  is  a  son  of  Christian  and 
Catharine  (Fisher)  Mihm,  natives  of  Bavaria, 
Germany;  his  father  was  born  December  6. 
1811;  emigrated  to  America  in  1839,  and  his 
mother,  who  was  born  October  23,  1817,  em- 
igrated in  1 845.  They  were  married  in  Chica- 
go and  settled  at  Willow  Springs,  where  he 
worked  on  the  Illinois  &  Michigan  Canal.  In 
1849.  they  settled  on  the  280  acres,  where  the 
mother  now  lives  with  our  subject,  his  father 
having  died  May  19,  1874;  they  were  both 
life-long  members  of  the  German  Lutheran 
Church.  Charles  attended  school  in  a  cabin 
which  stood  on  his  father's  farm,  it  being  the 
first  schoolhouse  in  this  part  of  the  country; 
he  also  attended  a  business  college  in  Chi- 
cago for  two  terms.  The  greater  part  of  his 
life  has  been  spent  on  the  old  farm,  to  which 
he  has  added  twenty  acres,  making  in  all  300 


acres  of  finely  improved  land.  The  original 
homestead  of  280  acres  was  purchased  by 
John  Fisher,  a  brother  of  Mr.  M.'s  mother;  he 
came  here  with  the  family  in  1842,  and,  in 
1850,  commenced  work  in  the  Singer  stone 
quarry,  of  Lemont,  of  which  he  became  fore- 
man. September  13,  1864,  he  was  killed  at 
the  quarry  by  an  iron  derrick.  In  Lyonsville, 
Cook  Co.,  111.,  June  1,  1876,  Mr.  Mihm  mar- 
ried Mary  Pantke,  born  in  Downer's  Grove, 
this  county,  October  9,  1858,  a  daughter  of 
August  and  Rosa  (Steindel)  Pantke,  natives 
of  Prussia,  he  born  August  8,  1823,  she  born 
July  25,  1828.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mihm  are  par- 
ents of  four  children,  three  of  whom — 
Charles,  Lydia  and  Rufus — are  living  Mr. 
Mihm  raises  some  Short-Horn  cattle.  He  is 
School  Director  and  member  of  the  Lutheran 
Church,  as  is  also  his  wife. 

J.  B.  MACKIE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Cass,  is  a 
native  of  Scotland,  born  in  Glasgow  October 
20,  1833;  his  parents,  Thomas  and  Margaret 
(Boag)  Mackie,  were  also  natives  of  Scotland, 
where  the  former  died;  the  latter  came  to 
Ohio,  where  she  was  married  to  R.  Simms; 
she  died  in  Michigan  in  1872;  she  was  a 
Presbyterian;  by  her  first  marriage,  she  had 
six  children.  Subject  attended  school  in 
Toledo,  Ohio,  when  it  was  about  the  size  of 
what  Downer's  Grove  now  is,  and  also  in 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  obtaining  a  fair  education; 
at  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  began  learning  the 
machinist's  trade,  at  Mt.  Vernon,  Ohio,  where 
he  remained  over  three  years,  when  his  health 
failing,  from  confinement  to  the  shops,  he 
came  to  Illinois  to  recruit  for  one  year,  stop- 
ping with  his  uncle  John,  who,  at  an  early 
day,  had  settled  the  farm  on  which  subject 
now  lives.  Here  subject  engaged  in  farming 
and  now  has  a  fine  farm  of  188  acres,  the 
greater  part  of  which  is  the  fruit  of  his  own 
labors.  He  married,  in  1864,  Elizabeth 
Dunn,  daughter  of  William  P.  and  Hannah 

G 


no 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


(Antill)  Dunn,  both  natives  of  England,  who 
came  to  Kendall  County,  111.,  in  1840,  and 
who  had  two  children — Hannah  and  Eliza- 
beth. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mackie  have  one  child 
— Laura  M.,  an  efficient  teacher,  educated  at 
Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  and  Naperville,  this  county. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mackie  are  active  members  of 
the  M.  E.  Church  at-  Cass.  He  is  a  stanch 
Republican. 

LEVI  MEETZ,  hardware,  Downer's  Grove, 
was  born  February  17,  1848,  in  Downer's 
Grove,  this  county;  son  of  Edward  and  Sarah 
(Setzer)  Mertz,  both  of  Allentown,  Penn.,  and 
both  still  living,  he  born  March  6,  1817,  she 
born  September  22, 1822;  they  were  the  par- 
ents of  eleven  children,  six  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing— Mary,  Wellington,  Levi,  Allen,  Lydia 
and  Lewis.  Edward  and  wife  came  to  Illi- 
nois in  1841,  and  bought  207  acres  of  land  at 
$5  per  acre.  Our  subject  engaged  with  J. 
W.  Rogers  &  Co.  in  1870,  and  continued 
with  that  firm  till  July,  1881.  November  11, 
1881,  he  bought  one-half  interest  in  the  hard- 
ware establishment  of  George  Mochel  &Bro., 
where  he  has  remained  and  is  doing  a  fine 
business.  In  Chicago,  January  1,  1878,  he 
married  Lydia  A.  Faul,  who  has  borne  one 
child— Fred  R.,  born  February  19,  1882. 
Mrs.  Mertz  was  born  in  Downer's  Grove,  this 
county,  March  14,  1853,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Henry  and  Eva  M.  (Wolff)  Faul,  both  of 
whom  are  lining,  he  born  in  Bavaria  March 
19,  1818,  she  born  in  Strasburg  October  26, 
1819.  Mr.  Mertz  enlisted  during  the  war, 
but  was  pronounced  too  young.  Is  a  Repub- 
lican, having  cast  his  first  vote  for  Grant 

JOHN  OLDFIELD,  farmer,  P.  O.  Lemont. 
The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  brief 
biography  is  a  native  of  England,  being  born 
there  June  15,1824;  his  parents,  Joseph  and 
Ann  Edgoose,  were  natives  of  England  and 
possessed  a  family  of  five  children,  viz.,  one 
deceased  when  young,  Mary  A.  (Mrs.  J.  Bat- 


terham,  a  farmer  in  England),  John,  Jesse, 
— .  The  parents  are  both  within  the  silent 
grave,  in  the  bosom  of  the  sunny  land  of  En- 
gland. The  mother  was  an  active  Methodist. 
John  spent  his  younger  days  in  attending 
school  and  the  rural  pursuits  of  life.  On  the 
7th  day  of  April,  1854,  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Hannah,  a  daughter  of  Will- 
iam and.  Ann  (Tufts)  Reader,  natives  of  En- 
gland. Her  parents  were  blessed  with  thir- 
teen children,  seven  of  whom  survive,  viz., 
Elizabeth  (Mrs.  Standish),  Hannah,  Sarah 
(Mrs.  Joseph  Gregory),  Mary  (Mrs.  Laywood), 
John  (married  Jane  Winkley),  Ann  (Mrs. 
Herring)  and  William,  who  married  twice, 
the  first  wife  being  Sarah  Wallace,  and  the 
second  Emily  Siplaw;  her  parents  were  primi- 
tive Methodists,  and  meetings  were  held  in 
their  house  when  churches  were  yet  to  be  con- 
structed. In  a  few  days  after  marriage,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Oldtield  gathered  their  small  amount 
of  worldly  treasure,  and,  in  company  with 
his  brother  Jesse,  John  James  Reader  and  six 
others,  they  boarded  the  "  Queen  Victoria," 
and,  in  a  few  weeks,  were  landed  safely  at 
New  York;  June  12,  they  landed  at  Chicago, 
where  Mrs.  O.  remained  while  her  husband 
prospected  for  a  location.  After  making  a 
long  and  wearisome  trip  through  the  Fox 
River  region,  Mr.  O.  returned  to  Chicago, 
and  soon  after  rented  a  farm  of  George 
Smith,  a  banker  of  Chicago,  lying  a  few  miles 
from  that  city,  which  he  managed  with  suc- 
cess for  four  years;  he  then  bought  forty 
acres  of  John  Riddler,  in  the  Cass  neighbor- 
hood, Du  Page  County;  he  and  his  brother 
Jesse,  who  had  remained  with  him  since  their 
arrival  in  this  country,  brought  a  load  of 
household  articles,  and  lodged  on  the  night 
of  their  reaching  this  forty  acres  in  a  small 
log  cabin,  now  in  use  on  the  farm  of  Jesse. 
They  used  their  boots  for  pillows,  making 
their  beds  only  plauks.  This  seemed  to  be  no 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


Ill 


discouragement  to  them,  and  in  this  locality 
they  have  remained,  accumulating,  by  industry 
and  frugality,  a  vast  fortune,  consisting  of 
several  hundred  acres  of  finely  improved  land 
and  large  herds  of  cattle  and  sheep.  Mrs.  O. 
has  long  been  an  active  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Church,  being  now  associated  with  the 
church  at  Cass,  to  which  organization  her  hus- 
band has  donated  a  large  amount  of  money. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  O.  have  been  blessed  with  one 
daughter — Elizabeth  A.,  born  December  10, 
1845,  and  married  May  11,  1869,  George  B. 
Heartt,  who  was  in  the  late  war;  her  marriage 
has  blessed  her  with  some  happy  children.  It 
is  the  purpose  of  this  personal  sketch  to  note 
the  prominent  characteristics  of  the  individ- 
uals to  which  they  refer,  and  to  hand  down  to 
the  future  those  who  now  stand  prominent  as 
citizens  of  our  country  and  representative 
men.  Comment  on  the  usaful  lives  of  this 
biography  would  be  useless  verbiage,  super- 
fluous and  unmeaning.  Enough  to  say  they 
have  obtained  their  large  fortune  by  their 
own  efforts. 

E.  OLDFIELD,  farmer,  P.  O.  Downer's 
Grove,  was  born  in  England  September  2, 
1836;  his  parents,  John  and  Anna  (Fields) 
Oldfield,  were  natives  of  England  and  the 
parents  of  six  children,  all  now  living. 
John  Oldfield,  subject's  father,  came  to  Illi- 
nois in  1847,  and,  in  1848,  settled  on  eighty 
acres  in  Section  16,  this  township,  and  after- 
ward added  forty  acres;  he  is  now  deceased; 
his  wife  is  still  living.  Our  subject  attended 
school  in  the  country  and  worked  on  a  farm 
in  his  younger  days;  he  carried  on  an  exten- 
sive butcher  business  for  about  two  years  at 
Downer's  Grove,  with  a  man  by  the  name  of 
Briggs.  He  was  married,  in  1861,  to  Kate 
E.  Dixon,  who  died  in  1865,  having  borne 
him  two  children — Harry  and  Alice;  he  was 
again  married,  to  Emma  R.,  daughter  of  Rev. 
Samuel  and  Henrietta  (Greeley)  Ambrose;  by 


this  marriage,  two  children  have  been  born, 
viz.,  Roy  and  Gracy;  he  met  with  a  severe 
loss,  that  of  his  left  arm,  by  the  discharge  of 
a  gun  in  the  hands  of  an  awkward  boy,  who 
was  quarreling  with  another  boy.  Mr.  Old- 
field  has  taken  delight  in  driving  fast  horses 
at  fairs;  he  makes  a  specialty  of  horses;  he 
has  forty  acres  of  well-improved  land  in  Sec- 
tion 17;  he  is  now  in  his  fifth  term  as -Tax 
Collector  of  this  township.  Himself  and 
wife  are  members  of  the  M.  E.  Church. 

A.  L.  PEARSALL,  Postmaster,  Hinsdale, 
was  born  in  Chenango  County,  N.  Y.,  Octo- 
ber 28,  1828;  son  of  John  and  Clarinda 
(Walker)  Pearsall,  also  natives  of  that  county. 
John  Pearsall  came  with  his  family,  in  1839, 
to  Belvidere,  Boone  Co.,  111.,  where  he  died 
March  2,  1865;  his  wife  died  in  Iowa,  Janu- 
ary, 1879;  they  were  active  members  of  the 
Methodist  Church,  and  were  the  parents  of 
six  children.  Mr.  Pearsall  attended  school 
from  one  to  four  months  during  the  winter 
seasons,  and  also  used  his  own  endeavors 
while  at  home  to  obtain  an  education.  At 
the  age  of  eighteen,  he  began  teaching  in 
Knox  County,  111.  While  in  Belvidere,  he 
engaged  for  a  time  in  the  grocery  and  also  in 
the  hardware  trade.  In  April,  1855,  he  mar- 
ried Harriet  Rockwell,  of  Kalamazoo,  Mich., 
who  has  borne  him  two  children — Jennie  E., 
wife  of  A.  R.  Robinson,  Principal  of  the 
Chicago  Schools,  and  Henry,  correspondent 
of  the  American  Iron  Works,  Chicago.  Mr. 
Pearsall  settled  in  Hinsdale  in  1870,  and  here 
engaged  in  selling  school  furniture  for  A.  S. 
Barnes  &  Co.,  Chicago,  for  a  year;  then 
worked  for  a  prominent  nurseryman  of  Michi- 
gan for  some  time;  he  was  chosen  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  and,  in  1875,  was  commissioned 
Postmaster  at  Hinsdale  by  President  Grant, 
both  of  which  positions  he  now  holds;  he  is 
also  a  Notary  Public.  He  has  been  Assessor 
of  Downer's  Grove  Township  two  terms,  and 


112 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


filled  that  position  in  Boone  County  five 
years.  He  is  a  member  of  Hinsdale  Lodge, 
No.  649,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M,  of  which  he  is  S. 
W. ;  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church,  of  which  he  is  Trustee; 
he  is  a  Republican.  He  served  four  months 
in  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty  seventh  Il- 
linois Volunteer  Infantry  as  superintendent 
of  a  ponton  bridge  at  Nashville,  Tenn., 
across  the  Cumberland  River. 

GARDNER  PAIGE,  retired  farmer,  P.  O. 
Downer's  Grove,  was  born  July  17,  1826,  in 
Royalton,  Vt. ;  son  of  David  and  Anna  (Par- 
ker) Paige,  who  came  from  their  native  State 
to  this  section  in  1837;  bought  land  and 
built  the  first  frame  house  in  this  section  of 
Downer's  Grove.  David  died  June  26,  1864; 
the  mother  June  8,  1879.  The  grandfather 
Parker  was  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  The 
mother  of  Mr.  Paige  being  a  school  teacher, 
taught  him  mostly  at  home.  June  17, 1852, 
he  married  Annis  W.,  daughter  of  M.  P.  and 
Hannah  (Hill)  Gilbert,  of  Vermont,  who  came 
to  Illinois  in  1848.  Mrs.  Paige's  father  was 
a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  her  grand- 
father Gilbert  was  an  officer  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war;  her  father  died  June  30,  1878; 
her  mother  is  living  with  her.  Our  subject 
has  had  five  children — Martha,  married,  Sep- 
tember 3,  1879,  to  S.  W.  Miller,  station 
agent  at  Lockport;  Rosa  A.  and  Gertrude; 
those  dead  are  Hannah  and  Alzina.  Mr. 
Paige  is  now  filling  the  position  of  Assessor; 
hfi  has  been  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  Col- 
lector, each  three  terms;  also  Road  Commis- 
sioner. He  (subject),  Judge  Blanchard  and 
John  Marion  voted  the  last  three  Whig  tick- 
ets in  this  township;  he  is  a  Republican  at 
present;  wife  is  a  member  of  the.  Baptist 
Church;  she  taught  school  many  terms  in 
this  section. 

JOHN  PARKER,  retired  auctioneer,  Hins- 
dale, was  born  June  18,  1810,  in  Boston, 


Mass. ;  is  a  son  of  Luther  and  Elizabeth 
(Lewis)  Parker,  who  reared  a  family  of  eight 
children,  viz.,  William,  John,  Mary  E.,  Al- 
bert, Charles,  Adaline,  Francis  and  Ann;  his 
father  was  a  merchant  in  Boston,  where  John 

i  attended  school,  obtaining  a  fair  education. 

I  When  fifteen  years  old,  he  began  learning 
the  carpenter's  trade,  at  which  he  worked 
three  years,  and  then  engaged  in  a  book 
bindery.  He  next  worked  in  a  grocery  for 
two  years  as  clerk,  after  which  he  had  an  in- 
terest in  the  business.  In  1836,  he  came  to 

|  Chicago  and  engaged  in  the  general  merchan- 

I  disiag  business,  under  the  firm  name  of  Par- 
ker &  Gray.  In  1844,  he  withdrew  from 
mercantile  pursuits,  and  auctioneered  for 
twelve  years;  was  engaged  in  the  brewery 
business  in  Chicago  for  some  time,  and  then 
had  an  interest  in  the  Corrugated  Iron  Com- 
pany, in  which  he  sustained  considerable  loss. 
In  1869,  he  settled  in  Hinsdale,  where  he  has 
a  good  property  and  runs  a  vegetable  garden. 
In  1835,  Mr.  Parker  married  Nancy  T.  Otis, 
by  whom  he  had  three  children — Frank,  Mary 
and  Charles.  His  wife  died  from  cholera  in 
1863.  He  next  married  Caroline  M.  Beal, 
by  whom  he  has  had  two  children  —Samuel 
B.  and  Grace  C. 

DANIEL  PETERS,  farmer,  P.  O.  Down- 
er's Grove,  was  born  August  3,  1851,  in 
Downer's  Grove  Township;  is  the  son  of 
Jacob  and  Barbara  (Graff)  Peters,  natives  of 
Germany,  and  the  parents  of  six  children, 
viz.,  Barbara,  Jacob,  Fred,  Sarah,  Daniel 
and  Samuel.  The  parents  came  to  Downer's 
Grove  in  1844,  and  settled  where  the  subject 
now  lives.  The  mother  died  August  21, 1876, 
and  the  father  is  still  living,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
six,  with  the  subject.  Mr.  Peters  attended 
the  common  country  school,  and  now  con- 
ducts the  farm,  which  consists  of  112  acres 
of  finely  cultivated  land,  and  twenty-seven 
acres  of  timber.  In  1877,  Mr.  Peters  mar- 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


113 


ried  Lena  Atzel,  a  daughter  of  F.  Atzel,  of 
Downer's  Grove;  he  was  born  March  6,  1813, 
in  Germany;  came  to  America  in  1833,  en- 
gaged in  different  employments  in  New  York 
City  until  1840,  when  he  returned  to  Ger- 
many. The  following  year,  he  again  came 
to  America,  locating  in  Chicago,  where  he 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade.  In  1851,  he 
bought  a  farm  of  120  acres  in  Downer's 
Grove  Township,  living  on  the  same  till  1874, 
when  he  rented  his  farm  and  settled  in  the 
village  of  Downer' s  Grove.  The  Atzel  family 
are  members  of  the  German  M.  E.  Church,  as 
are  also  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peters.  The  latter 
have  three  children — Clara,  Edwin  and  Hen- 
ry. Mr.  Peters  is  a  Republican. 

F.  G.  PRESCOTT,  farmer,  P.  O.  Gower, 
was  born  January  5,  1833,  in  Prussia,  and  is 
the  son  of  G.  Prescott,  who  came  to  this 
country  in  1839;  his  father,  who  died  in 
1860,  was  married  three  times,  and  our  sub- 
ject was  one  of  three  children  by  his  first 
wife.  Mr.  Prescott  received  but  little  edu- 
cation; came  to  Cook  County  in  1839,  and 
worked  on  the  canal  with  his  father.  His 
first  work  for  himself  was  trapping,  in  part- 
nership with  his  brother  G.  They  were  thus 
employed  for  six  years,  on  the  Desplaines 
River.  In  1858,  they  went  to  Iowa  and 
trapped  along  the  rivers  during  the  winters 
until  1865,  when  they  abandoned  this  kind 
of  work.  They  had  been  quite  successful, 
making  as  high  as  $40  each  per  day.  In 
1860,  Mr.  Prescott  hunted  with  Little  Crow, 
chief  of  the  Crow  Indians.  In  1861,  our 
subject  married  Rosa  Pantke,  whose  parents 
are  residents  of  this  county.  By  this  union, 
there  are  twelve  children,  all  living,  viz., 
Rosa,  now  Mrs.  Huffman;  Amelia,  Julia, 
Lena,  Edward,  Matilda,  Willie,  Charlie,  Otto, 
Caroline,  Richard  and  Maude.  Mr.  Prescott 
now  owns  144  acres  of  well-improved  land, 
the  result  of  his  own  hard  labor.  He  and 


his  father  were  two  of  the  first  passengers  on 
the  Illinois  &  Michigan  Canal.  Our  subject 
and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
Church,  of  which  he  is  treasurer  and  trustee. 

G.  H.  PAPENHATJSEN,  tailor,  Hinsdale, 
was  born  in  Germany  September  28,  1837; 
his  parents,  Richard  and  Mary  (Stopenhau- 
sen)  Papenhausen,  were  also  natives  of  Ger- 
many, and  had  four  children,  two  living — 
Fred,  a  tailor  in  Chicago,  and  G.  H. ;  his 
father  was  a  tailor  and  with  whom  G.  H. 
learned  his  trade.  Mr.  Papenhausen  attended 
school  nine  years,  and  then  began  to  work  at 
tailoring.  He  came  to  Brush  Hills,  this 
county,  in  1870,  and  began  working  at  his 
trade  there,  having  scarcely  any  money.  In 
1875,  he  oame  to  Hinsdale,  where  he  has 
since  done  a  good  business ;  he  has  been  fort- 
unate in  securing  property  here  worth  $2,- 
500;  he  was  married,  in  Germany,  to  Mary 
Bachrans,  who  has  borne  him  six  children — 
Mary,  Sophia,  Ann,  Willie,  Lena  and  Charlie; 
they  attend  the  Lutheran  Church.  He  votes 
the  Republican  ticket,  and  is  a  member  of 
the  A.  O.  U.  W.  at  Hinsdale. 

PROF.  J.  K.  RASSWEILER,  Principal 
of  Downer's  Grove  Schools.  He  is  a  native 
of  Millersburg,  Dauphin  Co.,  Perm.,  born 
September  10, 1853 ;  his  parents,  J.  Philip  and 
Anna  D.  (Haesler)  Rassweiler,  are  represen- 
tatives of  that  national  it)'  to  which  the  United 
States  is  indebted  for  very  many  thousands 
of  her  most  prosperous  citizens  and  substan- 
tial men  of  worth  and  merit,  being  born  in 
Hanover,  Germany.  J.  Philip  Rassweiler 
was  born  April  18, 1812;  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica in  1825,  and  afterward  settled  perma- 
nently in  Stephenson  County,  111.  His  parents 
not  being  in  affluent  circumstances, our  subject 
worked  on  the  farm  during  the  summers,  thus 
laying  the  foundation  of  his  present  energy, 
and,  in  the  winters,  when  farm  labor  was  not 
to  be  obtained,  he  applied  himself  to  mental 


114 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


improvement,  with  eminent  success.  His  school 
days  began  in  the  country,  and,  when  at  a  rea- 
sonable age,  he  entered  an  academy  at  Cedar  - 
ville,  Stephenson  County,  where  he  advanced 
very  rapidly;  he  set  his  mind  for  a  thorough 
education,  and  his  parents  were  unable  to 
•help  him,  so  he  devised  every  means  in  his 
power  to  be  able  to  reach  the  target.  He 
became  qualified  to  teach  in  the  country 
schools  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  and  took  advan- 
tage of  that  vocation,  teaching  in  the  winters 
and  attending  college  in  the  summers.  He 
entered  the  Western  College,  at  Naperville, 
in  1870,  where  he  graduated  in  1876,  with 
high  honora  During  the  period  of  six  years 
that  he  was  receiving  instructions  at  the  last- 
mentioned  institution,  he  taught  terms  of 
school  at  Mendota  and  Fullersburg.  He  was 
employed  at  the  Downer's  Grove  Schools  in 
1876,  a  position  his  education  and  abilities 
peculiarly  qualify  him  to  fill.  He  has  taken 
those  schools  from  a  mere  primary  grade,  and 
has  set  them  upon  a  foundation  ranking 
among  the  best  in  this  country.  At  Streator, 
111.,  September  15,  1876,  he  married  Mary 
E.  Beringer,  born  in  Menominee  Falls,  "Wis., 
April  24,  1854,  daughter  of  Mahlon  D.  and 
Caroline  K.  (Wambold)  Beringer,  natrves  of 
Pennsylvania;  he  died  February  16,  1859; 
she  was  born  July  23,  1833.  Mrs.  Rass- 
weiler's  father  was  a  member  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Church.  Her  mother  was  again  mar- 
ried to  a  Rev.  J.  Miller,  of  the  Evangelical 
Church.  Mr.  R.'s  union  has  blessed  him 
with  two  children,  viz.,  Lula  Winifred  and 
Ralph  Edmund.  He  and  wife  are  active 
members  of  the  Evangelical  Church  at  Na- 
pferville.  He  is  now  Village  Trustee.  Being 
averse  to  office,  he  has  not  been  an  office- 
seeker.  He  is,  however,  now  a  candidate  for 
Superintendentof  Schools  of  Du  Page  County, 
a  position  he  will  probably  get  before  this 
sketch  is  in  print. 


MRS.  NANCY  S.  ROTE,  Downer's  Grove, 
was  born  August  29,  1830,  in  Lower  Canada; 
her  father,  Daniel  Roberts,  was  born  in  New 
Hampshire,   and  her  mother,    Lucy    (Clark) 
Roberts,  in  Lower  Canada;  they  came  here 
in  1845,  settling  in  the  Cass  neighborhood. 
Subject  attended  school  but  a  short  time  in 
i  the  country,  but  afterward  entered  a  select 
school    at  Naperville,    where   she    remained 
quite  awhile.     She  was  married,  in  1848,  to 
Luke  S.  Kimball,  and  from  this  union  two 
children  were  born,    viz.,    Edward   D.    and 
j  Clara  M. ,  wife  of  Mr.    Dawe,   a  Methodist 
1  minister;    she  died  May   28,   1881,    leaving 
I  three  children — Ida  M.,   E.    Raymond  and 
Charles.     Mr.  Kimball  was  educated  at  Mt. 
Morris,  Ogle  County,  this  State;  was  a  class- 
mate of  ex-Gov.  J.  L.  Beveridge;  studied  law 
in  Chicago  and  practiced  in  Hennepin,  Putnam 
County;    his   death   occurred  February    13, 
1852,  from  drowning,  in  attempting  to  rescue 
some  men  from  a  boat  which  was  frozen  in 
the  ice.     Mrs.  Rote  then  came  to  this  county, 
and,  in  1857,  was  married  to  Richard  Rote, 
native  of  Columbia  County,  N.  Y.,  and  by  this 
marriage  was  blessed  with  six  children— Eva 
V.,  Esther  H.,  Mabel  G.,  Ada  E.,  Berton  H. 
and  Ernest   D.      Mr.   Rote  died   April    29, 
!  1879;  was  a  member  of  the  M.  E.  Church  at 
|  Cass,  to  which  denomination  the  subject  now 
belongs.      In    September,    1881,   Mrs.    Rote 
came  to  Downer's  Grove.     In  1882,  she  sold 
'  her  eighty  acres  of  well-improved  land  at  $65 
per  acre,  and  is  living  retired. 

F.  A.  ROGERS,  postal  clerk  on  Chicago 
&  Dubuque  mail  route,  Downer's  Grove. 
Mr.  Rogers,  of  whom  we  write,  is  a  native  of 
St.  Lawrence  County,  N.  Y. ;  is  a  brother  of 
Capt.  T.  A.  Rogers,  whose  sketch,  together 
with  that  of  his  father,  appears  elsewhere. 
He  had  the  advantage  of  the  district  schools, 
and  a  graded  one  at  Somonauk,  De  Kalb 


County,   this  State.     He  spent  his  younger 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


115 


days  on  his  father's  farm.  He  enlisted,  in 
1861,  in  Company  E,  I.  G.  A.  V.,  and  served 
the  cause  of  his  country  for  three  years;  was 
in  about  fifty  battles  and  skirmishes,  among 
which  were  those  of  the  Potomac  campaign. 
On  his  return  from  the  war,  he  engaged  prin- 
cipally in  farming  until  October  3,  1880, 
when  he  was  commissioned  postal  clerk  on 
the  Chicago  &  Dubuque  mail  route,  in  which 
position  he  has  proven  an  efficient  officer, 
having  scarcely  made  a  single  mistake  in  the 
transfer  of  mail,  the  labor  of  which  is  de- 
pendent entirely  upon  the  memory  of  hun- 
dreds of  officers,  their  locality  and  mail  route. 
He  was  married,  September  6.  1866,  to  Mary 
A.  Plummer,  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  and 
Amelia  (Thomas)  Plummer,  of  Hinsdale, 
which  union  blessed  him  with  four  children, 
viz.,  Minnie  A.,  born  July  7,  1867;  Mamie 
E.,  born  July  15,  1869;  Charlie  L.,  boru  Au- 
gust 24,  1870;  and  Elbert  A.,  born  August 
3,  1879.  Mr.  Rogers  has  been  Collector  of 
Downer's  Grove  Township  for  three  years. 
In  1880,  he  took  the  census  of  said  township. 
Is  a  charter  member  of  Hinsdale  Lodge,  No. 
649,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  has  been  Past  Mas- 
ter of  the  same.  He  votes  the  Republican 
ticket.  In  June,  1880,  he  bought  eighty-five 
acres  where  he  now  lives,  in  Downer's  Grove 
Township,  and  here  his  family  remains.  On 
this  farm  stands  an  old  log  cabin  that  was 
erected  about  the  year  1834,  by  Horace  Al- 
drich,  who  for  many  years  at  this  place  kept 
tho  only  hotel  on  the  old  plank  road  between 
Brush  Hills  and  Naperville.  It  was  in  this 
building  that  the  Rogers  family  slept  the  first 
night  they  were  in  Du  Page  County.  The 
old  well  of  forty-five  years  still  furnishes  as 
pure  water  as  it  did  when^the  merry  traveler 
of  those  olden  times  tied  his  ox  team,  that  he 
might  bend  over  the  old  oaken  bucket  to 
quench  his  thirst.  A  portion  of  the  old  nur- 
sery once  cultivated  by  Mr.  Aldrich  can  be 


seen  here,  adjacent  to  the  old  structures. 
This  hotel  was  known  as  Prospect  Hill,  and 
recently  a  large  number  of  receipts  were 
found  about  the  old  building  bearing  such  a 
postmark.  They  were  receipts  for  board 
bills  that  were  probably  never  paid.  Mr. 
Rogers  has  the  patents  for  his  present  farm, 
which  were  signed  by  J.  K.  Polk. 

CAPT.  T.  S.  ROGERS,  meat  market,  Chi- 
cago, P.  O.  Downer's  Grove,  was  born  August 
30,  1831,  in  St.  Lawrence  County,  N.  Y. ;  is  a 
son  of  Joseph  I.  and  Caroline  A.  (Smith) 
Rogers.  The  father  was  born  January  12, 
1802,  in  Herkimer  County,  N.  Y.,  and  the 
mother  on  April  15,  1812,  in  West  Spring- 
field, Mass.  The  family  came  to  this  county 
in  1844,  and  bought  land  where  P.  S.  Cossitt 
now  lives.  Here  the  father  died  November 
18,  1863;  the  mother  is  living  in  Downer's 
Grove.  Our  subject  attended  school  in  a  log 
cabin  which  stood  on  the  old  Goodenough 
farm,  receiving  instruction  from  Amanda 
Forbes.  He  taught  school  some  d,uring  his 
life,  in  Milton  Township,  Lisle,  and  at  Brush 
Hill.  He  has  run  a  threshing  machine  and 
driven  ox  teams.  Was  married,  December 
13,  1855,  to  Helen  M.  Stanley,  a  sister  of  L. 
W.  Stanley,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere; 
she  was  born  February  6,  1833;  she  has 
blessed  her  husband  with  two  children,  both 
of  whom  are  deceased.  In  1860,  he  was 
elected  Sheriff  of  Du  Page  County.  He  en- 
listed, before  his  term  of  office  closed,  in 
Company  B,  One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  elected  Captain 
in  July,  1862,  and  served  till  the  fall  of  1864. 
On  his  return  from  the  war,  he  taught  school 
in  Downer's  Grove,  and  in  1866  he  engaged 
in  the  meat  business  at  Chicago,  which  he 
continues.  He  has  a  beautiful  residence  in 
Downer's  Grove,  and  goes  to  and  from  his 
business  each  day.  He  has  been  President 
of  the  Board  of  Trustaes  of  Downer's  Grove 


116 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


since  its  organization;  was  Township  Super-   . 
visor  one  term,   and  has  some  other  small 
offices.     Mention  of  the  Rogers  family  will 
be  found  elsewhere. 

WILLIAM  BOBBINS,  real  estate,  Hins- 
dale,  was  born  July  20,  1824,  in  Oswego 
County,  N.  Y. ;  is  a  son  of  John  and  Polly 
(Furguson)  Bobbins,  the  former  a  native  of 
Keene,  N.  H.,  and  the  latter  of  Albany,  N.  Y. 
They  came  to  McHenry  County,  111.,  in  1844,  j 
and  died  there.  Our  subject  attended  school  j 
in  the  country,  and  afterward  graduated  at 
the  Bensselaer  Academy,  at  Mexico,  N.  Y. 
He  then  taught  district  schools  in  New  York 
and  in  Illinois,  to  which  latter  State  he  came  j 
with  his  parents.  Soon  after  his  arrival  in  j 
this  State,  he  entered  a  dry  goods  store  as  j 
clerk,  where  he  continued  until  1850,  when 
he  went  with  several  others  to  California,  and 
mined  one  winter.  The  following  spring,  he 
engaged  in  general  merchandising,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Bull,  Baker  &  Bobbins,  at  San 
Francisco,  Bed  Bluffs  and  Shasta.  They 
were  successful,  and,  after  six  years,  sold  out, 
and  began  banking  at  San  Francisco.  This 
they  continued  successfully  for  four  years, 
when  Mr.  Bobbins  withdrew  and  came  to 
Chicago.  In  a  short  time,  he  invested  his 
ample  means  in  real  estate,  to  which  he  has 
since  given  his  personal  attention.  He  was 
the  founder  of  Hinsdale,  where  his  beautiful 
residence  now  stands.  He  has  about  eight 
hundred  acres  of  land  in  and  around  Hins- 
dale, and  some  in  Cook  County,  has  an  office 
in  Chicago,  to  which  he  goes  each  day.  In 
1855,  Mr.  Bobbins  married  Marie  Steele,  who 
blessed  him  with  three  children — Isabel,  Mrs. 
William  H.  Knight;  John  S.,  engaged  in  the 
J.  I.  Case  Plow  Manufacturing  Company  at 
Bacine,  Wis. ;  and  George  B.,  chief  clerk  for 
Col.  Forsythe,  railroad  official  of  Chicago. 
Mr.  Bobbins  is  a  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church  at  Hinsdale.  In  August,  1882,  i 


Mrs.  Bobbins  was  thrown  from  her  buggy  by 
a  runaway  horse,  and  almost  instantly  killed. 
DAVID  BOTH,  farmer,  P.  O.  Hinsdale, 
was  born  May_25,  1811,  in  Delaware  County, 
N.  Y. ;  is  the  son  of  Edward  and  Mary  (Close) 
Both;  the  father  died  in  1815,  and  the  mother 
never  remarried.  In  1835,  she  came  to  Bu- 
reau County,  111.,  where  our  subject  engaged 
in  farming  and  driving  ox  teams  to  and  from 
Chicago.  In  1842,  he  married  Nancy  Phelps, 
the  result  of  the  union  being  eleven  children: 
Serena  G.,  Mary,  Porter,  Charlie,  Marshall, 
Frank,  Myram,  Frances,  Norman  Hyram,  and 
Laura.  They  remained  in  Bureau  County  till 

1865,  at  which  time  our  subject  bought  land 
near  Brush  Hills.     Here  they  remained  until 

1866,  when  they  located  in  Hinsdale,  where 
they  have  since  remained,  with  the  exception 
of  four  years  which  they  spent  in  Iowa.  Solo- 
mon and  Leonard,  brothers  of  our  subject, 
were  in  the  Back  Hawk  war.     Mr   Both  was 
first  a  Democrat,  then  a  Bepublican,  and  now 
is  a  member  of  the  Greenback  party,  of  which 
he  is  an  enthusiastic  advocate. 

JOSIAH  BICHAEDS,  butcher,  Downer's 
Grove,  was  born  in  Will  County,  111. .  Sep- 
tember 6,  1837.  His  parents,  John  A.  and 
Lucy  P.  (Peet)  Bichards — the  former  born  in 
New  Hampshire  October  31,  1803,  the  latter 
in  Vermont  April  24,  1804,  came  to  Will 
County,  111.,  in  1835,  thence  to  this  county 
in  1836,  where  they  still  reside.  Of  their 
five  children,  four  are  now  living,  viz.,  Josiah, 
Louisa,  Ellen  and  Emily.  Subject  received 
his  education  in  the  country  schools ;  also  at- 
tended the  school  at  Naperville  two  terms; 
worked  on  the  farm  till  he  was  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  then  began  life  for  himself.  In 
1875,  he  engaged  in  the  butcher  business  with 
Mr.  Naramore,  at  Downer's  Grove,  where  he 
has  since  been  engaged  in  that  business,  and 
doing  a  good  trade.  He  owns  231  acres  of 
well-improved  land,  in  Lisle  Township,  this 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


117 


county;  has  filled  the  offices  of  Constable  and 
Koad  Commissioner.  He  is  a  supporter  of 
the  Republican  party. 

MRS.  ELIZA  F.  SMART,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Cass.  Elisha  Smart,  husband  of  Mrs.  Eliza 
F.  Smart,  was  born  in  England  February  10, 
1816.  His  parents,  Joseph  and  Mary  (Brice) 
Smart,  natives  of  England,  came  to  America 
in  1825  settled  in  Monroe  County,  N.  Y., 
where  their  thirteen  children  grew  up,  and 
came  here  in  1844.  Mr.  Smart  worked  by 
the  year  at  $35;  spent  a  few  months  at  the 
cooper's  trade,  and,  at  the  age  of  twenty, 
bought  a  farm  of  100  acres  in  New  York. 
He  married,  in  1835,  Eliza,  daughter  of 
Joshua  and  Mary  (Camach)  Fell.  Her  father 
died  September  25,  1846,  and  her'  mother 
March  24,  1861;  they  were  Methodists.  Mr. 
Smart  remained  three  years  on  his  farm  in 
New  York,  then  sold  out  and  came  to  Illinois, 
taking  four  weeks  en  route,  and  settled  on 
fifty  acres  of  land.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smart 
united  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
in  1839,  Mrs.  Smart  being  the  oldest  mem- 
ber of  that  church  now  at  this  place.  In 
1853,  Mr.  Smart  went  to  the  California  gold 
fields,  where  he  remained  about  seven  years, 
and  was  somewhat  successful.  Mrs.  Smart 
bought  seventy  acres  of  land,  the  present 
farm,  while  her  husband  was  in  California, 
which  his  earnings  and  the  produce  of  the 
farm  soon  placed  clear  of  debt.  Eight 
children  were  born  to  them,  all  living — 
Mary,  Mrs.  George  Price;  Wesley,  married 
Lucy  Ahle;  Caroline,  Mrs.  Thomas  Leonard; 
Fannie  E.,  Mrs.  Amenzo  Gilbert;  Jerome, 
married  Lyde  Ahle;  Cecilia,  Mrs.  Peter  War- 
den; Ann  M. ,  Mrs.  John  Warden;  and  Jose- 
phine, Mrs.  Martin  Madden.  Wesley  was 
in  Company  B,  Thirty-third  Illinois  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  three  years. 

SYLVESTER  SMART,  farmer,  P.  O.  Cass, 
was  born  December  12,  1841,  in  the  village 


of  Cass,  this  county.  His  father,  William, 
was  born  in  1808,  in  Bedfordshire,  England, 
and  his  mother,  Mary  (Fell)  Smart,  was  born 
July  4,  1817,  in  Lincolnshire,  England. 
They  were  both  single  when  they  came  to 
America,  and  were  married  in  1839,  and  from 
.  this  union  five  children  were  born,  viz.,  S.  R., 
i  William  H.,  George  E.,  Albert  and  Mary  E. 
Subject's  father  settled  in  this  county,  in 
what  is  now  Cass,  and  died  December  26, 
1876;  his  wife,  subject's  mother,  lives  with 
her  son  Henry,  and  is  hale  and  hearty.  Sub- 
ject received  his  education  in  the  common 
schools,  and,  when  eighteen  years  old,  went 
to  New  York  on  a  visit;  while  there,  attend- 
ed an  academy  at  Rushford,  N.  Y.,  and,  on 
his  return  home,  resumed  farming.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-two,  he  rented  land  of  his 
father  and  began  farming  for  himself. .  He 
married,  March  4,  1868,  Editha,  daughter  of 
Welcome  D.  and  Sarah  (Spaulding)  Morton, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  New  York,  re- 
spectively, now  residents  of  Vinton,  Iowa, 
and  parents  of  nine  children,  three  living, 
viz.,  Editha  (Mrs.  Smart),  Denisonand  Lucy. 
Mrs.  Smart  was  born  in  this  county  March 
3,  1847.  She  and  her  husband  are  the  par- 
ents of  four  children,  viz.,  Blanche,  born 
March  24,  1870,  in  Illinois;  Ida,  born  May 
12,  1872,  in  Jefferson  County,  Iowa;  Gerrit 
S.,  born  February  13,  1874,  in  Jefferson 
County,  Iowa,  died  February  12,  1880,  with 
scarlet  fever;  William  D. ,  born  October  18, 
1876,  in  Iowa.  In  1869,  Mr.  Smart  bonght 
a  farm  in  Jefferson  County,  Iowa,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1870  removed  to  that  State,  where 
he  remained  until  1876,  when  he  returned  to 
the  old  homestead.  While  in  Iowa,  Mr. 
Smart  was  very  successful,  having  secured 
two  fine  farms  and  improved  them,  making 
them  worth  about  $6,000.  A  railroad  is  now 
in  progress  which  will  make  the  farms  very 
valuable.  One  farm  has  a  fine  brick  house 


118 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


and  all  necessary  buildings.  The  other  farm 
has  new  frame  buildings,  of  first-class  mate- 
rial. This  amount  of  valuable  property  has 
been  obtained  by  his  own  labors.  While  in 
Iowa,  Mr.  Smart  bought  cattle  at  Chicago 
and  fed  them  on  his  farm.  He  is  making  a 
specialty  of  fine  cattle.  He  has  180  acres  under 
very  fine  improvement,  where  he  now  resides, 
in  Section  33.  Himself  and  wife  are  active 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
at  Cass,  in  which  he  is  Steward;  they  attend 
Sunday  school. 

G.  E.  SMAET,  farmer,  P.  O.  Lemont, 
Cook  County,  a  brother  of  S.  R.  Smart, 
whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere,  and  was 
born  October  7,  1847,  in  this  township.  He 
attended  school  as  much  as  was  convenient, 
and  worked  on  his  father's  farm.  He  mar- 
ried, December  25, 1877,  Esther,  daughter  of 
John  and  Louisa  Hall.  Her  parents  came 
here  in  1870;  her  father  died  March  27, 1882; 
of  their  twelve  children,  three  are  living,  viz. , 
Thomas  H. ,  Eliza  and  Esther  M.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Smart  have  two  children — Kittie  L.,  born 
June  30,  1879;  and  Jennie  M.,  born  June 
20,  1881.  They  have  138  acres  of  well-im- 
proved land.  Mrs.  Smart  was  born  January 
2,  1854;  she  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  at  Cass.  Mr.  Smart  is 
very  successful  in  farming. 

HAMPTON  L.  STORY,  pianos  and  organs, 
Hinsdale  and  Chicago.  Mr.  Story,  of  the 
firm  of  Story  &  Camp,  was  born  in  1835,  in 
Vermont;  is  a  son  of  Andrew  and  Adaline 
(Reed)  Story,  natives  of  Vermont,  and  the 
parents  of  three  children,  the  subject  only 
surviving.  The  father  was  in  the  State  Leg- 
islature in  Vermont,  and  held  many  smaller 
positions;  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812. 
Mr.  Story  attended  school  in  the  country, 
Cambridge,  Bakersfield,  Georgia  and  Fair- 
fax, all  thriving  towns  of  Vermont;  at  the 
latter,  he  completed  his  labors  as  a  student, 


and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  he  applied  him- 
self to  teaching  singing  and  day  school  in 
this  and  Kane  Counties.  In  1857,  he  went 
to  Chase  County,  Kan.,  and  pre-empted  160 
acres  of  Government  land,  paying  for  it,  with 
a  land  warrant  received  by  his  father  for 
services  rendered  in  the  war  of  1812.  In 
one  year  he  returned  to  Burlington,  Vt. , 
where  he  engaged  in  the  general  musical  in- 
strument business,  continuing  until  1868. 
In  the  meantime,  however,  he  enlisted  in 
Company  C,  Twelfth  Vermont  Militia.  In 
1868,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Isaac  N. 
Camp  in  the  wholesale  and  retail  piano  and 
organ  business,  at  Chicago,  which  firm,  Story 
&  Camp,  has  since  existed.  They  have  a 
large  factory  in  Chicago,  and  branch  business 
rooms  in  St  Louis,  Des  Moines,  Kansas  City 
and  St.  Paul,  together  with  those  in  Chicago, 
representing  a  capital  stock  of  $500,000.  In 
1868,  while  at  Burlington,  Vt,  Mr.  Story 
edited  and  published  the  Vermont  Musical 
Journal,  a  work  possessing  efficient  talent. 
They  make  a  specialty  of  the  celebrated  Estey 
organs,  Decker  Bros.,Haines  Bros,  and  other 
makes  of  pianos.  Their  place  of  business  is 
188  and  190  State  street.  Mr.  Story  has  been 
twice  married,  the  first  time  being  to  Marian 
Fuller,  by  whom  he  had  three  children,  viz., 
Edward  H.,  Robert  T.  and  Frank.  His  sec- 
ond marriage  was  in  1876,  to  Adella  B.  Ellis, 
which  union  has  blessed  him  with  Addie  and 
James.  His  residence  is  located  within  the 
limits  of  Hinsdale,  on  twenty-one  acres  of 
fine  landjinthis  and  Cook  Counties;  together 
with  the  buildings,  is  valued  at  $40,000;  all 
of  which,  with  other  large  possessions,  is  the 
result  of  his  own  energies.  His  wife  is  a 
member  of  ^  the  Episcopalian  Church,  and  he 
is  a  Republican. 

M.  SUCHER,  farmer,  P.  O.  Ogden,  Iowa, 
was  born  in  France  in  August,  1811.  His 
parents,  George  and  Elizabeth  (Kries)  Sucher, 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


119 


were  natives  of  France,  where  the  latter  died 
in  1819.  Subject's  father  was  againmarried 
to  Margaret  Knopf,  who  bore  him  three  chil- 
dren By  his  marriage  with  Miss  Kries, 
seven  children  were  born,  viz.,  Henry, 
George,  Michael,  Philip,  Daniel,  Jacob  and 
Margaret.  He  came  to  Downer's  Grove  about 
1852,  where  he  died;  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  Church.  Subject  attended  school 
but  little;  he  came  to  New  York  on  1833, 
where  he  worked  in  succession  on  a  canal,  in 
a  foundry,  a  distillery,  a  ship-lock,  at  butch- 
ering hogs  and  chopping  wood,  and  at  any- 
thing he  could  get  to  do.  He  also  worked  at 
splitting  rails,  digging  up  stumps  and  flail- 
iDg  out  wheat,  at  from  $3  to  $8  per  month. 
In  1837,  he  married  Miss  Catharine  Wolf,  a 
native  of  France,  who  had  settled  in  New 
York.  He  remained  in  New  York  some  time, 
then  came  to  Illinois  and  bought  160  acres  of 
land,  at  10  shillings  per  acre.  He  has,  by 
careful  management,  accumulated  240  acres 
of  prairie  and  about  eighty  acres  of  timber 
land  in  this  county;  he  recently  sold  240 
acres  at  f  80  per  acre,  as  he  intends  to  locate 
in  Iowa.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sucher  are  the  par- 
ents of  eleven  children,  viz.,  Michael  (dead), 
Henry  B.,  William  L,.  Michael  (dead),  Mar- 
garet E.,  George  F.,  Samuel  M.,  Charles  B., 
Matilda,  Walter  and  Edward  B.  Mr.  Sucher 
has  been  Pathmaster  and  Town  Commissioner 
two  years.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  German  Methodist  Church  at  Downer's 
Grove.  He  has  three  lots  and  good  houses 
in  Chicago,  and  a  house  and  lot  in  Napers- 
ville.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  fine  horses. 
J.  W.  SUCKER,  blacksmith,  Downer's 
Grove,  was  born  in  Shepherdsville,  Bullitt  Co., 
Ky.,  July  5,  1841,  son  of  Philip  and  Emily 
(Hogan)  Sucher.  Philip  Sucher,  subject's 
father,  who  was  born  in  Germany  October  15, 
1815,  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Baptist  Church ;  he  had  one  sister 


and  four  brothers,  viz.,  Margaret,  Michael, 
Henry,  Daniel  and  Jacob;  he  carried  the 
mail  from  Downer's  Grove  to  West  Lyons, 
Lemont  and  Cass,  in  all,  twenty-one  years; 
he  died  October  26,  1877;  his' wife,  born  in 
Nashville,  Tenn. ,  March  8,  1818,  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Baptist  Church,  now  resides  in 
Downer's  Grove;  she  is  one  of  a  family  of 
three  chidren,  all  living;  shuis  the  mother  of 
five  children,  viz.,  James,  Jacob,  Lewis,  Sarah 
and  Nettie.  Mr.  Sucher's  great-uncle,  Shank- 
lin,  was  in  the  war  of  1812.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade 
with  his  father;  enlisted  in  Company  K, 
Thirteenth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  under 
Capt.  Blanchard,  and  served  three  years;  his 
brother  Jacob  also  served  in  the  same  com- 
pany. He  married,  December  26, 1866,  Mary 
C.  Gager,  born  at  Whitney's  Point,  Broome 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  27,  1848,  daughter  of  Am- 
brose S.  and  Amanda  (Thurston)  Gager;  he, 
born  in  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  June  15,  1812, 
died  November  17,  1874;  she,  also  native  of 
New  York  State,  born  at  Whitney's  Point, 
Broome  County,  June  11,  1812.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Sucher  have  been  blessed  with  three 
children — Beulah  E.,  Elvin  N.  and  Lydia. 
Mrs.  Sucher  is  one  of  a  family  of  ten  chil- 
dren, of  whom  eight  are  living — Anna,  John 
T.,  C.  M.,  J.  E.,  Mary  C.  (Mrs.  Sucher),  Ly- 
dia M. ,  Abbie  and  Ambrose  S.  Mr.  Sucher 
owns  a  blacksmith  shop,  lot  and  dwelling;  he 
worka  in  his  shop  himself,  and  also  employs 
two  men;  he  does  a  general  blacksmithing 
business.  He  is  a  charter  member  and  Re- 
corder of  Hinsdale  Lodge,  No.  182,  A.  O.  U.  W. 
M.  F.  SAYLOR,  carriage  painting  and 
trimming,  harness  making  and  repairing, 
musical  instruments,  etc.,  Downer's  Grove,  a 
native  of  Schuylkill  County,  Penn. ,  born 
September  17,  1831,  son  of  Jacob  and  Pris- 
cilla  (Hoffman)  Saylor,  natives  of  Schuylkill 
County,  Penn.,  and  who  were  the  parents  of 


120 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


eleven  children,  nine  of  whom  are  living, 
viz.,  Morgan  F.  (subject),  Thomas,  Francis, 
Jeremiah,  Alexander,  Peter,  Mary,  Emma 
and  Alice.  Subject,  after  receiving  his  edu- 
cation, taught  school  for  five  winters.  In 
1856,  he  came  with  his  family  to  Naperville, 
where  he  engaged  in  house- painting  till  1860, 
then  moved  to  Plainfield,  and  soon  after  to 
Joliet.  In  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the  Fifty- 
second  Regimental  Band  as  B  flat  cornet 
player,  and,  after  one  year's  service,  was  dis- 
charged In  1863,  he  returned  to  Pennsyl- 
vania and  served  three  months  in  the  militia; 
then  became  freight  agent  at  Ashland,  Penn., 
and,  after  holding  that  position  a  year,  went 
to  work  in  the  Pennsylvania  Central  Car 
Works,  where  he  had  previously  worked 'five 
years.  In  1875,  he  came  to  Downer's  Grove 
and  engaged  in  carriage  and  house  painting; 
in  1881,  added  the  harness  and  musical  in- 
strument business,  and  is  doing  a  very  good 
trade.  Mr.  Saylor  has  been  twice  married. 
In  1850,  he  married  Anna  E.  Feger,  who  was 
killed  at  Joliet  in  1872,  by  the  explosion  of  a 
kerosene  lamp;  from  this  marriage  six  chil- 
dren were  born,  four  of  whom  are  living — 
Laura,  Newton,  Mary  and  Minnie.  In  1874, 
he  married  Mrs.  Margaret  Freeman,  daughter 
of  Michael  Sucher;  from  this  marriage  two 
children  have  been  born,  one  of  whom  is  liv- 
ing, Earl  C.  Mrs.  Saylor  had  by  her  first 
husband  two  children,  Edward  and  William. 
He  is  a  Democrat,  and  himself  and  wife  are 
members  of  the  Baptist  Church. 

MICHAEL  SHUMP,  fanner,  P.  O.  Down- 
er's Grove,  was  born  in  December,  1833,  in 
Germany;  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Catharine 
(Sites)  Shump,  who  reared  a  family  of  six 
children.  Our  subject  had  but  little  chance 
for  education;  worked  on  his  father's  farm 
until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  when  he  began 
working  out  by  the  month.  When  he  first 
came  to  this  part  of  the  country,  he  hunted 


mink  and  other  valuable  fur-producing  ani- 
mals, and  thus  paid  for  a  small  piece  of  land. 
In  1859,  he  married  Susannah  Herbert,  a  na- 
tive of  Germany,  and  they  settled  where  they 
are  now  located.  They  have  eight  children, 
viz.,  Henry,  Mary,  Amelia,  Ella,  Clara,  John, 
Frank  aud  Lucy.  Mr.  Shump  has  145  J  acres 
of  the  finest  land  in  the  township,  well 
drained  with  tile;  also  has  two  fine  orchards. 
Although  averse  to  office,  he  has  held  some 
small  offices:  takes  an  interest  in  education 
and  local  improvements  and  enterprises.  He 
and  wife  are  Catholics. 

QUIRIN  SCHMITT,  wagon-maker,  re- 
pairer and  livery,  Downer's  Grove,  was  born 
in  Europe  April  30,  1853;  his  parents,  Ro- 
man and  Sophia  (Tilken)  Schmitt,  both  de- 
ceased, were  Europeans;  of  their  nine  chil- 
dren, seven  are  living,  viz. ,  Nicholas,  George, 
Joseph,  Amand,  Quirin,  Sophia  and  Therese. 
Subject,  at  the  age  of  thirteen,  began  learn- 
ing the  wagon-maker's  trade,  which  he  has 
ever  since  followed.  He  came  to  Illinois  in 
1872,  and  worked  one  year  and  seven  months 
with  John  Walters,  of  Downer' s  Grove,  whose 
business  he  then  bought,  and  has  since  con- 
tinued, making  a  specialty  of  repairing  and 
building  spring  wagons,  and  doing  an  excel- 
lent trade.  In  1881,  he  added  a  livery  to  his 
other  business,  and  is  meeting  with  good  suc- 
cess in  that  line.  He  married,  January  17, 
1874,  Barbara,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Hele- 
na Schumpp,  and  from  this  union  three  chil- 
dren have  been  born,  viz.,  Eugene,  Ida  and 
Helen.  Mrs.  Schmitt' s  parents  were  early 
settlers  here,  and  had  six  children,  five  of 
whom  are  living.  Mr.  Schmitt  is  a  Democrat; 
members  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

PHILANDER  TORODE,  hotel  and  farm- 
er, P.  O.  Hinsdale,  was  born  November  4, 
1823,  in  Monroe  County,  Ohio.  His  par- 
ents, Nicholas  and  Rachel  (De  Lamare)  To- 
rode,  were  natives  of  Europe,  and  emigrated 


DOWXEB'S  GROVE  TOWNSEIIP 


121 


to  America  in  1820,  settling  in  Ohio,  and,  in 
1837,  in  Illinois,  where  his  father  died  in 
1845,  and  his  mother  in  1864;  they  had  seven 
children — Nicholas,  Peter  R. ,  John  J.,  Charles 
W.,  Daniel  W.,  George  and  Philander;  they 
were  members  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church.  Mr.  Torode  attended  the  common 
schools,  and,  at  thirteen  years  of  age,  began 
working  on  his  father's  farm.  His  life  has 
been  mostly  that  of  a  farmer;  however,  he 
spent  a  few  years  in  saw- milling,  operating 
a  cider-mill  and  a  stone  quarry  on  Section  24 
in  York  Township,  along  Salt  Creek.  He 
was  married,  March  15,  1854,  to  Abba, 
daughter  of  David  and  Catharine  (Fuller) 
Thurston,  who  has  borne  him  one  child,  who 
grew  to  maturity — -John  A.  In  1881,  Mr. 
Torode  left  his  farm  of  150  acres  in  York 
Township  and  engaged  in  the  hotel  business 
in  Hinsdale,  where  he  has  met  with  good 
success.  The  building  is  nicely  located  and 
well  arranged  for  hotel  purposes.  In  1879, 
he  engaged  in  farming  in  Alabama,  whither 
he  and  his  family  had  gone  in  search  of 
health.  He  has  been  Assessor  one  term.  His 
farm  in  York  Township  is  the  old  homestead 
of  his  father. 

JOEL  TIFFANY,  inventor,  Hinsdale,  was 
born  September  6,  1811,  at  Barkhamsted, 
Litchfield  Co.,  Conn.,  son  of  Joel  and  Han- 
nah (Wilder)  Tiffany,  natives  of  Connecticut. 
His  father  was  a  builder,  and  was  never  in 
affluent  circumstances,  so  that  the  children, 
all  of  whom  were  successful  in  life,  were  self- 
made.  Our  subject  taught  school  and  stud- 
ied hard  until  twenty  years  of  age,  when  he 
began  to  read  law  with  William  G.  Williams, 
at  Hartford,  Conn.,  and  afterward  with 
Charles  Olcott,  at  Medina,  Ohio,  where,  in 
1834,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  prac- 
ticed until  1836.  He  afterward  practiced 
for  thirteen  years  at  Elyria,  LorainCo.,Ohio, 
where  he  held  the  position  of  Prosecuting 


Attorney,  in  which  office  he  won  distinction 
by  his  vigorous  prosecution  of  horse-thieves 
and  counterfeiters.  This  office  he  held  for 
two  terms,  when,  in  1849,  he  located  in 
Cleveland  and  practiced  two  years.  He  next 
went  to  Little  Mountain,  Lake  Co.,  Ohio, 
where  he  turned  his  entire  attention  to  the 
law  of  parents  in  the  United  States  Courts. 
After  fifteenjiyears  here,  he  practiced  at  Al- 
bany, N.  Y. ,  for  ten  years.  From  1865  to 
1868,  he  was  Reporter  of  the  Court  of  Ap- 
peals, from  which  labor  twelve  volumes  were 
published.  While  at  Albany,  he  wrote  a 
"  Treatise  on  Trusts  and  Trustees,"  and  a 
work  of  "  Practice  under  the  New  York  Code 
of  Law,"  consisting  of  three  volumes;  also  a 
"Digest  of  the  Court  of  Appeals,"  and  a  trea- 
tise on  "Government  and  Constitutional  Law. " 
He  has  lately  published  an  able  work  enti- 
tled "  Man  and  his  Destiny,"  and  is  now  pre- 
paring for  publication  some  ideas  and  com- 
ments on  "Agnosticism."  In  1870,  he  bought 
property  in  Hinsdale,  and  began  exerting  his 
active  mind  in  the  art  of  refrigerating;  has 
an  office  in  Chicago,  to  and  from  which  city 
he  goes  each  day.  In  1834,  he  married  Car- 
oline M.  Tryon,  which  union  resulted  in  nine 
children,  five  of  whom  survive,  viz.,  Mary, 
Mrs.  Van  Inwagen;  Amelia;  Martha,  Mrs. 
Humphrey;  Ella,  Mrs.  J.  B.  Page;  and  Belle. 
His  consort  died  in  1859,  in  Ohio,  and  he 
again  married,  in  1860,  to  Margaret  Mason, 
by  whom  he  has  four  children,  viz.,  Frankie 
L.,  Leon  J.,  Wilder  and  George  S.  Although 
Mr.  Tiffany  has  been  offered  positions  of  hon- 
or and  trust,  he  has  as  often  refused  them, 
being  averse  to  holding  office.  In  the  person 
of  our  subject  we  have  the  marked  character 
of  a  self-made  man. 

A.  L.  TENNEY,  farmer,  P.  O.  Downer's 
Grove,  was  born  in  New  Hampshire  Febru- 
ary 2,  1845,  son  of  Oliver  and  Tryphenia 
(Bissell)  Tenney,  natives  of  Vermont,  he  born 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


in  1800  and  she  in  1807;  they  are  still  liv- 
ing, and  are  the  parents  of  twelve  children, 
all  of  whom  are  living.  Our  subject  was 
educated  in  the  best  schools  of  his  native 
county,  and,  at  about  twenty-four  years  of  age, 
engaged  in  the  express  business,  continuing  at 
the  same  for  three  years,  when  he  came  to 
Illinois  and  commenced  farming,  renting 
land  for  that  purpose.  He  afterward  pur- 
chased eighty  acres,  his  present  farm,  which 
is  highly  improved.  In  1862,  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Abbie  Daggett,  who  bore  him 
two  children,  one  of  whom  is  living,  Myron. 
Mrs.  Tenney  died  in  1869,  and  in  1870  Mr. 
Tenney  married  Miss  Phyllis  Pye,  daughter 
of  Watts  and  Mary  A.  (Goodman)  Pye,  na- 
tives of  England,  who  came  to  Du  Page  in 
1849,  settling  where  subject  now  lives,  but 
who  are  at  present  residing  in  Minnesota; 
they  had  eight  children,  only  five  of  whom 
are  now  living.  From  his  last  marriage,  Mr. 
Tenney  has  had  born  to  him  six  children — 
Abbie  M.,  Ella  T.,  Watts  B.,  Nettie  B.,  Bes- 
sie P.  and  Bertha  J.  The  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
he  votes  for  the  best  men.  Alden  and  Mar- 
quis, brothers  of  A.  L. ,  were  in  the  late  war 
—one  in  the  army  and  the  other  in  the  navy. 
Watts  Pye,  brother  of  Mr.  Tenney's  wife,  died 
whilst  in  the  service,  member  of  Company  B, 
Eighty-seventh  Minnesota  Volunteer  In- 
fantry. 

ELDEED  THATCHEE,  merchant,  Down- 
er's Grove,  was  born  in  Susquehanna  County, 
Penn.,  March  8, 1818,  son  of  John  and  Sarah 
(Moore)  Thatcher,  he  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts,.she  of  New  Jersey;  of  their  six  children, 
five  are  living,  viz.,  Azor,  Eldred  (subject), 
John,  Edwin  and  Editha.  Subject,  at  the 
age  of  fourteen,  apprenticed  to  the  tanner's 
trade,  after  learning  which  he  attended  school 
three  months.  In  1831,  he  moved  to  La 
Salle  County,  111.,  thence,  in  1841,  to  Down- 


er's Grove.  In  1856,  he  entered  the  dry 
goods  and  notion  business,  continuing  in 
business  one  year,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Carpenter  &  Hatch ;  afterward,  under  various 
names,  the  present  firm  being  Thatcher  & 
Crescey.  He  has  a  good  store  and  other 
property,  which  he  has  made  by  his  own  la- 
bors, having  only  $200  when  he  located  here. 
He  was  married  in  1838;  his  wife  died  in 
October,  1855,  leaving  one  child,  Mrs.  Charles 
Curtis.  He  married  Charlotte  Smith,  who 
has  borne  him  three  children,  viz.,  John, 
Helen  and  Harvey.  Mr.  Thatcher  has  been 
Postmaster  in  Downer's  Grove  for  nineteen 
years,  being  commissioned  by  President  Bu- 
chanan; been  Township  Trustee  for  twenty 
years,  and  still  holds  that  position,  and  has 
been  Trustee  of  the  village  since  its  organiza- 
tion, with  the  exception  of  one  year.  He  is 
a  Eepublican,  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  Church. 

EDWAED  VENAED,  farmer,  P.  O.  Down- 
er's Grove,  was  born  February  25, 1842.  His 
parents,  Charles  and  Catharine  (Butler)  Ve- 
nard,  were  natives  of  Ireland,  and  came  to 
America  about  1832,  settling  in  the  dense 
forests  of  New  York,  where  they  toiled  and 
labored  until  1845,  when  they  gathered  all 
and  started  for  the  West,  locating  the  same 
year  ou  the  farm  where  they  now  reside. 
Here  they  again  began  in  the  pioneer  style. 
Subject's  mother  died  here  in  1857;  his  fa- 
ther is  still  living,  and  is  very  feeble,  being 
eighty-two  years  of  age;  the  names  of  their 
seven  children  are  as  follows  :  Anastasia, 
Ellen,  Charles,  Thomas,  Edward,  John  and 
Catharine.  Subject  was  married,  February 
22,  1880,  to  Maggie  J. ,  a  daughter  of  Adam 
and  Julia  Gorman,  of  Will  County;  she  has 
borne  him  two  children,  both  deceased.  He 
makes  some  specialty  of  Durham  cattle  and 
the  Chester  White  hogs.  He  has  184  acres 
of  finely  improved  land,  the  fruit  of  his  early 


DOWNER'S  GKOVE  TOWNSHIP. 


123 


labors.     They   are  members  of  the  Catholic 
Church  at  Naperville. 

DR.  H  F.  WALKER,  coal-dealer,  Hins- 
dale,  was  born  July  17,  1817,  in  Claremont, 
Sullivan  Co.,  N.  H. ;  is  a  son  of  Solomon  and 
Charity  (Stevens)  Walker;  the  parents  emi- 
grated to  Oakland  County,  Mich.,  in  1824, 
where  they  bought  a  large  tract  of  land;  the 
father  died  in  1857,  and  the  mother  in  1859; 
they  were  the  parents  of  thirteen  children, 
nine  of  whom  grew  up — Elihu  S.,  Oricy,  An- 
drew C.,  Leander  (Methodist  minister),  Lu- 
cetta,  H.  F. ,  J.  M.  (deceased  January,  1881, 
was  President  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  Railroad,  and  attorney).  Mr.  Wal- 
ker attended  school  in  the  districts  in  Mich- 
igan and  at  Pontiac,  same  State,  and  for  a 
time  at  Oberlin,  Ohio.  His  younger  days 
were  spent  on  a  farm  and  clerking  in  a  store. 
He  began  reading  medicine  in  1838,  with 
Dr.  A.  Hudson,  of  Fannington,  Mich.,  and 
afterward  atteaded  the  Cleveland  (Ohio)  Med- 
ical College,  graduating  there  in]1843.  He 
began  practice  at  Farmington,  where  he  re- 
mained for  nine  years,  and  then  retired  for  a 
short  time,  on  account  of  poor  health.  In 
about  one  year,  he  engaged  as  a  traveling 
salesman  and  collector  for  a  wholesale  dry 
goods  house  of  New  York,  which  he  contin- 
ued for  about  two  years,  and  again  entered 
his  profession  for  one  year.  He  learned  that 
his  health  would  not  permit  him  to  follow 
his  profession  he  loved  so  well,  and  he  en- 
gaged in  the  clothing  business  with  O.  F. 
North,  at  Pontiac,  Mich  ,  for  about  one  year 
and  a  half,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  with- 
drew and  came  to  Amboy,  Lee  Co..  111.,  in 
1855,  where  he  remained  for  ten  years.  He 
then  settled  in  Chicago,  and  acted  as  mana- 
ger of  the  Chicago  &  Wilmington  Coal  Com- 
pany, and  is  connected  with  said  company  at 
the  present.  Was  married,  in  1839,  to  Ath- 
alia  N.  Watson,  a  daughter  of  Levi  and 


Fanny  Watson.  He  has  no  children.  He 
settled  his  residence  at  Hinsdale  in  1868,  he 
and  his  brother.  J.  M.,  buying  at  that  time 
about  three  hundred  and  seventy  acres  where 
is  now  Clarendon  Hills.  They  cut  the  same 
into  lots,  and,  after  selling  many  of  them, 
they  sold  the  remainder,  but  had  to  take  a 
portion  back  on  account  of  non-payment. 
The  Doctor  has  been  Supervisor  of  Downer's 
Grove  Township,  and  has  held  other  small 
offices.  He  is  now  a  candidate  for  the  Leg- 
islature from  this  district.  He  was  first  a 
Whig,  and  since  has  been  a  stanch  Republic- 
an. He  and^wife  are  members  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church  of  Hinsdale;  were  for- 
merly Methodists,  but  transferred  on  account 
of  there  being  no  Methodist  organization  at 
this  place. 

ALFRED  WALKER,  farmer,  P.  O.  Hins- 
dale, was  born  in  Ludlow,  Windsor  Co.,  Vt., 
September  6,  1824,  son  of  Josiah  and  So- 
phia (Pettigrew)  Walker.  Josiah  Walker 
was  born  in  Hopkinton,  Mass.,  March  5, 1793, 
and  died  at  Ludlow,  Vt,  March  22,  1846; 
his  wife,  born  in  Ludlow,  Vt.,  December  28, 
1795,  died  at  Hinsdale,  111.,  December  12, 
1875;  he  was  a  Methodist,  she  a  Baptist; 
they  had  eight  children.  Mr.  Walker  received 
a  limited  education,  attending  school  about 
two  months  each  winter  season,  and,  when 
eighteen  years  of  age,  hired  out  at  $13  per 
month,  and,  after  working  one  month,  set  out 
to  look  for  other  employment  He  worked 
for  a  time  at  various  small  jobs,  then  found 
permanent  employment  in  the  car  works  at 
Cambridgeport,  Vt. ,  rpceiving  $8  per  month 
for  the  first  year,  $16  per  month  the  second 
year,  and  the  third  year  received  $1.50  per 
day.  His  father  dying  about  this  time,  he 
returned  home  and  hired  out  by  the  month 
awhile.  In  Tinmouth,  Vt,  March  30,  1847, 
he  married  Fanny  Ann  Hopkins,  a  native  of 
that  place,  born  May  24,  1823,  who  bore  him 


124 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


three  children — Lincoln,  deceased;  Clifford, 
who  married  Nellie  Steward  at  Hinsdale,  111. , 
January  28,  1874;  and  Lillian  Sophia,  who 
married  Frank  L.  Wentworth  at  Hinsdale, 
October  2,  1877.  Mrs.  Walker's  parents, 
David  and  Amanda  (Andrus)  Hopkins,  were 
natives  of  Wallingford,  Rutland  Co.,  Vt.,  he 
born  June  14,  1788,  died  March  30,  1849, 
at  Tinmouth,  Vt. ,  where  also  his  wife,  who 
was  born  August  30,  1792,  died  March  31, 
1849;  they  had  fourteen  children,  six  of  whom 
are  living.  Mr.  Walker,  after  his  marriage, 
settled  on  the  old  homestead  farm,  renting  it 
for  awhile,  afterward  buying  it,  and  finally 
selling  it  for  a  county  poor  farm.  In  1853, 
he  came  to  Brush  Hills,  this  county,  where 
he  started  a  hotel,  in  connection  with  which 
he  ran  a  cheese  factory  (the  first  in  the  State), 
and  also  dealt  in  fat  cattle.  He  became 
wealthy,  and  purchased  a  large  amount  of 
property,  the  greater  part  of  which  he  still 
owns.  He  is  an  active  member  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church. 

GEOKGE  WOLF,  farmer,  P.  O.  Hinsdale, 
was  born  May  14,  1835,  in  Germany;  is  a 
son  of  George  and  Mary  E.  (Heiiitz)  Wolf, 
who  came  to  Du  Page  County  from  Germany 
in  1847.  The  family  rented  land  for  five 
years,  and  then  purchased  where  they  now 
live.  The  father  had  but  $40  when  he  locat- 
ed in  this  county,  but,  by  hard  labor  and 
frugality,  he  amassed  quite  a  little  fortune, 
which  he  divided  among  his  six  children. 
The  mother  is  dead,  and  the  f  alher,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-five,  lives  with  our  subject.  The 
parents  united  early  with  the  Lutheran 
Church.  George's  school-days  were  few,  he 
commencing  early  to  work  at  farming,  which 
he  has  since  continued;  has  experienced  all 
the  hardships  incident  to  pioneer  life.  In 
1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company  D,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Fifth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry, 
and  served  till  the  close  of  the  war;  was 


slightly  wounded  between  two  fingers;  also 
contracted  a  disease  in  one  of  his  lower  limbs, 
which  causes  him  considerable  pain  at  this 
late  day.  In  1866,  he  married  Miss  Kate 
Faul,  by  whom  he  had  two  children,  Eddie 
and  Ella;  they  finally  separated,  and  Mr. 
Wolf,  in  1872,  again  married,  the  lady  being 
Miss  Emily  Wigant,  daughter  of  William 
and  Lottie  Wigant.  This  second  union  has 
resulted  in  three  children,  viz.,  Louise,  George 
and  Amanda.  Subjectowns  110  acres  of  well- 
improved  land,  and  some  timber  in  Downer's 
Grove;  the  residence,  which  is  surrounded 
by  a  good  orchard,  is  situated  on  Section  23. 
He  and  his  brother  Fred  for  a  time  ran  a 
threshing  machine,  which  added  to  their 
finances.  The  family  of  Mr.  Wolf  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Lutheran  Church.  He  votes  the 
Democratic  ticket. 

FREDERICK  WOLF,  farmer,  P.  O  Hins- 
dale, was  born  December  28,  1838,  in  Ger- 
many, and '  is  a  brother  of  George,  whose 
sketch  appears  in  this  book.  Subject  ob- 
tained what  little  education  he  could  at  Dow- 
ner's Grove,  but,  as  soon  as  he  was  large 
enough,  he  was  obliged  to  work  on  his  fa- 
ther's farm;  at  fifteen,  he  was  an  expert  at 
mowing.  He  used  to  drive  four  ox  teams  to 
a  plow  which  his  father  and  brother  held;  has 
journeyed  to  and  from  Chicago  with  oxen,  and 
has,  in  fact,  experienced  all  the  hardships 
of  one  in  limited  circumstances  in  an  early 
day.  He  now  has  160  acres  of  finely  im- 
proved farm  land,  and  ten  acres  of  timber 
land;  runs  quite  an  extensive  dairy,  keeping 
twenty-six  cows,  and  selling  the  milk  in 
Chicago.  In  1866,  he  was  married  to  Cath- 
arine Mochel,  by  whom  he  has  seven  chil- 
dren, viz.,  William,  Louisa,  Charlie,  Emil, 
George,  Albert  E.  and  Adelia  Me.  Mr.  Wolf 
has  held  the  position  of  Pathmaster.  He  and 
wife  are  Lutherans.  They  are  giving  their 
children  a  good  education. 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP 


127 


CHARLES  WHEELER,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Downer's  Grove,  was  born  January  20,  1829, 
in  New  York,  son  of  Merritt  and  Rhoda 
(Hyde)  Wheeler,  and  brother  of  Allen 
Wheeler,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in 
this  work.  Our  subject  attended  school  in 
his  early  youth,  but,  as  he  grew  older,  was 
needed  to  help  work  upon  the  farm.  When 
twenty-two  years  of  age,  he  bought  thirty  - 
eight  acres  of  land  of  his  father,  and  invested 
all  of  his  available  means  in  cattla  He  now 
owns  106  acres  of  well -improved  land,  the 
result  of  his  economy  and  good  management, 
and  makes  a  specialty  of  raising  Berkshire 
hogs.  In  1860,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Nancy  McMillan,  daughter  of  Andrew  and 
Rhoda  (Daily)  McMillan,  and  sister  to  Mrs. 
E.  S.  Andrews,  whose  sketch  appears  in  this 
work.  This  union  has  been  blessed  with  three 
children — Olive,  Orin  and  Ida  J.  Mrs. 
Wheeler  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church. 
Mr.  Wheeler  has  filled  several  offices  in  the 
township,  and,  although  he  has  seen  his  full 
share  of  the  hardships  of  life,  now  enjoys  the 
fruits  of  his  thrift  and  perseverance. 

ALLEN  WHEELER,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Downer's  Grove,  was  born  August  29,  1840, 
in  New  York.  His  parents,  Merritt  and 
Rhoda  (Hyde)  Wheeler,  were  natives  of  New 
York,  and  came  to  Illinois  in  1844,  settling 
on  a  farm  west  of  Downer's  Grove,  now  owned 
by  "  Deeder."  In  1847,  they  settled  on  a 
farm  adjoining  subject's  place,  and,  in  1875, 
located  in  Michigan,  where  they  still  reside, 
the  father  being  blind.  Subject  attended 
school  but  little,  and  that  in  a  cabin  on  his 
brother's  farm.  His  parents  had  nine  chil- 
dren— George,  Charles,  Roxanna,  Grace, 
Sarah,  Allen,  Betsey,  Harriet  and  Albert. 
He  clerked  awhile  in  Downer's  Grove,  and  in 
1860,  attended  school  at  Wheaton,  this  county. 
He  enlisted  in  Company  E,  Eighth  Illinois 
Cavalry  Regiment,  but,  being  taken  sick  with 


the  measles,  was  confined  to  the  hospital  at 
Alexandria,  thence  transferred  to  Philadel- 
phia, and  there  discharged,  not  being  ex- 
pected to  live.  He  resumed  his  studies  in 
Wheaton,  afterward  taught  two  years,  then 
engaged  five  years  for  T.  M.  Avery  in  the 
lumber  business  in  Chicago.  He  married, 
in  1864,  Elizabeth  A.  Bateman,  who  has  borne 
him  eight  children,  viz.,  Clara,  Schuyler,  Zoe- 
lina,  Guy,  Claudie,  Lynn,  Nora  and  Myrtle; 
the  latter  two  died  in  1880,  of  scarlet  fever. 
Mr.  Wheeler  takes  an  interest  in  educating 
his  children;  is  now  Clerk  of  School  Board. 
He  has  been  a  professor  of  religion  since  he 
was  seventeen  years  of  age;  they  attend  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  has  forty 
acres  of  well-improved  land,  and  makes  a 
specialty  of  fine  Durham  cattla  He  cast  his 
first  Presidential  vote  for  Lincoln. 

MICHAEL  WELCH,  farmer,  P.  O.  Gower, 
was  born  in  Ireland  April  5,  1824;  is  the  son 
of  John  and  Mary  (Burke)  Welch,  natives  of 
Ireland,  who  came  to  New  York  in  1832; 
they  had  four  children,  viz.,  Michael,  Han- 
nah, Patrick  and  John.  The  father  worked 
on  a  canal  and  railroad  in  New  York  State. 
In  1842,  our  subject  came  to  Illinois  and 
bought  a  part  of  his  present  farm  of  eighty 
acres,  in  Downer's  Grove  Township.  This 
land  he  has  improved  until  now  he  has  one 
of  the  best  improved  farms  in  the  township. 
A  cabin  16x18  feet,  which  he  at  first  dwelt 
in,  has  been  replaced  by  a  commodious  dwell- 
ing, surrounded  by  a  good  orchard.  In  1852, 
Mr.  Welch  married  Mary  Fleming,  by  whom 
he  has  ten  children,  viz.,  John,  Thomas,  Rich- 
ard, William,  Harriet,  Mary,  Catharine, 
George,  Arthur  and  Ann;  two  are  deceased. 
Mr.  Welch  has  held  several  small  offices,  and 
takes  an  interest  in  all  public  improvements. 
He  and  his  wife  are  Catholics. 

ABRAM  WELLS,  farmer,  and  present 
Postmaster,  Cass,  was  born  in  England  May 


128 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


1,  1841,  and  is  the  son  of  Robert  and  Sarah 
Wells,  natives  of  England,  who  came  to  New 
York  in  1856.  Our  subject  obtained  a  good 
common-school  education  in  his  native  place. 
When  fifteen  years  of  age,  he  began  to  learn 
the  shoemaker's  trade,  at  which  he  worked 
four  years.  In  1860,  he  came  to  the  State  of 
New  York,  where  he  put  in  tile  drains  for 
one  year.  He  then  came  to  Du  Page  County, 
where  he  worked  at  farming  until  August, 
1862,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  E,  Sev- 
enty-second Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  in 
which  he  remained  till  the  close  of  the  war, 
participating  in  many  hard-fought  battles. 
Upon  his  return  home,  he  again  engaged  in 
farming.  March  15,  1867,  he  married  Mrs. 
Abigail  Pitcher,  only  surviving  child  of  James 
and  Elizabeth  Hardy,  natives  of  England. 
By  her  first  husband,  Mrs.  Wells  had  ten 
children;  by  Mr. Wells  she  has  none.  Mrs. 
Wells'  only  surviving  child,  John  W.  Pitcher,  i 
was  married,  July  3,  1879,  to  Miss  Susanna 
Dawson,  daughter  of  John  and  Anna  Dawson. 
They  have  had  one  child,  Carrie  E.  Mrs. 
Wells  came  to  this  county  in  1848,  when  it 
was  in  a  comparatively  wild  state.  She  has 
fed  the  hungry  red  man  at  her  own  house. 
Mr.  Wells  has  been  School  Director,  Consta- 
ble and  Road  Commissioner;  was  appointed 
Postmaster  March  4,  1869,  and  still  holds 
that  position.  The  post  office  is  known  as 
Cass.  He  votes  the  Republican  ticket. 

PETER  WERTZ,  blacksmith,  Downer's 
Grove,  was  born  in  Prussia,  Germany,  Jan- 
uary 13,  1850,  son  of  Peter  and  Maria  (Zim- 
merman) Wertz,  natives  of  Germany,  and 
both  still  living,  he  born  November  18,  1818, 
she  born  August  27,  1822.  They  raised  a 
family  of  eight  children,  viz.,  John,  Mary, 
Jacob,  Joseph,  Peter,  Margaret,  Clemence 
and  William.  Subject  attended  school  in  his 
native  land,  and,  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years, 
began  learning  the  blacksmith's  trade,  which 


lie  completed,  and  has  since  followed.  He 
landed  at  New  York  in  1867;  soon  after,  en- 
gaged at  his  trade  at  Buffalo,  where  he  re- 
mained about  a  year,  and  at  other  points 
in  New  York  State  for  about  eighteen 
months.  In  1870,  he  came  to  Downer's 
Grove,  where  he  worked  twenty-one  months 
for  John  Walton,  a  wagon-maker;  then  formed 
a  partnership  with  J.  W.  Sucher,  of  this 
place,  which  partnership,  at  the  end  of  a 
year,  was  dissolved.  Mr.  Wertz  then  worked 
for  awhile  with  Mr.  Sucher,  and,  in  1874, 
began  his  present  business,  which  he  has 
since  continued,  doing  first-class  work.  He 
purposes  adding  a  large  building,  in  which 
to  carry  on  a  wagon  and  paint  shop.  He 
was  married,  January  13,  1872,  to  Frances 
Noll,  a  native  of  Germany,  born  July  9,  1854, 
daughter  of  John  and  Margaretta  Noll ;  he, 
born  in  Germany,  died  September  7,  1869; 
she  died  January  15,  1861.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wertz  have  five  children— Bertha,  ten  years 
of  age;  Francis,  eight  years;  Catharine,  six 
years;  Maria,  three  years;  and  Elizabeth, 
one  and  a  half  years.  Mr.  Wertz  owns  prop- 
erty in  this  village  to  th'e  value  o  $7,000.  all 
of  which  he  has  made  by  his  own  labors, 
save  12,000,  which  he  inherited.  He  votes 
the  Democratic  ticket.  He  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Catholic  Church  at  Naper- 
ville. 

JOHN  WALLACE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Downer's 
Grove,  was  born  November  19,  1807,  in  New 
Hampshire;  son  of  Joseph  and  Sarah  (Mcln- 
tire)  Wallace,  of  New  Hampshire,  where  they 
both  died.  They  had  a  family  of  seven  chil- 
dren, only  two  of  whom  are  living — Erastus 
and  Sarah,  now  Mrs.  Kibby.  Our  subject  at- 
tended school  in  the  old  log  cabin;  came  to 
Downer's  Grove  in  1839,  and  engaged  in 
farming,  pre-empting  eighty  acres.  He  now 
has  seventy  acres,  which  are  well  improved. 
In  1833,  he  was  married  to  Mehitabel  Har- 


DOWNER'S  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 


129 


rington,  whose  parents  were  James  and  Mer- 
cy (Sherman)  Harrington,  natives  of  Vermont, 
who  had  a  large  family.  Mr.  Wallace  has 
five  children  living — Austin,  Garry,  James, 
Emma  and  Alice.  He  has  served  as  Consta- 
ble and  is  a  Republican,  but  cast  his  first 
vote  for  Gen.  Jackson.  Himself  and  wife  are 
members  of  the  Baptist  Church  at  Downer's 
Grove.  His  son  Garry  was  a  member  of 
Company  B,  One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  his  country 
gallantly  for  three  years  of  the  great  struggle 
for  the  Union. 

WILLIAM  E.  WAEING,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Downer's  Grove,  was  born  in  New  York  May 
6,  1818;  his  parents,  Solomon  and  Affey 
Snedeker  Waring,  were  natives  of  New  York, 
where  they  reared  ten  children,  viz.,  Mary, 
Nellie,  Harriet,  Miranda,  Sallie,  Magdelia, 
Theodore,  Solomon,  Tunis  and  William  E. ; 
they  were  members  of  the  Dutch  Reformed 
Church.  Subject  received  more  than  an  or- 
dinary education,  having  taken  up  the  study 
of  Latin,  Greek  and  French;  he  taught  two 
terms  at  small  wages;  when  twenty-two  years 
old,  he  began  merchandising  in  a  grocery 
and  feed  store,  meeting  with  success.  He 
then  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business  in 
New  York  City  and  State,  and,  in  1868,  went 
to  Nevada,  Story  Co.,  Iowa,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  the  same  business,  meeting  with 
some  reverses,  and,  in  1874,  went  to  Chicago, 
where,  also,  he  engaged  in  the  real  estate 
business,  meeting  with  indifferent  success. 
In  1881,  he  bought  thirteen  acres  of  land  in 
East  Grove,  this  township,  where  he  has  since 
remained  and  is  doing  well.  His  children 
are  Euphemia  (Mrs.  C.  C.  Carpenter,  in 
Iowa),  Peter,  in  New  York  City;  John,  a 


miner  in  Colorado,  and  Richard;  two  de- 
ceased, John  and  Walter.  Mr.  W.  was  Rev- 
enue Assessor  in  New  York  for  four  years, 
being  appointed  by  Chase;  was  Justice  of 
the  Peace  many  years  and  was  Captain  of 
militia;  was  once  a  member  of  the  A.,  F.  & 
A.  M. ;  he  is  a  Republican,  and  cast  his  first 
vote  for  VanBuren;  he  has  a  good  home,  fine 
orchard  and  all  necessary  conveniences. 

VALENTINE  WOHLHUTER,  merchant, 
Gower;  was  born  December  1, 1825,  in  Alsace, 
Germany,  and  is  the  son  of  Philip  and  Sarah 
Wohlhuter,  who  reared  six  children,  three  of 
whom  are  living,  viz.,  Philip,  Eva  and  Val- 
entine. The  latter  obtained  his  schooling 
in  his  native  place;  he  came  to  New  York 
State  in  1848,  and  worked  by  the  month  till 
1850,  when  he  began  selling  milk  in  Chicago 
for  a  dairyman  of  that  city.  At  this  time 
(1850),  he  married  Sarah  Garst,  who  came  to 
Buffalo  from  the  old  country  when  four  years 
of  age.  Our  subject  andhis  wife  next  settled 
at  Dutchman's  Point,  fourteen  miles  from 
Chicago;  here  they  purchased  forty  acres  of 
land,  which,  after  living  upon  two  years,  they 
sold  and  bought  three  acres  of  land  where 
they  now  live.  Upon  this  land,  Mr.  Wohl- 
huter soon  erected  a  store,  which  he  stocked 
with  goods;  he  has  continued  in  this  line, 
doing  a  good  business  ever  since;  he  now  has 
a  full  line  of  dry  goods,  notions,  boots  and 
shoes,  groceries,  hardware  and  everything 
found  in  a  first-class  country  store.  In  Feb- 
ruary, 1869,  a  post  office  was  established  at 
his  store,  and  he  was  made  Postmaster.  His 
patrons  are  a  wealthy  class  of  people,  and  he 
has  a  good  trade,  yet  his  age  demands  a  rest, 
and  he  contemplates  retiring  from  active 
business;  he  has  six'children. 


130 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


LISLE    TOWNSHIP. 


JACOB  AUGENSTEIN,  farmer,  Naper- 
ville,  was  born  April  15,  1843,  in  Wayne  Co., 
Ind. ;  is  a  son  of  Rev.  C.  and  Harriet  (Wai- 
lack)  Augenstein,  the  parents  of  two  children, 
viz.,  Jacob,  and  John  C.,  a  physician  at  Ba- 
tavia.  The  parents  are  living  at  Freeport, 
where  the  father  is  engaged  in  the  ministry 
of  the  Evangelical  Association.  The  father 
can  rightly  be  called  a  pioneer,  who  has  seen 
some  of  the  hardships  that  the  early  settlers 
had  to  endure.  He  bought  114  acres  of  land 
where  the  subject  now  lives,  which  he  still 
owns;  he  was  among  the  early  preachers  of 
Chicago;  he  has  given  the  greater  part  of  his 
earnest  life  in  his  ministerial  labors  to  the 
churches.  Jacob,  of  whom  we  write,  was  mar- 
ried in  1875  to  Susie,  a  daughter  of  Jacob 
and  Saloma  (Arnold)  Hirtzel;  he  is  making 
gome  specialty  in  raising  stock;  is  in  the 
dairy  business. 

HENRY  L.  BUSH,  farmer,  Downer's  Grove, 
was  born  February  3,  1840,  in  what  is  now 
Downer's  Grove  Township;  is  the  son  of  Ed- 
win A.  and  Nancy  B.  (Stanley)  Bush,  the  par- 
ents of  two  children — Edwin  A.  and  Henry 
L.,  our  subject.  The  father,  born  in  Canton, 
N.  Y.,  June  16, 1816,  diedMarch  5,  1842;  the 
mother,  born  in  New  Milford,  Penn.,  Novem- 
ber 26,  1813,  some  time  after  her  first  hus- 
band's death,  married  Mr.  Dryer,  who  has 
since  died.  Mrs.  Dryer  is  a  sister  of  L.  W. 
Stanley,  whose  biography  appears  elsewhere 
in  this  work.  In  1836,  in  Cass, Du  Page  Co., 
subject's  mother  began  teaching  school  in  a 
cabin  10x12;  in  this  room  were  crowded 
twenty-seven  scholars,  besides  the  stove, 
which  used  to  be  carried  out  doors  and 


emptied  when  becoming  filled  with  ashes; 
she  also  taught  the  first  school  in  Downer's 
Grove;  she  is  now  living  with  her  son,  Henry 
Bush,  the  subject  of  our  sketch.  During  his 
youth,  he  was  in  such  poor  health  that  he  was 
unable  to  attend  school,  but  by  careful  atten- 
tion to  his  books  at  home,  he  obtained  a  good 
education.  At  Downer's  Grove,  August  27, 
1865,  he  married  Miss  Calla  E.  Belden,  born 
at  Downer's  Grove  March  24,  1848,  daughter 
of  N.  A.  and  Fannie  (Randall)  Belden,  who 
came  to  this  county  about  1844;  her  father, 
born  in  Saratoga  County,  N.  Y.,  December  11, 
.  1819,  died  April  13,  1864,  and  her  mother, 
born  in  Cortland  Couuty,  N.  Y.,  August  18. 
1818,  lives  in  Downer's  Grove.'  This  union 
has  resulted  in  two  children — Guy  L.,  born 
November  13,  1866,  and  King  M. ,  born  Sep- 
tember 14,  1870  Mr.  Bush  has  122  acres  of 
finely  improved  land;  he  makes  a  specialty  of 
raising  cows  to  supply  a  dairy  which  he  car- 
ries on.  He  was  Assessor  of  Lisle  Township 
for  seven  years,  and  is  now  agent  for  the  Chi- 
cago, Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  at  Lactor 
Station,  which  position  he  has  held  for  near- 
ly fourteen  years.  He  has  always  taken  an 
active  part  in  the  agricultural  organizations 
of  Du  Page  County,  where  he  is  now  Secre- 
tary of  a  society  of  that  kind. 

S.  A.  BALLOTJ,  farmer,  P.  O.  Naperville, 
was  born  October  19,  1828,  in  Saratoga  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y. ;  is  a  son  of  Isaac  A.  and  Hannah 
(Allen)  Ballou,  the  former  a  native  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, and  the  latter  of  Saratoga  County. 
They  were  the  parents  of  ten  children  that 
grew  up,  six  of  whom  are  living,  viz.,  O.  RM 
Capt.  D.  W.,  Malvina  and  Henrietta,  Amelia 


LISLE  TOWNSHIP. 


131 


W.  and  S.  A.  The  mother  was  a  descendant 
of  Ethan  Allen,  the  famous  "warrior;"  the 
father  was  a  mechanic  and  farmer;  the  par- 
ents were  Episcopalians.  Mr.  S.  attended 
school  in  the  districts  and  an  academy  at 
Cleveland,  Ohio.  He  taught  some  in  Ohio 
and  California;  his  youuger  days  were  spent 
on  a  farm  and  in  a  tannery  and  shoe  shop, 
his  father  having  having  followed  said  busi- 
ness for  several  years.  In  the  fall  of  1849, 
he  went  to  New  Orleans,  and  soon  engaged 
as  a  sailor  on  the  barque  "  Oregon. "  In 
1850,  he  began  labors  in  California;  was 
mining  and  merchandising  for  ten  years, 
after  which  he  returned  to  Du  Page  County. 
In  1861,  was  appointed  by  President  Lin- 
coln Captain  of  C.  S.  V.,  which  position  he 
held  during  the  entire  war.  His  three  broth- 
ers, O.  R.,  D.  W.  and  Morgan  were  in  the 
war.  On  his  return  from  the  war,  he  settled 
on  his  present  farm  of  225  acres,  which  he 
bought  in  1863;  was  married,  1865,  to  Julia, 
a  daughter  of  A.  S.  Barnard,  who  blessed  him 
with  one  child,  Roy  B.  His  wife  died  Sep- 
tember 17,  1869;  was  a  Congregational  ist. 
He  was  again  married,  1875,  to  Eliza  A.,  a 
daughter  of  Michael  and  Mary  (Fitzgerald) 
Norton;  hermother'is  dead;  her  father  is  living 
at  the  age  of  ninety-three;  her  parents  had  ten 
children,  four  of  whom  survive,  viz.,  Thomas 
Gerritt,  Mary  and  Elizabeth  A.  Mr.  Ballouhas 
two  children  as  a  result  of  his  last  marriage, 
viz.,  Ralph  E.  and  Mary  E.  While  in  Cali- 
fornia, Mr.  Ballon  was  chosen  to  represent 
his  district  in  the  Legislature  and  Senate; 
used  every  effort  in  his  power  to  prevent  that 
State  from  becoming  a  slave  colony;  he  was 
a  reporter  for  the  Legislature,  and  did  some 
excellent  newspaper  work;  has  served  in 
small  offices  his  share;  was  Staff  Officer  for 
Sherman.  McDowell  and  Thomas.  Has  al- 
ways been  an  active  Republican,  and  has 
often  been  chosen  by  that  body  as  a  delegate 


to  county  and  State  conventions.  He  is  a 
relative  of  the  Garfield  family;  is  a  member 
of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.  Lodge. 

R.  W.  BOND,  farmer,  P.  O.  Lisle;  was 
born  in  1847  in  Portage  County,  Ohio;  is  a 
son  of  William  and  Angelica  (Woodruff) 
Bond,  natives  of  New  York,  and  parents  of 
five  children — Josephine  (married  to  Thad- 
deus  Cooper),  Celia  (Mrs.  A.  Macinturf), 
Janett  (deceased),  R,  W..  and  Arvilla,  who 
married  John  M.  Wells.  The  parents  came 
to  Naperville,  this  county,  in  1850,  where  the 
father  was  miller  for  Joseph  Naper  for 
several  years;  they  moved  subsequently  to 
Somonauk,  De  Kalb  County,  this  State,  where 
they  died,  the  father  in  1869  and  the  mother 
in  1871.  The  father  was  in  the  war  of  1812, 
and  was  ninety-nine  years  eight  months  and 
ten  days  old  at  the  time  of  his  decease. 
Our  subject  attended  school  at  Naperville 
and  worked  on  the  farm.  At  the  age  of  six- 
teen, he  managed  to  be  received  into  Com- 
pany H,  Seventeenth  Illinois  Volunteer 
Cavalry,  and  remained  in  service  three  years ; 
was  a  brave  soldier.  On  his  return  home,  he 
engaged  in  farming  with  his  brother,  Will- 
iam, a  child  by  his  father's  marriage  prior  to 
that  with  Miss  Woodruff.  In  1875,  he  en- 
gaged as  a  policeman  in  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
which  he  continued  the  greater  part  of  three 
years.  Was  married,  November  9,  1879,  to 
Maggie,  a  daughter  of  Jeremiah  and  Ann 
Caskey;  her  father  died  in  the  late  war,  and 
her  mother  in  Iowa;  her  parents  had  three 
children — George,  one  deceased  when  small 
and  Maggie.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bond  have  no 
children.  They  settled  on  Mr.  D.  M.  Green's 
farm  of  ^51  acres  in  1879,  having  the  exclu- 
sive control  of  the  same,  except  being  in 
partnership  with  Mr.  Greene  in  a  large  dairy 
business.  He  and  wife  are  members  of  the 
Baptist  Church,  Downer's  Grove.  He  votes 
the  Republican  ticket. 


132 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


HON.  A.  S.  BARNARD,  fanner,  P.  O. 
Lisle,  was  born  February  11,  1819,  in  Mon- 
roe County,  N.  Y. ;  is  a  sou  of  Timothy  and 
Julia  (Hills)  Barnard;  he  a  native  of  Connec- 
ticut, born  in  1789,  and  died  January  8, 1881; 
she  a  native  of  Masachusette,  died  in  1864 
They  were  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  in  which  he  was  an  Elder  for  forty 
years;  was  Judge  of  the  Courts  of  Monroe 
County,  N.  Y.  Our  subject  obtained  a  fair 
education  in  the  schools  of  his  native  county. 
In  1838,  he  came  to  Du  Page  County  with 
Rev.  E.  Strong,  and  entered  land  where  he 
remained  for  twenty-five  years.  In  1866,  he 
settled  on  his  present  farm  of  185  acres.  He 
was  married  in  1843  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Ray- 
nolds,  daughter  of  William  and  Margaret 
(Morrison)  Raynolds,  natives  of  Connecticut. 
Mr.  Raynolds  was  a  noted  sea  captain  many 
years.  This  marriage  resulted  in  seven  chil- 
dren, viz.,  Julia,  deceased,  who  married  S. 
A.  Ballou,  a  Major  in  the  late  war;  Timothy 
H.,  who  was  a  clerk  in  the  Commissary  De- 
partment during  the  late  war;  Robert  Ti., 
Daniel  D.,  Charles  F.,  Frederick  C.,  Eliza- 
beth and  an  infant  deceased.  Mr.  Barnard 
has  been  Supervisor  and  Town  Clerk;  he 
honored  his  county  as  a  member  of  the  State 
Legislature  in  1863-64  The  family  are 
members  of  the  Congregational  Church  of 
Naperville. 

WILLIAM  H.  BANNISTER,  farmer,  P. 
O.  Naperville;  was  born  October  15,  1813,  in 
Ontario  County,  N.  Y. ;  is  a  son  of  Asahel 
and  Polly  (Miles)  Bannister,  natives  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, and  parents  of  eleven  children,  six 
of  whom  survive,  viz.,  Asahel,  Thomas  M.,  W. 
H.,  Mary,  Henry,  Dwight  and  Edwin.  The 
parents  were  Presbyterians;  the  father  was  in 
the  war  of  1812;  was  a  Colonel,  and  was  shot 
in  shoulder.  Mr.  Bannister  received  a  com- 
mon school  education,  worked  on  the  farm  and 
clerked  for  his  father  in  a  dry  goods  store  dur- 


ing his  younger  days,  and  came  to  Illinois  with 
his  brother  Albert  about  1840.  Subject  worked 
awhile  by  the  month,  and  then  bought  land 
where  he  now  lives.  He  was  married,  in 
1849,  to  Catharine  Leich,  a  daughter  of  John 

.  and  Catharine  (Kinkid)  Leich,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  parents  of  seven  children, 

!  viz.,  Lettie,  Robert,  Belle,  Rebecca,  Samuel, 

!  Catharine  and  Joseph.  Mrs.  Bannister  came 
to  Illinois  in  1840,  in  company  with  all  her 
family  save  her  father,  who  died  a  little  while 
prior  to  their  starting.  Mr.  Bannister's  mar- 
riage blessed  him  with  five  children,  viz. , 
Asahel,  Willard,  Eva,  Catharine  and  Will- 
iam H.  Mr.  Bannister  has  313  acres  of  fine 
lands,  the  result  of  his  early  days'  labors  with 
the  ox  teams  and  the  ancient  plows.  He 
helped  to  construct  the  first  schoolhouse  in 
his  neighborhood;  takes  an  interest  in  educa- 
tion; votes ^the  Republican  ticket. 

A.  B.  CHATFIELD,  farmer,  P.  O.  Lisle, 
was  born  November  26,  1810,  in  Dutchess 
County,  N.  Y. ;  is  a  son  of  Sherman  and 
Deborah  (Wood)  Chatfield,  natives  of  New 

I  York  and  Connecticut,  and  parents  of  six  chil- 
dren, viz.,  Alonzo  B..,  Barak,  Minerva,  Henry 

I  H.,  Eliza  and  Benjamin  F.  The  parents 
emigrated  to  this  county  in  1835,  and  here 
the  mother,  who  was  born  in  1791,  died  in 
1839,  and  the  father,  who  was  born  in  1790. 
died  in  1853.  The  educational  advantages 
of  our  subject  were  limited.  He  was  married 
in  Brooine  County,  N.  Y.,  in  ]834,  to  Mary  E. 
Graves,  a  native  of  thatcounty,  born  in  1816, 
daughter  of  Adam  and  Lydia  (Linsley)  Graves, 
natives  of  Connecticut;  hedied  in  1853;  she. 
born  in  1780,  died  in  1840.  This  marriage 
resulted  in  ten  children,  seven  of  whom  are 
still  living — Mary,  George  W.  (who  was  in 
the  late  war).  Edward,  Lucy  Ann,  Alonzo  B. 
(clerk  in  the  Treasury  Department  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C. ;  was  in  the  late  war,  and  lost 

1  his  ricrht  arm  in  the  battle  of  Black  River 


LISLE  TOWNSHIP. 


133 


Bridge),  J.  Randolph,  Emma,  Rosa,  Charles 
and  Albert;  the  latter  married  to  Anna 
Lloyd,  of  Iowa,  and  has  one  child.  Mr.  Chat- 
field  was  Constable  several  years;  Justice  of 
the  Peace  eight  years;  Assessor  five  years, 
and  School  Trustee  six  years.  He  was  the 
first  to  suggest  the  name  of  Lisle  Township, 
that  being  the  name  of  one  of  the  townships 
in  his  native  county;  his  present  home  lies 
on  the  old  Indian  trail  from  Batavia  to  Chi- 
cago. Mrs.  Chatfield  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church  of  Downer's  Grove.  Mr. 
Chatfield  is  a  Republican. 

CAPT.  ROBERT  DIXON,  merchant,  Lisle, 
was  born  November  8,  1835,  in  Belfast,  Ire- 
land. His  parents,  Robert  and  Mary  (Wil- 
son) Dixon  started  from  Belfast  to  Australia 
in  1834,  and  were  shipwrecked,  and  returned 
to  where  they  had  started  from.  The  passen- 
gers at  once  brought  suit  against  the  owners 
of  the  ship  at  Liverpool  for  damages,  and 
while  the  litigation  was  going  on  our  subject 
was  born.  In  1836,  the  parents  landed  with 
their  family  at  New  York,  and  thence  came 
to  Downer's  Grove,  where  the  father  bought 
land  and  located.  He  once  had  occasion  to  go 
away  from  home,  and  upon  returning  after 
dark  and  striking  the  prairie  adjacent  to  his 
new  home,  everythingseemed changed.  While 
away,  his  wife  had  in  some  way  set  fire  to 
the  grass,  and  hundreds  of  acres  were  con- 
sumed. Mr.  Dixon  wandered  around  for 
many  hours,  and  finally  tied  his  oxen  and 
laid  down,  soon  falling  into  a  sleep.  He 
awoke  with  the  sunshine,  and  on  going  to  a 
little  cabin  strange  looking  to  him.  he  there 
was  greeted  by  his  wife.  The  father,  born 
in  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  in  1804,  was  one  of 
the  first  temperance  men  here,  and  was  a 
Justice  of  the  Peace.  He  was  one  of  the 
leaders  of  the  Underground  Railroad,  being 
an  Abolitionist  when  it  almost  cost  a  man's 
life  to  express  anything  in  that  cause.  He 


was  informed  in  his  own  house  by  a  preacher 
that  Abolitionists  were  on  the  road  to  hell  as 
fast  as  they  could  go;  the  old  man  had  a 
heart  that  bled  for  the  poor  unfortunate  ones 
in  bondage,  and  took  no  fear  upon  himself. 
He  died  August  3,  1850,  his  wife,  who  was 
born  in  Enniskillen,  Ireland,  in  1809,  died 
in  1865.  Our  subject  was  on  the  farm  until 
twenty-six  years  old,  when  he  enlisted,  in 
Company  E,  Fifty- fifth  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry,  as  a  private,  and  held  every  office  up 
to  Captain,  having  been  appointed  one  year 
before  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  one  of 
ten  from  his  regiment  who,  in  no  way  marked 
or  crippled,  was  in  thirty-six  heavy  battles, 
besides  sieges  and  skirmishes.  On  his  re- 
turn, he  engaged  in  the  wood  and  coal  busi- 
ness, under  the  firm  name  of  Dixon  &  Glea- 
son,  at  Chicago.  He  then  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  C.  P.  Dixon  &  Co.  (brothers)  in 
the  manufacture  of  sash  and  window  blinds. 
August  10,  1874,  he  entered  a  partnership 
j  with  D.  D.  Escher  in  the  general  dry  goods 
i  business  at  Downer's  Grove,  and  through  the 
unfortunate  failing  of  his  partner,  P.  A. 
Rowland  took  Escher's  place  and  with  him 
Mr.  Dixon  was  successful.  In  1881,  he  lo- 
cated at  Lisle,  where  he  has  done  a  lucrative 
business.  In  September,  he  closed  out  his 
stock  of  goods,  and  anticipates  a  home  in  the 
West.  He  was  married  at  Downer's  Grove, 
December  25,  1869,  to  Sarah  J.  Rowland, 
born  in  Mendon,  N.  Y. ,  April  5, 1844,  daugh- 
ter of  Stephen  and  Celia  (Smart)  Rowland, 
by  whom  he  has  four  children,  viz.,  Mary  C., 
Robert  R.,  Stephen  W.  and  Sarah  E.  He 
has  always  been  a  temperance  worker;  is  an 
active  member,  as  well  as  his  wife,  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Downer's 
Grove;  was  one  of  the  building  committee  for 
the  present  church;  was  voted  a  resolution 
|  of  thanks  for  the  discharge  of  his  duty 


of    Treasurer   of    said  committee. 


has 


134 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


always  been  an  active  and  energetic  Repub- 
lican. 

J.  DUTTER,  farmer,  P.  O.  Lisle,  was  born 
August  2,  1827,  in  Germany;  is  a  son  of  Jo- 
seph and  Magdalena  (Bapst)  Dutter.  The 
parents  came  to  this  county  in  1839,  and  the 
father  engaged  on  the  construction  of  the 
Illinois  &  Michigan  Canal;  he  died  in  1853; 
the  mother  is  living.  Our  subject  is  the  only 
one  of  seven  children  that  survive.  He  had 
little  chance  of  education,  owing  to  the  limit- 
ed circumstances  of  his  parents;  was  married, 
1850,  to  Theresa  Riedy,  who  blessed  him  with 
two  children — Louisa  and  Delia.  In  his  early 
days  in  thij  county  he  witnessed  the  hard 
ships  that  made  up  the  life  of  the  early  set- 
tlers. On  one  occasion,  he  hauled  a  wagon 
load  of  turnips  to  Chicago  and  sold  them  for 
enough  to  buy  a  hoe;  and  many  other  like  ex- 
periences were  attached  to  him.  He  has  138 
acres  of  well  improved  land,  the  result  of  his 
own  labors.  He  and  wife  are  members  of 
the  Catholic  Church  of  Naperville;  he  votes 
the  Democratic  ticket. 

ANDREW  DILGER,  farmer,?.  O.  Down- 
er's Grove;  was  born  May  27,  1832,  in  Ger- 
many, and  is  a  son  of  George  and  Mary  A. 
(Ehrhard)  Dilger,  natives  of  Germany.  They 
were  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and 
had  eight  children,  viz.,  Andrew,  Fred,  John, 
Christian,  Lena,  Emma,  Godlove.  and  one 
who  died  in  infancy.  The  father,  born 
April  15,  1801,  died  September  4, 1870,  was  a 
soldier  in  one  of  the  wars  of  Germany;  his 
wife,  born  February  3,  1806,  died  October 
25, 1836.  Our  subject  attended  school  as  much 
as  was  convenient,  and  early  commenced  to 
work  at  farming,  which  he  continued  until  he 
came  to  this  country  in  1852.  He  borrowed 
money  to  pay  his  passage  over,  and  afterward 
liquidated  the  debt  with  money  earned  by 
ar  ming  for  very  small  wages.  By  his  in- 
ustry  and  perseverance  he  now  owns  127  acres 


of  well-improved  land.  At  Naperville,  111., 
October  28,  1857,  Mr.  Dilger  married  Chris- 
tina Shafer,  born  September  30,  1837,  daugh- 
ter of  David  and  Christina  (Nusbaum)  Shafer, 
natives  of  Germany.  By  this  union  five  chil- 
dren have  been  born — Mary  A.  (Mrs.  Henry 
Roth),  Emma  L.,  Lydia  C.,  Lizzie  R.  and 
George  M.  He  is  also  the  guardian  of 
George,  Mena,  Elbert  and  Samuel,  children 
of  his  wife's  sister,  Mrs.  Mary  Hassert;  these 
children  live  with  him,  as  well  as  a  boy, 
Frank  Manfelth,  whom  he  is  bringing  up. 
He,  his  wife,  Mary,  Emma  and  Lydia  are 
members  of  the  German  Church  of  Downer's 
Grove,  in  which  Mr.  Dilger  is  serving  as  Trust- 
ee and  Collector.  He  has  held  some  town- 
ship offices;  is  a  Republican. 

JOHN  EICHELBARGER,  farmer,  Naper- 
ville, was  born  August  20,  1818,  in  Lancaster 
County,  Penn. ,  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Ann 
(Baker)  Eichelbarger,  the  parents  of  thirteen 
children,  five  of  whom  survive,  viz.,  George, 
Jacob,  Michael  and  Abe.  Our  subject  attend- 
ed school  a  very  little  in  a  log  cabin;  John  be- 
ing compelled  to  labor  on  the  farm  the  time 
when  he  should  have  attended  school.  He 
was  married  in  1838  to  Susan  Hartrunnuff, 
who  blessed  him  with  three  children,  viz., 
Urias,  Mary  A.  and  John.  He  came  to  Illinois 
in  1870,  and  bought  thirty  acres  of  land  where 
he  now  lives,  paying  $2,600  for  the  same. 
He  and  wife  hold  a  membership  of  a  Pennsyl- 
vania Methodist  Church.  He  votes  the  Re- 
publican ticket 

DANIEL  M.  GREENE,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Lisle,  was  born  November  14,  1807,  in  Ver- 
mont, son  of  Richard  and  Lydia  (Latham) 
Greene,  natives  of  Connecticut;  he,  born  about 
1779,  died  about  1830;  she,  born  about  1776, 
died  in  May,  1834.  They  had  five  children 
— Richard,  Lydia,  Maria,  Daniel  M.  and 
William  H.  Aside  from  the  country  school, 
Mr.  Greene  attended  an  academy;  his  father's 


LISLE  TOWNSHIP. 


135 


vocation  was  that  of  a  shoemaker,  and  the  son 
had  to  engage  early  in  rural  pursuits.  At  I 
the  age  of  twenty,  he  bought  his  time,  and 
engaged  in  making  potash  and  in  running  a 
mill,  which  he  continued  for  several  years; 
he  then  taught  school  in  Western  New  York, 
receiving  a  compensation  of  $16  per  month 
and  board  among  the  patrons.  In  Ogden,  N. 
Y.,  November  30, 1834,  he  married  Elizabeth 
Venilea  Trowbridge,  a  native  of  that  place, 
born  October  9,  1814,  a  daughter  of  Windsor 
S.  and  Rebecca  (Willey)  Trowbridge,  the  par- 
ents of  seven  children,  viz.,  Elizabeth  Ven- 
ilea, Fidelia,  Oliver,  Martha,  Windsor,  J.  T. 
(the  well-known  author),  and  Edward.  Her 
parents  were  Congregationalists.  Her  father, 
born  January  1,  1788,  died  May  30,  1844; 
and  her  mother,  born  October  2,  1791,  lived 
among  her  children  until  her  death,  March 
1,  1882,  at  the  age  of  ninety.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Greene  have  had  six  children,  viz.,  Edward 
T.  (manufacturer  and  shipper  of  feed,  Chi- 
cago), Maria  F.  (married  to  Darius  Hunkins, 
ex-Mayor  of  Galena,  111.),  Francis  D.  (died  in 
Company  B,  Thirty-third  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry),  Carrie  E.  (married  to  J.  W.  Scott, 
publisher  of  the  Chicago  Herald,  and  associate 
proprietor  of  the  Daily  National  Hotel  Re- 
porter of  Chicago),  Grace  H.  (married  to  A.  F. 
Hatch,  of  the  law  firm  of  Hatch  &  Aldis,  of 
Chicago),  and  Venilea,  who  died  in  infancy. 
Soon  after  marriage,  Mr.  Greene  came  West 
and  settled  where  he  now  lives,  and  where  he 
has  251  acres  of  finely  improved  land,  the  re- 
sult of  his  own  labors.  He  has  served  the  town- 
ship as  Assessor,  Trustee,  and  several  other 
small  offices;  was  elected  Sheriff  in  1839,  and 
retired  in  1842,  having  been  the  first  Sheriff 
of  the  county.  The  family  are  members  of 
the  Baptist  Church,  of  which  they  are  liberal 
supporters.  Mr.  Greene  is  a  Republican. 

DEACON  P.   GOODRICH,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Lisle;  was  born  in  Benson,  Vt.,  December  13, 


1776;  is  a  son  of  Simeon  and  Sarah  (How- 
ard (Goodrich,  natives  of  Connecticut,  and 
parents  of  eight  children,  viz. ,  Emily,  Henry, 
Simeon,  Lura,  Charles,  Pomeroy  (subject), 
Sarah  and  Eliza.  His  father,  born  Septem- 
ber 11,  1758,  died  February  7,  1852,  was 
Deacon  in  the  Congregational  Church  for 
many  years  at  Benson,  Vt. ;  his  mother,  born 
June  1,  1765,  died  February  14,  1839.  Our 
subject  attended  the  district  schools  and  the 
academy  at  Castleton,  in  his  native  State. 
At  twenty- one,  he  was  engaged  at  farming 
and  running  a  saw-mill;  was  married  in  Ben- 
son, Vt.,  January  28,  1819,  to  Lucy  M. , 
daughter  of  Oliver  and  Keziah  (Allen)  Par- 
melee,  natives  of  Connecticut,  and  soon  after 
started  for  the  West  in  company  with  his 
brother,  Henry,  Isaac  Clark,  Samuol  Good- 
rich and  Lester  Peet;  they  stopped  for  one 
year  in  Ohio,  and  then  came  with  their  ox 
teams  to  what  is  now  Lisle  Township,  Du 
Page  County.  Mr  Goodrich  took  a  claim  of 
320  acres  where  he  now  resides,  and  while 
he  was  constructing  his  log  cabin,  with  dirt 
and  stick  chimney,  his  family  remained  at 
the  residence  of  Mr.  Boardman,  of  "Will 
County.  It  was  in  this  "  cabin  home  "  that 
the  Indians,  then  friendly,  found  a  welcome 
resting  place.  Occasionally  the  "red  skins" 
would  get  on  a  spree  from  the  use  of  too  much 
wkisky,  and  would  make  the  night  hideous 
with  their  yells  around  this  the  first  house 
in  this  part  of  the  country.  At  such  times, 
the  squaws  would  take  care  of  the  war  and 
game  implements,  that  no  harm  might  come 
to  Mr.  Goodrich,  who  was  always  courteous  to 
them.  On  one  occasion,  when  the  "  bucks" 
were  on  a  "spree,"  Mr.  Goodrich  became 
vexed,  and  taking  his  gun  from  the  rack 
forced  them  away.  He  has  by  his  first  wife 
five  children,  viz.,  Betsey  C.,  Chauncey  M., 
Pomeroy  H,  Sarah  A.  and  George,  deceased. 
Mr.  Goodrich  lost  his  first  wife,  and  his  pres- 


136 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


ent  consort  is  a  sister  of  A.  S.  Barnard.  Sub- 
ject has  been  Deacon  in  the  Congregational 
Church  for  fifty  years;  his  family  are  mem- 
bers of  that  denomination.  Mr.  Goodrich, 
•with  Messrs.  Morse  and  Richards,  built  the 
first  schoolhouse  in  his  neighborhood.  He 
votes  the  Republican  ticket 

C.  H.  GOODRICH,  farmer,  P.  O.  Naper- 
ville.  Mr.  Goodrich  is  another  of  the  pio- 
neers of  this  county;  was  born  July  31,  1823, 
in  Vermont;  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Thankful 
S.  (Watson)  Goodrich,  natives  of  Vermont. 
They  came  to  this  county  October,  1832,  and 
settled  for  a  short  time  where  William  B. 
Greene  now  lives,  and  later  where  the  sub- 
ject  now  lives;  here  the  father  died  on  May 
3,  1841,  and  the  mother  about  January  12, 
1857;  the  parents  had  seven  children,  five  of 
whom  came  to  this  county,  viz.,  Eliza  (Mrs. 
William  Osburn),  T.  H,  Charles  H.,  Willard  C. 
and  Martha  F.  The  parents  were  two  of  the 
founders  of  the  Naperville  Congregational 
Church.  Mr.  Goodrich  attended  school  some 
in  the  cabin  and  for  awhile  in  Chicago. 
Went  East  in  1840,  and  while  there  attended 
school  in  Benson  and  Castleton,  Burr  Semin- 
ary at  Manchester,  and  Middlebury,  all  of 
Vermont;  he  then  taught  for  some  time;  he 
returned  to  Illinois  in  .1847,  and  engaged  in 
teaching.  Was  married,  1851,  to  P.  Jane  Tur- 
ner, by  whom  he  had  five  children — Henry 
H.,  Ida  T.,  Jennie  E.,  Irving  and  C.  W.  (de- 
ceased. He  settled,  at  marriage,  where  he 
now  lives,  having  212  acres  of  well-improved 
land;  has  three  acres  of  orchard.  One  of  the 
finest  schoolhouses  constructed  in  this  neigh- 
borhood was  located  on  the  northwest  cor- 
ner of  Mr.  Goodrich's  farm:  it  was  built  by 
John  Collins.  Henry  H.,  Ida  and  Jennie 
have  each  taught  school.  All  of  his  children 
graduated  at  the  Northwestern  College  at 
Naperville.  He  and  wife  are  members  of  the 
Congregational  Church  at  Naperville,  in 


which  he  is  Deacon.  He  votes  the  Repub- 
lican ticket.  More  will  be  found  of  the  Good- 
rich family  elsewhere. 

WILLIAM  B.  GREENE,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Lisle,  was  born  October  20, 1818,  in  Madison 
County,  N.  Y. ;  is  the  son  of  Richard  and 
Ethelinda  (Briggs)  Greene,  natives  of  Rut- 
land County,  Vt. ;  they  removed  to  Connecti- 
cut by  ox  teams.  The  father  practiced  the 
botanical  system  of  medicine  for  some  time; 
the  mother  died  in  1829  and  the  father  was 
again  married  to  a  Miss  Pease,  resulting  in 
two  children,  viz  ,  one  deceased  whan  small 
and  Richard  L.,  now  a  physician  in  Mis- 
souri. Mr.  Greene  was  one  of  three  chil- 
dren, viz. ,  Laura  (deceased  when  seventeen), 
William  B.  and  Spencer  (represented  his  dis- 
trict in  the  Legislature  of  Vermont  one  term; 
was  an  attorney).  The  father  died  August 
29,  1834.  Our  subject  attended  the  district 
schools  of  his  native  county  and  awhile  at 
the  seminary  at  Castleton,  Vt.  He  taught 
several  terms  in  Vermont,  and  in  Will  Coun- 
ty, this  State.  In  1841,  he  came  to  Illinois 
and  engaged  in  rural  pursuits,  which  he  has 
since  continued.  In  1843,  he  bought  200  acres 
of  land  for  $1,000  of  the  widow  of  Charles  H. 
Goodrich,  and  has  since  remained  on  said 
farm,  improving  it  exceedingly.  Was  mar- 
ried, March  16,  1845,  to  Harriet  E.,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Eli  and  Eliza  (Meacham)  Meeker, 
natives  of  Vermont,  and  parents  of  three  chil- 
dren, viz.,  Charles  H.,  Harriet  E.  and  Edward 
F.  The  father  was  a  Congregational  minis- 
ter; was  a  Mason,  and  by  that  order  was  sent 
South  to  teach  in  the  public  and  private 
schools.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Greene  have  been 
blessed  with  six  children,  three  of  whom  sur- 
vive, viz.,  Laura  E.  (Mrs.  Capt.  M.  Y.  Morgan, 
whose  husband  was  of  Company  — ,  Thirty- 
third  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry;  he  gradu- 
ated at  the  "Normal,"  McLean  County,  111.; 
was  Principal  of  the  Naperville  Seminary. 


LISLE   TOWNSHIP. 


137 


William  S.  (who  married  Jessie,  a  daughter 
of  Thomas  and  Cleantha  (Storm)  Hibbard, 
natives  of  New  York  and  residents  of  Chicago, 
where  her  father  is  receiver  of  the  Grand 
Pacific  Hotel)  and  Gertrude  M.  (at  St.  Mary's 
College,  Knoxville,  Knox  Co.,  111.).  Mr. 
Greene  has  served  his  township  faithfully  in 
some  of  the  small  offices  which  are  all  labor 
and  no  pay;  has  been  Supervisor,  and  held 
the  office  of  Township  Treasurer  thirty  years 
in  succession.  He  is  Warden  in  the  Protest- 
ant Episcopal  Church  of  Naperville,  of  which 
organization  the  family  are  active  members. 

ADAM  GESSNEE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Naper- 
ville, was  born  August  27,  1833,  in  Germany; 
is  a  son  of  Casper  and  Margaret  (Steperlin) 
Gessner,  natives  of  Germany  and  parents  of 
five  children — Henry,  Conrad,  Catharine, 
Adam  and  Margaret.  Mr.  Gessner  attended 
school  as  much  as  was  convenient  in  the  old 
country;  became  to  this  county  in  1850,  and 
engaged  for  awhile  by  the  month  at  $4  to 
$10;  was  chopping  wood,  etc.  Was  married, 
1860,  to  Elizabeth,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and 
Susannah  (Swilly)  Russler,  the  parents  of 
eight  children — Elizabeth,  Fannie,  Eebecca, 
Daniel,  Mary,  Susannah.  Matilda  and  Joseph. 
Mr.  Gessner  has  nine  living  children  out  of 
ten,  the  result  of  this  unio:i,  viz.,  Clinton, 
Sarah,  Joseph,  Albert,  Henry,  Emma,  Ida, 
John,  Lizzie,  Walter  and  infant.  He  set- 
tled his  present  farm  of  170  acres  in  1870. 
He  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Evangelical 
Association  of  Naperville;  votes  Eepublican 
ticket. 

JOHN  HEITZLEE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Naper- 
ville, was  born  in  Alsace  February  12,  1845;  is 
son  of  Joseph  and  Frances  Heitzler,  natives 
of  Alsace  and  parents  of  four  children,  viz., 
Frances  (Mrs.  Fred  Felling),  EoKa  (Mrs. 
J.  Seller),  Joseph  (living  in  Henry  County, 
111.),  and  John;  parents  came  to  Du  Page 
County  in  1853,  settling  where  the  subject 


now  lives,  where  they  died;  the  mother  was 
killed  by  lightning  in  the  cabbage  patch 
August  19,  1879;  the  father  died  November 
14,  1881;  were  members  of  the  Catholic 
Church  of  Naperville;  parents  came  here  in 
poor  circumstances,  and  labored  hard  to  sus- 
tain their  family,  using  the  pioneer  imple- 
ments and  ox  teams.  Subject  attended  school 
but  little;  owing  to  the  limited  circumstances 
of  the  family,  he  was  compelled  to  hire  out  at 
the  age  of  twelve  at  $8  per  month,  plowing 
with  five  yoke  of  oxen;  he  mowed  with  scythe 
when  quite  young.  The  means  obtained  by 
his  labors  were  consumed  by  the  family;  he 
often  hauled  corn  tu  Lockport,  and  sold  it  at 
30  cents  per  bushel.  He  worked  with  his 
father  until  his  father's  death;  was  married 
May  25, 1869,  to  Kate  Seller,  by  whom  he  has 
six  children,  viz.,  Joseph,  Henry,  Frank,  Mary, 
Adaline,  infant,  also  one  deceased.  He  has 
about  one  hundred  and  seventy  acres  of  well 
improved  land,  partly  timber  and  partly  under 
good  cultivation.  He  has  never  sought  any 
office;  the  family  are  members  of  the  Catholic 
Church  at  Napervi  le;  votes  the  Democratic 
ticket;  takes  interest  in  education;  he  ran  a 
threshing  machine  for  sixteen  years;  he  was 
in  Company  D,  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-sixth 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry;  was  out  seven 
months;  in  no  battles. 

PHILIP  HEBBEET,  farmer,  P.  O.  Cass, 
was  born  April  19,  1839,  in  Germany;  is  the 
son  of  Henry  and  Katharine  (Bohrer)  Her- 
bert, natives  of  Germany,  who  came  here  Jan- 
uary 12,  1854,  settling  near  where  the  sub- 
ject now  resides.  The  parents  had  nine  chil- 
dren— Margaret,  Katharine,  Mary,  Philip, 
Henry,  Abbie,  William,  Elizabeth  and  John. 
The  father,  who  was  born  June  22, 1801,  died 
February  24,1880;  the  mother,  born  June  20, 
1807,  is  living  with  her  son  William.  The 
parents  early  united  with  the  Catholic  Church 
at  Lemont.  Our  subject  attended  school  but 


138 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


nine  days  in  this  country.  He  teamed  for 
three  years  in  Chicago,  and  the  remainder  of  ; 
his  life  has  been  spent  in  farming;  was  mar- 
ried in  Milton,  January  9,  1866,  to  Elizabeth, 
a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Margaret  (Miller) 
Oberhart.  She  blessed  him  with  six  chil- 
dren, four  of  whom  died  within  two  weeks  in 
1882  with  diphtheria.  Their  names  were — 
Maggie,  Katie,  Annie  and  George.  Those 
living  are  Willie  and  Mary.  Mrs.  Herbert 
was  born  in  Chicago  September  4,  1845;  her 
father,  born  March  11,  1807,  died  October 
30,  1868;  her  mother,  born  April  25,  1808, 
died  April  22,  1879.  Mr.  Herbert  has  held 
some  minor  offices;  he  and  his  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Catholic  Church  of  Lemont,  111. 
He  votes  the  Democratic  ticket. 

FEED  HATCH,  farmer,  P.  O.  Lisle,  was 
born  February  5,  1839,  in  Lisle  Township, 
Du  Page  County,  the  son  of  Luther  and  Laura 
(Kidder)  Hatch,  natives  of  New  Hampshire, 
and  parents  of  three  boys,  viz.,  Fred,  Ezra 
(storekeeper  at  Brooklyn,  Iowa),  Luther  A. 
(farmer  in  Lynn  County,  Iowa).  The  father 
was  born  February  5,  1804;  came  to  DuPage 
County  about  1832,  and  bought  land  where 
Patrick  O'Brien  now  lives,  and  afterward  lo- 
cated .permanently  where  our  subject  now 
lives;  here  he  died  April  22,  1852,  having  pos- 
sessed 145  acres  of  well-improved  land,  which 
he  had  taken  when  raw  prairie;  the  mother 
died  May  25, 1879.  The  father  was  Township 
Treasurer  at  the  time  of  his  death,  having  held 
the  office  for  many  years.  Mr.  Hatch  attend- 
ed the  country  schools  and  Wheaton  College, 
after  whicli  he  applied  himself  at  teaching 
for  nine  terms.  He  was  married  in  Lynn 
County,  Iowa,  October  12,  1862,  to  Hannah 
T.  Burtis,  of  Iowa;  by  her  he  had  two  chil- 
dren— Freddie  B.  (decease  1)  and  Luther.  Mrs. 
Hatch  died  July  7,  1867,  and  he  was  again 
married  March  10, 1868,  to  Anna  Ott,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Warner)  Ott, 


natives  of  Germany,  and  the  parents  of  six 
children,  viz.,  Elizabeth,  Franklin,  Joseph, 
Anna,  Laura  and  Joseph;  her  parents  settled 
in  Milton  Township,  in  this  county,  about 
1841,  where  the  father  died  in  November, 
1848,  and  the  mother  in  February,  1849. 
Mrs.  Hatch  was  born  May  27,  1844,  in  this 
county;  she  has  blessed  her  husband  with  six 
children,  viz.,  Frank  W.,  Clarence  B.,  Rosa, 
Hattie,  Harry  and  Mabel.  Mr.  Hatch  has  145 
acres  of  finely  improved  land  here,  and  120 
acres  in  Linn  County,  Iowa.  He  has  held 
some  small  offices,  as  Trustee,  etc.  He  is  an 
active  member  of  the  Congregational  Church; 
votes  the  Republican  ticket.  His  father  was 
an  early 'Abolitionist 

MARTIN  HINTERLONG,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Naperville,was  born  June  15, 1841,  in  Alsace, 
Germany;  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Celestika 
Hinterlong,  natives  of  Germany,  and  the  par- 
ents of  four  children — Martin,  Antony, 
John,  Joseph;  the  parents  were  early  settlers 
where  the  subject  now  lives;  here  they  used 
ox  teams  and  experienced  many  hardships 
that  were  attached  to  the  lives  of  the  pio- 
neers. The  father  died  in  1868,  and  the 
mother  followed  him  two  years  later.  They 
possessed  240  acres;  at  the  time  of  their  de- 
cease, which  the  children  now  possess.  Our 
subject  obtained  a  fair  education;  was  mar- 
ried January  14,  1869,  to  Frances  Kaefer,  a 
daughter  of  Lawrence  and  Frances  (Neff) 
Kaefer;  her  parents  had  three  children — 
Josephine,  Francis  and  William.  Mr.  Hin- 
terlong's  union  resulted  in  three  children — 
Edward,  Frank  and  Henry;  members  of  the 
Catholic  Church;  has  been  Pathmaster;  Dem- 
ocrat; has  a  dairy  of  forty  cows. 

HENRY  HORSTMANN,  farmer,  P.  O.  Na- 
perville,  was  born  January  22, 1822,  in  Prussia ; 
his  parents,  Henry  and  Dorathy  (Jung)  Horst- 
mann,  were  natives  of  the  same  country,  and 
had  nine  children,  four  of  whom  grew  up — 


LISLE  TOWNSHIP. 


139 


Henry,  Emily,  Matilda  and  Bertha;  the  par- 
ents were  Lutherans.  Our  subject  attended 
school  till  he  was  seventeen,  and  was  engaged 
then  for  a  time  in  merchandising.  In  1848, 
he  came  to  New  York,  and  worked  awhile  for 
a  farmer  in  Ohio.  In  1849,  he  bought  fifty 
acres  of  land,  a  part  of  his  present  farm  of 
200  acres.  In  1857,  he  was  married  to  Maria 
Hammerschmidt,  a  native  of  Germany,  which 
union  blessed  him  with  six  children,  viz., 
Henry,  Adolph,  Emily,  Julius,  Bertha,  and 
one  deceased.  Mr.  Horstmann  has  been 
School  Director  thirty  years  in  succession,  and 
has  filled  other  small  offices;  he  and  wife  are 
members  of  the  Lutheran  Church  of  Naper- 
ville,  in  which  he  holds  office.  He  takes  a  deep 
interest  in  education,  and  is  a  Republican. 

E.  W.  HEYNEN,  farmer,  P.  O.  Naperville, 
born  February  28,  1816,  in  Germany;  is  a 
son  of  John  and  Margaret  (Reth)  Heynen,  the 
parents  of  nine  children — Fred,  Caroline, 
Minnie,  John,  Peter,  August,  Harriet,  E.  W., 
Julia;  they  were  Lutherans.  Mr.  Heynen 
attended  school  considerable,  obtaining  a  fair 
education;  he  entered  a  store  room  as  clerk 
when  quite  young.  In  1841,  peddled  on  com- 
mission, handling  all  kinds  of  notions;  was 
married  in  1841  to  Matilda  Kreuzer,  the  result 
being  seven  children,  four  of  whom  survive — 
Robert,  Otto,  August  and  Annis.  Robert  is 
farming  the  home  place.  Our  subject  came 
to  Illinois  in  1848;  he  farmed  two  years  near 
Freeport  and  then  worked  with  Henry  Horst- 
mann for  five  years.  In  1856,  he  bought  sixty 
acres  where  he  now  lives,  paying  $2,000  for 
the  same.  He  and  wife  are  Lutherans;  votes 
the  Republican  ticket;  his  oldest  son,  Annis, 
killed  in  the  late  war. 

S.  D.  ICHL,  farmer,  P.  O.  Downer's 
Grove,  was  born  July  23,  1853,  in  Vernon, 
Lake  Co. ,  111. ;  is  a  son  of  George  and  Mary 
(Escher)  Ichl,  natives  of  Germany.  His  par- 
ents came  to  Illinois,  the  father  in  1830, 


and  the  mother  later;  the  parents  had  four 
children — Leanna  (Mrs.  Fred  Gress,  farmer, 
Dakota).  Libbie,  Solomon  D.  and  Reuben; 
they  were  members  of  the  Evangelical  As- 
sociation; the  father  is  living  in  Lake  Coun- 
ty; the  mother  died  October  20,  1866;  the 
father  aga.n  married  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Schnei- 
der, the  widow  of  Jacob  Schneider,  by  whom 
she  had  two  children,  viz.,  Sarah  and  Henry. 
Pen  cannot  describe  the  hardships  of  the  par- 
ents of  our  subject,  and  we  will  only  leave 
them  to  be  compared  with  similar  experiences 
mentioned  in  different  parts  of  this  book. 
Our  subject  is  farming  167  acres  belonging 
to  his  uncles,  M.  E.,  J.  T.  and  S.  D.  Escher. 
His  brother,  Reuben,  is  working  for  him,  and 
his  aunt.  Mrs.  Lizzie  (Faul)  Escher  is  keep- 
ing house  for  them;  her  husband  is  deceased; 
the  boys  are  making  a  specialty  of  raising 
grain. 

THOMAS  JELLIES,  farmer  and  retired 
carpenter,  P.  O.  Lisle,  was  born  December 
31,  1807,  in  England;  is  the  son  of  Joseph 
and  Sarah  (Baker)  Jellies,  who  were  the 
parents  of  twenty  children,  eleven  of  whom 
grew  up  and  eight  now  survive.  The  par- 
ents lived  to  be  very  old;  the  mother  died 
in  a  rocking  chair  without  a  struggle, 
while  reading  the  Bible;  she  was  an  active 
member  of  the  Methodist  Church.  Mr. 
Jellies,  our  subject,  obtained  a  fair  educa- 
tion, and  when  eighteen  years  old  began  the 
carpenter's  trade,  which  he  continued  the 
most  of  his  life.  He  was  married  in  1830 
to  Mary  A.  Chapman,  by  whom  he  was 
blessed  with  five  children;  three  survive, 
viz.,  William,  Betsey  and  Sarah.  Mrs.  Jel- 
lies died  in  1848,  and  Mr.  Jellies  was  again 
married  in  1850,  this  time  to  Mary,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Thomas  H.  and  Mary  (Marney)  Black- 
burn; she  was  born  February  21,  1822,  in 
Kentucky,  and  was  first  married  to  James  E. 
Smith,  the  union  resulting  in  three  boys  and 


140 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


one  girl,  viz.,  Byron,  Eugene,  Thomas  and 
Julia,  now  Mrs.  L.  H.  Mclntosh,  of  Califor- 
nia, whose  husband  owns  4,000  acres  of  land. 
Mrs.  Jellies'  first  husband  died  in  1848;  her 
marriage  with  the  subject  resulted  in  four 
children — Jennie,  Lucy,  Bertha  and  Mary. 
Mr.  Jellies  put  up  the  first  schoolhouse  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Lisle.  He  made  a  wagon,  the 
wheels  of  which  were  composed  of  blocks 
sawn  from  an  oak  tree,  upon  which  he  hauled 
the  logs  to  the  mill,  and  the  lumber  for  it  with 
ox  teams  to  build  the  rude  structure.  At  this 
building  meetings  were  held,  to  attend  which 
many  of  the  early  settlers  drove  their  ox 
teams  to  their  rude  wagons  and  sometimes  to 
sleds  in  the  month  of  July.  Mr.  Jellies  has 
property  worth  $3,000  near  Lisle  Station,  and 
with  his  wife  enjoys  good  health  at  their 
ripe  old  age.  Mr.  Jellies  is  a  Republican. 

JOHN  KUECHEL,  farmer,  P.  O.  Naper- 
ville, was  born  January  17,  1840,  in  Alsace, 
now  Germany;  is  a  son  of  John  and  Salome 
Kuechel,  natives  of  Germany,  where  the 
father  died,  and  the  mother  emigrated  to 
this  country  in  1856,  and  died  in  1869;  was 
a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Association. 
Mr.  Kuechel  attended  school  until  fourteen 
year  old,  at  which  time  he  engaged  actively 
in  rural  labor,  driving  ox  team,  etc.  He  set- 
tled with  his  mother  on  the  land  now  owned 
by  Solomon  Mertz,  where  he  remained  until 
1864,  entering  then  the  ministry  in  the  Evan- 
gelical Association,  which  he  continued  with 
unbounded  success  in  different  parts  of  the 
State  till  1876,  when  he  withdrew  on  account 
of  ill  health;  he  now  devotes  his  time  mostly 
to  his  fine  farm  of  106  acres,  lying  a  short 
distance  north  of  Naperville;  he  was  married 
to  Mary  Sembach,  which  union  resulted 
in  six  children,  viz.,  Adin,  George,  Charles, 
Samuel,  Mary  C.  and  Benjamin.  He  is  now 
Superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school  of  the 
Evangelical  Association  at  Naperville,  of 


which  organization  he  and  wife  are  active 
members.  Mr.  Kuechel  is  the  artificer  of  his 
own  little  fortune;  he  experienced  the  loss  of  a 
father  when  quite  young,  and  consequently, 
being  thb  only  child,  had  to  care  for  himself 
and  mother.  He  labored  for  several  years  by 
the  month,  and  by  frugality  and  energy  se- 
cured him  a  very  pleasant  home.  He  has 
taken  a  deep  interest  in  educating  his  chil- 
dren. 

HENRY  MANBECK,  farmer,  P.  0.  Naper- 
ville, was  born  in  Berks  County,  Penn.,  Janu- 
ary 14.  1823;  his  parents  removed  to  Schuyl- 
kill  Couuty,  Penn.,  when  he  was  six  years  old, 
where  he  lived  till  1854.  He  received  a  fair 
education  in  the  district  schools,  and  began  life 
working  on  the  farm;  he  also  worked  at  the 
turner's  trade  two  years,  but  abandoned  it  for 
farming.  April  26,  1853,  be  married  Rachel 
Reed,  a  native  of  Schuylkill  County,  Penn.,  and 
in  the  same  month  moved  west  to  this  county, 
where  he  bought  a  piece  of  land  about  two 
miles  east  of  Naperville,  on  which  he  lived  till 
about  the  year  1869,  when  he  moved  to  his 
present  place,  which  adjoins  the  northeast  corner 
of  the  corporation  of  Naperville;  here  he  has 
lived  ever  since.  Of  his  seven  children  only 
five  are  now  living.  He  is  a  Republican,  and  a 
member  of  the  Evangelical  Church. 

J.  R.  McMILLEN,  Station  Agent  and  Post- 
master, Lisle,  was  born  September  4,  1830,  in 
Union  County,  Ind.,  and  was  raised  in  Ohio: 
is  the  son  of  James  W.  and  Cynthia  A.  (Mil- 
ler) McMillen,  he,  a  native  of  South  Car- 
olina, born  October  31,  1796,  died  in  Illinois 
February  26,  1868;  she  a  native  of  Shelby  - 
ville,  Ky.,  born  in  August,  1806,  died  in  Ohio 
August  23,  1843.  Our  subject  availed  him- 
self of  such  educational  advantages  as  the  dis- 
trict schools  afforded.  At  twenty  years  of 
age,  he  commenced  working  on  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  track,  where  he  continued 
two  years,  after  which  he  learned  the  trade 


LISLE  TOWNSHIP. 


141 


of  brick-laying;  after  working  at  his  trade 
four  years  in  Bloomington,  he  settled  in  Ches- 
ter, Eandolph  County,  where  he  continued 
his  trade  successfully;  while  at  work  on  a 
railroad  depot,  he  fell,  breaking  both  his 
lower  limbs,  one  of  which  was  amputated 
above  the  knee.  As  soon  as  he  had  sufficient- 
ly recovered  to  labor,  he  was  employed  in  a 
railroad  office  in  Chicago.  In  1860,  he  was 
appointed  agent  for  The  Chicago,  Burlington 
&  Quincy  Railroad  at  Lisle,  which  position 
he  has  since  held.  In  1867,  he  was  commis- 
sioned Postmaster.  At  Macomb,  111.,  Septem- 
ber 13,  1859,  he  married  Martha  A.  Hawkins, 
born  in  Reading,  Vt.,  March  11, 1840,  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  S.  and  Martha  (Morrison(  Hawk- 
ins, natives  of  Vermont.  This  union  has  re- 
sulted in  live  children,  viz.,  Edward  W.,  aged 
nineteen  years;  John  F.,  seventeen  years; 
Charles  A.,  twelve  years;  Fletcher  H. ,  ten 
years;  and  Anna  M.,  who  died  in  infancy. 
Mr.  Millen  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  three 
years,  and  is  now  in  his  seventh  term  as 
Town  Clerk.  By  his  industry,  he  has  secured 
a  good  property  worth  about  $1,800.  Hie 
wife  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  he 
of  the  Congregational,  in  the  Sunday  school 
of  which  he  is  Superintendent;  he  is  a  stanch 
Republican. 

SOLOMON  MERTZ,  farmer,  P.  O.  Lisle, 
was  born  July  12,  1813,  in  Pennsylvania;  is 
a  son  of  Henry  and  Hannah  Mertz,  the  par- 
ents of  eighteen  children,  six  of  whom  still 
survive,  viz.,  Solomon,  Charles,  David,  Elias, 
Edward  and  Mary.  The  father  was  in  the 
battle  of  Lexington,  the  beginning  of  the 
Revolutionary  war.  Mr.  Mertz  obtained  a 
good  education,  and  worked  at  farming, 
which  occupation  he  began  on  his  own  re- 
sponsibility on  attaining  his  majority.  In 
1834.  he  married  Lucy,  daughter  of  Solomon 
Butts,  of  Pennsylvania;  she  died  in  1854, 
having  borne  eleven  children,  seven  of  whom 


are  living;  they  are  Solomon,  Frank,  Will- 
iam, Owen,  Henry,  Louisa  and  Mary.  Mr. 
Mertz  was  again  married  in  1856  to  Saloma, 
daughter  of  Jacob  and  Saloma  (Repps)  Rehm. 
Mr.  Rehm  died  December  28,  1881 ;  his  wife, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-seven,  lives  with  the  sub- 
ject. Mr.  Mertz  has  by  his  second  wife  nine 
children,  viz.,  George,  Daniel,  Edward,  Alice, 
Amelia,  Delia,  Ida,  Ella  and  Lula.  Mr.  Mertz 
settled  where  he  now  lives  August  11,  1845; 
he  has  350  acres  of  well-improved  land  in 
this  county,  and  160  acres  in  Kankakee 
County.  Mrs.  Mertz  is  a  member  of  the 
Evangelical  Church,  and  Mr.  Mertz  of  the 
'  Lutheran;  he  was  one  among  the  noted 
hunters  of  this  county;  he  is  a  Republican. 

D.  H.  NARAMORE,  retired  farmer,  P.  O. 
Downer's  Grove,  was  born  in  Benson,  Rutland 
Co.,  Vt.,  December  10, 1803;  son  of  Joel  and 
Electa  (Clarke)  Naramore,  natives  of  Pitts- 
field,  Mass.  Joel  Naramore,  who  was  bom 
October  1,  1767,  died  at  Sackett's  Harbor,  N. 
Y.,  June  13,  1813;  his  wife,  born  October  29, 
1764,  died  March  3,  1844;  she  was  a  member 
of  the  Congregational  Church.  They  were 
the  parents  of  eight  children,  four  of  whom 
are  living,  the  eldest  being  eighty-seven,  the 
youngest  seventy-three  years  of  age.  Mr. 
Naramore.  at  twenty-one  years  of  age,  appren- 
ticed to  the  blacksmith's  trade  in  Benson, 
Vt,  which  trade  he  followed  for  ten  years  or 
more.  In  1835,  he  came  by  boat  and  stage 
to  Ohio;  afterward  settled  at  Lisle  Township 
this  county  (then  Cook  County),  paying  $1,000 
for  a  claim  of  280  acres,  which  he  farmed  till 
1876,  when  he  moved  to  Downer's  Grove, 
where  he  has  since  resided.  In  this  county, 
February  12,  1837,  he  married  Eunice  K. 
Peet,  born  July  24,  1815,  in  Potiltney,  Rut- 
land Co.,  Vt.,  who  came  to  Lisle  Township 
and  stayed  with  her  brother  Lester,  who 
taught  the  first  school  in  this  county  at  Naper- 
ville;  she  is  a  daughter  of  Wheelock  and 


148 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


Alcy  (Hickok)  Peet,  he  a  native  of  Bethle- 
hem, Conn.,  born  April  28,  1774.  died  July 
29,  1860;  she  was  of  Williamstown,  Mass., 
born  September  12,  1775,  died  October  20, 
1832;  the  parents  of  six  children,  of  whom 
three  are  living,  the  eldest  being  seventy- 
eight,  the  youngest  sixty-six  years  of  age. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Naramore  are  the  parents  of 
five  children,  of  whom  two  are  living — Lucy 
A.  (married  John  Stanley)  and  Lester  P.  (mar- 
ried Eppie  M.  Pinches).  Mr.  Naramore  has 
always  been  a  stanch  advocate  of  temper- 
ance; his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church;  when  she  first  came  to  this 
county  the  Indians  were  quite  numerous. 

HENRY  NETZLY,  farmer,  P.  O.  Lisle, 
was  born  in  Lancaster  County,  Penn.,  Septem- 
ber 21,  1832;  is  the  son  of  Jacob  and  Mary 
(Mentzer)  Netzly,  who  came  to  this  county 
in  1851,  settling  where  the  subject  now  lives, 
and  where  the  father  died  in  1868;  the 
mother  is  living  in  Chicago.  The  parents 
had  fourteen  children,  viz.,  Unas,  Henry, 
Susan,  Betsey,  Sarah,  Mary,  Jacob,  John, 
Daniel,  Samuel,  Lenaus,  Franklin,  Lydia 
and  Luciniia.  Mr.  Netzly  obtained  a  fair  ed- 
ucation, and  the  greater  part  of  his  life  has 
been  that  of  a  farmer.  He  came  to  Du  Page 
County  with  his  parents  by  steamboat;  for  a 
few  years  the  family  did  all  their  tilling  of 
the  soil  and  hauling  of  grain  to  Chicago  by 
means  of  ox  teams.  Mr.  Netzly  was  married 
in  1855  to  Catharine  Brossman,  born  October 
14,  1836,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Leo  (Grill) 
Brossman,  natives  of  Pennsylvania;  they 
were  Lutherans,  and  came  to  Naperville,  111., 
in  1854.  They  had  twelve  children,  all  of 
whom  are  dead,  except  four,  viz  ,  Jacob,  Mar- 
tin, Catharine  and  Lydia;  the  father  is  dead; 
the  mother  is  living.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Netzly 
have  had  nine  children,  viz.,  Adelia,  Bufus, 
Mary,  Laura  E.,  Ira,  Lydia,  Marvin,  who 
was  drowned  June  10,  1882,  in  the  Du  Page 


River,  and  Jared  and  Horace,  also  deceased. 
Mr.  Netzly  owns  300  acres  of  fine  land,  most- 
ly the  result  of  his  own  labors;  he  and  wife 
are  members  of  the  Baptist  Church;  he  is  a 
Republican. 

MORIS  NEFF,  farmer,  P.  O.  Naperville, 
was  born  in  September,  1822,  in  Alsace,  Ger- 
many, son  of  Martin  and  Catharine  (Graver) 
Neff,  natives  of  Germany,  and  the  parents  of 
four  children — Moris,  Martin,  Joseph  and 
one  deceased;  the  parents  were  Catholics. 
Mr.  Neff  attended  school  during  his  younger 
days,  and  came  to  America  at  an  early  day. 
He  mined  in  California  from  1850  to  1851; 
he  served  during  the  Mexican  war,  being  in 
every  engagement  from  Vera  Cruz  to  Mexico. 
In  1849,  Mr.  Neff,  married  Helena  Frederick, 
who  blessed  him  with  seven  children — Adam, 
Andone,  Henry,  Moris,  Victor,  Allen  and 
Katie.  Mr.  Neff  settled  on  his  present  farm 
of  104  acres  in  1852;  he  put  up  a  store 
building  costing  $2,000.  The  family  are 
members  of  the  Catholic  Church.  Mr.  Neff 
has  plowed  with  the  ox  teams,  and  has  wit- 
nessed the  varied  scenes  of  pioneer  life;  he 
is  a  Democrat. 

JOHN  NADELHOFFER,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Naperville,  was  born  July  10,  1836;  is  a  son 
of  John  and  Magdalena  (Operline)  Nadel- 
hoffer,  the  parents  of  five  children,  viz., 
Magdelena,  John,  Mary  (Mrs.  John  Earhardt), 
Charles  and  Saloma ;  the  parents  were  Luther- 
ans; the  father  was  a  wagon-maker.  John 
attended  school  during  the  winters  until 
fourteen  years  old,  when  he  hired  out  at  small 
wages;  he  came  to  America  in  1856,  and  en- 
gaged on  a  farm  for  John  Christie,  of  this 
county,  at  $12  per  month.  In  1863,  he  rented 
of  Alois  Schwartz  for  two  years,  afterward  of 
D.  Sleight  and  James  Wright;  he  then  bought 
143  acres  where  he  now  lives,  and  has  since 
remained  there,  improving  the  same;  he  pos- 
sesses 150  acres,  the  result  of  his  own  labors; 


LISLE  TOWNSHIP. 


145 


•was  married  August  16,  1856,  to  Catharine 
Krautwasser,  the  result  being  eight  children, 
viz.,  Catharine  (Mrs.  J.  D.  McMahan),  John, 
Daniel,  Lena  (Mrs.  J.  Seiles),  Julia,  Emma 
and  Bertha.  Mr.  Nadelhoffer  has  been  no 
office  seeker,  but  is  now  Constable  of  Lisle 
Township.  The  family  belong  to  the  Lutheran 
Church  of  Naperville ;  he  votes  the  Democratic 
ticket. 

JACOB  OFFERLE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Naper- 
ville, was  born  September  28, 1844,  in  Alsace, 
France,  now  Germany;  is  a  son  of  John  J.  and 
Marie  Salome  (Yagel)  Offerls,  also  natives  of 
Alsace,  France,  now  Germany,  who  came  to 
Pennsylvania  in  1855,  and  to  this  county  in 
1865.  The  father,  born  April  10,  1811,  died 
February  18,  1881,  and  the  mother,  born 
May  28, 1813,  died  August  8,  1876;  they  had 
three  children,  viz.,  Adam,  Jacob  and  Adolph; 
the  parents  were  Lutherans.  Mr.  Offer lo  at- 
tended the  country  schools,  and  was  married 
at  Naperville  March  19, 1868,  to  Wilhelmina 
Rippe,  born  December  12, 1850,  only  child  of 
Henry  and  Marie  D.  (Rosenwinkle)  Rippe, 
natives  'of  Hanover,  Germany,  who  came  to 
Illinois  in  1856;  the  father  was  a  tailor,  and 
worked  in  Naperville.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Offerle 
have  five  children — William  Frank,  born  De- 
cember 17,  1868;  Marie  Dorothy,  born  May 
29, 1870;  Henry  Adolph,  born  Jan.  29, 1872, 
died  May  27,  1872;  Hannah  Lovine  Clara, 
born  August  12,  1874,  and  Henry  L.,  born 
May  16,  1879.  Mr.  Offerle  has  ninety  acres 
of  well  improved  land;  he  and  wife  are 
Lutherans.  Mr.  Offerle's  brother  Adolph 
was  born  December  20, 1847,  and  was  married 
in  1872  to  Matilda  Rosenwinkle,  by  whom  he 
had  five  children  —  Frank,  Alfred,  Amel, 
Adolph  and  Amelia. 

F.  S.  ORY,  farmer,  P.  O.  Lisle,  was  born 
January  12,  1818,  in  Germany;  is  the  son  of 
Ferdinand  Ory,  and  one  of  five  children,  and 
the  only  boy;  he  attended  school  some  in  his 


childhood  days;  he  came  to  Illinois  in  1844, 
and  bought  200  acres  where  he  now  resides 
at  $15  per  acre.  He  now  possesses  300  acres 
of  well  improved  land,  the  result  of  his  own 
labors;  was  married  to  Josephine  DoaeJ,  and 
has  eight  children  living  of  a  family  of 
eleven,  viz.,  Antres,  Atwal,  Adaline,  Joseph- 
ine, William,  Ferdinand,  Mary  and  Louise; 
has  used  the  ancient  farm  implements  and 
driven  ox  teams,  hauling  oats  to  Chicago, 
and  selling  them  at  13  cents  per  bushel.  He 
has  twenty-eight  cows,  and  runs  a  dairy.  He 
and  wife  are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church 
at  Naperville;  he  votes  the  Democratic 
ticket 

MRS.  ROSELLA  PUFFER,  Downer's 
Grove,  was  born  in  Rensselaer  County,  N.  Y. ; 
she  is  the  daughter  of  David  and  Lavina 
(Wilkinson)  Kinyon,  natives  of  New  York 
State,  and  the  parents  of  seven  children. 
The  father  died  in  1826;  the  mother  is  still 
living.  In  her  younger  days,  Mrs.  Puffer 
lived  with  her  cousins,  Loring  and  Grenell. 
In  1843,  she  married  Reuben  Puffer,  a  son  of 
Henry  and  Lusani  (Wilson)  Puffer.  Soon 
after  their  marriage,  they  came  to  Du  Page 
County,  and  settled  where  subject  now  re- 
sides. Their  first  purchase  was  eighty-five 
acres  of  farm  land,  and  they  have  since 
bought  fifty  acres  of  timber  land  in  Milton 
Township.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Puffer  had  ten  chil- 
dren— Edwin,  a  stenographer  in  Chicago; 
Elmer,  a  manufacturer  of  telegraph  apparatus 
in  Chicago;  Frank,  a  merchant  in  Chicago; 
Leonard  R.,  engaged  with  his  brother  Elmer; 
William,  Hattie  and  Genevieve,  all  at  home. 
Two  of  their  sons  were  in  the  late  war;  they 
were  George,  who  died  in  the  service,  and 
Charles,  who  died  in  Iowa  in  1867.  Mr. 
Puffer  died  of  heart  disease  in  1867.  He  and 
his  wife  experienced  all  the  hardships  of  pio- 
neer life.  The  Puffer  family  are  active  Re- 
publicans. She  is  an  active  member  of  the 


146 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


Baptist  Church,  and  the  family  are  possessed 
of  fine  literary  accomplishments. 

THOMAS  FELLING,  farmer,  P.  O.  Lisle, 
was  born  October  25,  1812,  in  England1;  is  a 
son  of  James  and  Jane  (Belchambers)  Pell- 
ing,  who  came  here  in  1843,  settling  where 
Netzley  now  lives.  The  parents  had  five 
children,  viz. ,  John,  James,  Thomas,  William 
and  Jane;  parents  were  Baptists.  Our  sub- 
ject obtained  but  little  education,  owing  to 
some  financial  disappointments  of  his  father. 
Mr.  Polling  worked  out  by  the  year,  the  com- 
pensation varying  from  $60  to  $85;  he  came 
to  this  county  with  his  uncle,  William  Bel- 
chambers,  who  was  afterward  killed  by  a 
team  running  away  with  him.  Mr.  Felling 
worked  for  awhile  in  New  York  with  his 
brother  at  blasting  rock  He  was  married  in 
1850  to  S.  Karfer,  who  blessed  him  with  nine 
children,  viz.,  Mary,  Fred  (was  married  No- 
vember 23,  .1880,  to  Frances  Hitzler,  and  has 
one  child,  Iny),  Angeline,  Frank,  Lawrence, 
Adaline  and  Ida  A.  In  1872,  Mr.  Felling 
settled  on  his  present  farm  of  113  acres;  he 
makes  a  specialty  of  running  a  dairy;  his 
wife  is  a  Catholic;  he  votes  the  Democratic 
ticket. 

E.  E.  PAGE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Naperville,  was 
born  December  28,  1824;  is  a  son  of  Samuel 
and  Judith  (Elliott)  Page,  natives,  the  father 
of  Massachusetts,  and  the  mother  of  New 
Hampshire;  the  parents  emigrated  to  Kane 
County,  111.,  in  1838;  there  the  father  died 
December  28,  1839,  with  the  small  pox;  he 
was  the  father  of  six  chidren,  viz.,  E.  E., 
Clarissa  and  Harriet,  and  three  deceased. 
The  mother  was  married  a  second  time  to 
Nathan  Williams,  of  Naperville,  and  the  re- 
sult was  one  child;  she  died  about  1865;  was 
a  Methodist  Mr.  Page  attended  school  in  a 
log  cabin  Kane  County.  At  the  death  of  his 
father,  he  went  to  live  with  William  Leonard, 
of  Jo  Daviess  County,  and  in  two  years  came 


to  Du  Page  County,  and  made  his  home  with 
the  father  of  Judge  R  N.  Murray.  While 
here  he  had  the  privilege  of  attending 
school  at  Naperville,  one  and  one-half  miles 
distant.  He  afterward  attended  the  school 
at  Warrenville.  In  the  spring  of  1844,  he 
engaged  as  a  farm  hand  for  John  Dudley  at 
$9  per  month.  At  the  expiration  of  six 
months  he  took  service  on  a  farm  in  Kane 
County  at  $12  per  month.  He  labored,  prior 
to  that  with  Dudley,  eleven  months  with 
Murray,  spoken  of  above.  In  J.847,  he  en- 
gaged in  the  lumber  business  in  Michigan; 
bought  forty  acres  of  land  in  Du  Page  Coun- 
ty in  1845  and  1846;  he  worked  on  the  old 
Hobson  mill  dam  across  the  Du  Page  River 

O 

in  1849;  was  married,  1852,  to  Elizabeth  Hob- 
son,  which  union  resulted  with  three  children, 
one  living — Albert,  married  Florence  Moody 
and  has  two  children,  Ethel  and  Lottie  A. 
Mrs.  Page  was  born  in  1832;  she  settled 
with  her  husband  for  a  short  time  in  Milton 
Township,  and  then  in  1853  came  to  their 
present  farm  of  150  acres  well  improved,  and 
with  a  large  stone  quarry;  was  elected  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace,  1858;  enlisted  in  Company 
K,  Thirteenth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry; 
was  First  Sergeant;  was  elected  Supervisor 
of  Lisle  in  1866,  and  held  the  office  for  nine 
years;  votes  the  Republican  ticket. 

ALONZO  PALMER,  farmer,  P.  O.  Lisle, 
was  born  August  4, 1842;  is  a  son  of  Riley  S. 
and  Nancy  W.  (Richards)  Palmer.  His  parents 
came  to  this  county  in  1855,  settling  on  the 
Charles  Parmelee  farm;  here  the  mother  died 
in  1872;  the  father  is  now  living  in  Nash- 
ville, Washington  Co.,  this  State.  The  par- 
ents had  eight  children,  viz. ,  Mrs.  C.  P.  Hatch, 
Alonzo,  Allen,  Mehetable,  Mary  V.  (Mrs. 
George  Schriver),  Rosetta  V.  (Mrs.  Perry 
Boucher),  and  Anna  (Mrs.  Elwood).  Mr.  Pal- 
mer attended  school  but  little,  owing  to  the 
limited  circumstances  of  the  family.  He 


LISLE   TOWNSHIP. 


147 


learned  carpentering,  and  worked  at  the  same 
for  many  years;  was  married  in  1878  to  Ella 
F.,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Lucy  (Feet)  Rich- 
ards, now  residents  of  this  county.  This 
union  blessed  him  with  two  children,  viz., 
Emma  L.  and  May;  he  enlisted  in  Company 
B,  One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry;  was  in  several  hard  engagements; 
votes  the  Republican  ticket. 

JOHN  PHILIPP,  farmer,  P.  O.  Downer's 
Grove,  was  born  October  5,  1854,  in  Gran- 
ville,  Putnam  Co.,  111. ;  is  the  son  of  Martin 
and  Eve  (Rohner)  Philipp,  natives  of  Germany 
and  the  parents  of  one  child — John,  our  sub- 
ject; they  came  to  Illinois  in  1850.  The 
father  died  in  1855,  and  the  mother  was  sub- 
sequently married  to  Herman  Pilz,  by  whom 
she  has  three  children — Henry,  Edward  and 
Albert.  The  mother  settled  immediately 
after  her  marriage  with  Mr.  Pilz,  in  Lisle 
Township,  where  they  have  since  lived.  Our 
subject  remained  on  the  farm  with  his  father 
until  1881,  when  he  was  married  to  Sarah 
Hoehn,  and  has  one  child — George.  Mr. 
Philipp  has  forty  acres  of  well- improved 
land,  the  result  of  his  own  labors.  He  and 
wife  are  members  of  the  German  Methodist 
Church  of  Downer's  Grove. 

ELIJAH  ROOT,  farmer,  P.  O.  Downer's 
Grove.  The  subject  of  these  notes  was  born 
September  26, 1821,  in  Benson,  Rutland  Co., 
Vt. ;  is  the  son  of  Martin  and  Abigail  (Stearns) 
Root,  who  came  to  this  county  in  1843.  set- 
tling where  the  subject  now  lives,  and  were 
the  parents  of  six  children — Emily,  Maria, 
James  (deceased),  Amos,  James,  Elisha. 
The  parents  were  members  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church,  in  which  the  father  was  Dea- 
con. The  father  of  the  mother  of  Mr.  Root 
was  a  Revolutionary  soldier;  was  under  the 
command  of  Gens.  Sullivan  and  Burgoyne; 
was  engaged  in  the  surrender  of  Corn  wall  is 
at  Yorktown.  Our  subject,  who  is  the  only 


one  living  of  his  father's  family,  attended 
school  as  much  as  was  convenient;  he  had 
the  advantages  of  a  select  school  at  Benson, 
Vt.  He  was  married  September  6,  1853,  to 
Jeannett,  a  daughter  of  Oliver  and  Jane  Kin- 
yon,  the  result  being  eight  children,  viz.,  Al- 
mah  J.,  Arthur,  Charles,  Emma,  Leonard,  Al- 
bert (deceased),  James  (deceased),  Helen  (de- 
ceased). He  settled  on  his  present  farm  in  1842, 
buying  eighty  acres  of  the  same,  in  1844.  He 
has  now  147  acres  of  finely  improved  land,  the 
attainment  of  his  own  labors.  He  went  to 
California  in  1851,  where  he  mined  with  fair 
success  for  two  years.  He  crossed  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama  when  the  people  were 
dying  there  by  the  hundreds.  Possessed  of 
that  characteristic  that  prompts  a  man  to  care 
for  others  as  he  would  have  them  care  for 
him,  he  with  his  strong  arm  carried  many  of 
the  weak,  sick  and  distressed  ones  from  the 
hot,  broiling  sunshine  to  the  shades  of  some 
isolated  peak  or  small  building,  there  to  await 
death's  summons.  His  official  positions  have 
been  few  but  important;  he  has  served  the 
township  faithfully  for  several  terms  as  As- 
sessor, and  is  now  in  his  eighth  term  as  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace;  he  has  also  held  his  share 
of  the  small  offices,  where  it  is  all  labor  and 
no  pay.  He  has  experienced  a  few  of  the 
hardships  that  were  to  be  endured  by  the  pio- 
neer; he  hauled  oats  to  Chicago  with  ox 
teams,  and  sold  at  10  cents  per  bushel.  He 
makes  a  specialty  of  manufacturing  sorghum 
molasses,  having  an  elegant  evaporator  of 
the  best  construction;  he  brought  the  first 
sample  of  sorghum  molasses  to  this  county ;  he 
hauled  the  first  load  of  merchandise  to  Down- 
er's Grove,  for  Henry  Carpenter.  His  active 
mind  never  finds  rest,  and  he  has  obtained  a 
knowledge  of  law  sufficient  to  practice  before 
any  justice  nourt;  he  is  an  active  Republican. 
JOSEPH  RANCK,  farmer,  P.  O.  Naper- 
ville,  was  born  April  23,  1844,  in  Lancaster 


148 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


County,  Penn.  His  parents,  Joseph  and  Mar- 
garet Ranck,  were  natives  of  the  same  State; 
the  mother  came  here  in  1865,  and  lives  with 
our  subject;  the  father  died  in  1869;  the  par- 
ents were  blessed  with  eight  children — Jona- 
than, Samuel,  Elizabeth  (Mrs.  Lewis),  Emery, 
Amos  and  Joseph,  and  three  deceased  in  in- 
fancy. The  Eanck  family  emigrated  to  Penn- 
sylvania about  1740.  Mr.  Ranck  attended 
school  in  the  country  academy  at  Waynesburg, 
Chester  Co.,  Penn.,  and  State  Normal  at  Mil- 
lersville,  same  State;  he  taught  some  time; 
he  clerked  and  kept  store  in  Naperville  two 
years,  and  the  remainder  of  his  life  has  been 
spent  on  a  farm;  was  married  to  Francis  E. 
Higgins,  the  result  being  two  children,  de- 
ceased; wife  died  in  1870;  was  married  a 
second  time  in  1875  to  Rebecca,  a  daughter 
of  David  and  Susannah  (Boyer)  Frost,  natives 
of  Lebanon  County,  Penn. ;  her  parents  came 
to  this  county  in  1850,  and  twelve  of  their 
thirteen  children  survive — John,  Elizabeth, 
Daniel,  George,  Susannah,  David,  Rebecca, 
Henry,  Samuel,  Jacob,  Simon,  Clara.  Mr. 
Ranck  has  two  children  as  a  result  of  his  last 
marriage — Elmira  and  Clarence;  he  has  115 
acres  of  well-improved  land,  which  he  bought 
in  1866;  he  is  running  a  dairy;  he  and  wife 
are  members  of  the  Evangelical  Association 
of  Naperville;  he  votes  the  Republican  ticket; 
has  served  in  some  small  offices. 

RICHARD  RICKERT,  farmer,?.  O.  Naper- 
ville, was  born  October  18,  1831,  in  Schuyl- 
kill  County,  Penn. ;  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and 
Mary  (Green)  Rickert;  the  mother  died  in 
1844,  having  blessed  her  husband  with  six 
children,  viz.,  Hannah,  Richard,  Edwin, 
Alexander,  Matilda  and  Alfred.  The  father 
married  a  second  time  to  Esther  Deibert,  re- 
sulting in  no  children.  The  father  was  a 
minister  of  the  Evangelical  Association;  he 
also  merchandized  and  shipped  coal ;  is  living 
in  Naperville.  Richard  had  some  school  ad- 


vantages in  his  younger  days;  his  life  has 
been  that  of  a  farmer;  he  came  to  this  coun- 
ty in  1854  with  his  father's  family,  and  his 
wife,  Sophia,  a  daughter  of  George  and 
Esther  (Shiffert)  Wenner,  whom  he  had  mar- 
ried in  1853;  she  was  one  of  seven  children 
— George,  Esther,  Mary,  Clarissa,  Peter, 
Lydia  and  Sophia;  her  father  died  when  she 
was  small;  was  Lutheran,  to  which  organiza- 
tion her  mother  belonged.  Mr.  Rickert's  re- 
union gave  him  six  children,  two  of  whom 
have  been  stricken  from  life's  roll  on  earth; 
the  four  living  are  Mahlon,  Emma,  Irvin  and 
Mary.  His  wife  died  in  1869,  and  he  was 
subsequently  joined  in  marriage  with  Susan 
Kramer,  a  daughter  of  Mrs.  William  Stark, 
by  whom  he  has  four  children,  viz.,  Matilda, 
William,  Truman  and  Addie  L.  In  1860, 
he  located  on  his  present  well- improved  farm 
of  116  acres,  in  Lisle  Township,  mostly  the 
result  of  his  own  efforts.  He  has  served  in 
some  small  offices;  enlisted  in  Company  D, 
One  Hundred  and  Fifty-sixth  Illinois  Volun- 
teer Infantry;  votes  the  Republican  ticket; 
takes  an  interest  in  educating  his  children; 
he  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Evangelical 
Association  at  Naperville;  his  wife's  parents 
live  with  the  subject;  her  mother  is  blind. 
Mahlon,  the  son  of  Mr.  Rickert,  is  employed 
in  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  F6  car  works 
at  Kansas  City,  and  Emma,  his  daughter,  is 
the  wife  of  John  Slick,  a  fireman  on  the  Chi- 
cago, Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad. 

J.  W.  STEININGER,  farmer,  P.  O.  Naper- 
ville, was  born  October  11, 1836,  in  Pennsyl- 
vania; is  the  son  of  George  and  Mary  (Moose) 
Steininger,  who  emigrated  to  Du  Page  County 
at  an  early  day.  They  were  the  parents  of 
five  children— Rebecca,  Tillman,  J.  W.,  Catha- 
rine and  Lizzie.  The  mother  was  born  May 
1,  1806,  and  died  August  29,  1870.  The 
parents  were  members  of  the  Evangelical 
Association.  Mr.  Steininger  attended  school 


LISLE  TOWNSHIP. 


149 


some  in  his  native  State;  he  emigrated  here 
with  his  father's  family  in  1843;  he  was 
married  in  1863  to  Rebecca  Eessler,  a 
daughter  of  Joseph  and  Susannah  Ressler, 
which  union  blessed  him  with  six  children — 
Alwin,  born  July  22,  1864,  died  August  11, 
1870;  Emma,  born  November  5,  1866,  died 
August  7,  1870;  Glistie,  born  January  25, 
1870,  died  August  30,  1870;  Hattie,  born 
October  22,  1871;  Annie,  born  April  24,  1874; 
Charlie,  born  July  12,  1876.  Mr.  Steininger 
settled  on  his  present  farm  of  ninety-three 
acres  in  1874,  which  is  well  improved,  and 
the  attainment  of  their  own  labors,  save 
about  $2,000  inherited  by  his  wife.  He  and 
wife  are  members  of  the  Evangelical  As- 
sociation; takes  an  interest  in  education;  has 
a  dairy;  votes  the  Republican  ticket.  Mrs. 
Steininger  was  born  in  1843  in  this  county; 
her  parents  came  here  1842;  her  mother 
brought  five  dozen  eggs  from  Pennsylvania, 
thinking  that  such  an  article  could  not  be 
found  here.  She  remained  overnight  at  what 
is  now  the  Page  residence,  and  the  next 
morning  carried  Mrs.  Steininger  in  her  arms 
a  distance  of  two  miles,  together  with  a 
broom,  to  the  place  of  their  choice,  a  cabin 
12x16,  which  for  awhile  contained  three 
families.  Since  the  above  was  written,  Mrs. 
Steininger  sends  us  the  following,  which  we 
insert  in  her  own  language:  "  The  threshers 
had  come,  and  hands  being  scarce  and  wages 
high,  mother  not  only  cooked  for  them  but 
helped  to  thresh.  The  required  amount  of 
'  chips '  were  gathered,  by  which  a  fire  was 
kept  up,  and  over  it  was  hung  a  kettle  filled 
with  beef.  Giving  her  three  children,  the 
eldest  being  five,  the  command  to  feed  the 
fire,  she  locked  the  door  to  prevent  our  get- 
ting lost  on  the  prairie,  and  went  to  help  the 
threshers;  the  only  thing  we  could  see  was 
the  cloud  of  dust  from  the  machine.  It  was 
getting  dark  when  mother  returned,  but  she 


hastily  changed  her  threshing  suit  for  her 
'home-made  blue,'  and  soon  bad  supper  wait- 
ing. In  the  meantime,  two  ministers  of  the 
Evangelical  Association  called.  Mother  was 
an  active  member  of  that  organization,  and 
on  this  same  evening  determined  to  attend 
the  prayer  meeting  at  some  distance.  Father 
was  opposed  to  her  going,  but  she  had  the 
ministers  remain  for  supper,  and  after  all 
were  seated  she  took  a  bowl  of  soup  and  a 
slice  of  bread,  and  left  them  to  enjoy  their 
meal  while  she  ate  her  supper  on  the  road  to 
prayer  meeting. "  Mrs.  Steininger's  par- 
ents were  blessed  with  eight  children — Betsey, 
Rebecca,  Mary,  Daniel,  Matilda,  Joseph, 
Fianah,  one  dead. 

MARQUIS  L.  SARGENT,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Naperville,  was  born  January  30,  1833,  in 
Michigan.  His  parents  were  John  and  Irene 
(Sweet)  Sargent,  the  father  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire,  and  the  mother  of  the  State  of 
New  York.  They  had  seven  children,  six  of 
whom  now  survive,  viz.,  Louisa  (Mrs.  Judge 
Murray),  Silvester  (grocer  in  Chicago),  Cleo 
C.  (Mrs.  Wright),  M.  L.,  Walter  A.  (police- 
man in  Chicago)  and  Sarah  M.  (Mrs.  W. 
Marvin).  The  parents  emigrated  to  Mich- 
igan at  an  early  day,  and  to  Illinois  in 
1837,  settling  where  the  subject  now  lives. 
The  father  died  in  1867;  he  was  in  the  war 
of  1812  as  a  Sergeant.  The  mother  died  in 
1876;  she  was  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church.  Mr.  Sargent  attended  school  in 
the  country  and  at  Naperville;  he  has  spent 
the  most  of  his  active  life  on  a  farm.  In  early 
manhood  he  went  to  California,  where  he  re- 
mained for  a  few  years,  and  then  returned  to 
his  present  farm  of  145  acres  of  well-improved 
land,  on  which  he  makes  some  specialty  of 
stock  raising.  He  was  married  in  1860  to 
Lois  M.,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Lois  (Royce) 
Ingalls,  the  parents  of  twelve  children.  Mr. 
Sargent  was  blessed  with  five  children  by  his 


150 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


marriage,  two  living,  viz.,  Earl  and  Lorene 
A.  Mrs.  Sargent  is  a  member  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church  of  Napervilla  Mr.  Sar- 
gent is  a  member  of  Naperville  Lodge,  No. 
81,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  votes  the  Democratic 
ticket,  having  cast  his  first  Presidential 
vote  for  Franklin  Pierce.  Mr.  Sargent  is 
educating  his  children  in  the  Northwestern 
College. 

L.  W.  STANLEY,  farmer,  P.  O.  Downer's 
Grove,  was  born  May  14,  1826,  in  Susque- 
hanna  County,  Penn. ;  is  a  son  of  Dexter 
and  Nancy  (Capron)  Stanley,  the  former  a 
native  of  Massachusetts,  and  the  latter  of 
Pennsylvania.  Our  subject  is  a  brother  of 
Mrs.  Dryer,  the  mother  of  H.  L.  Bush,  whose 
biography  appears  elsewhere.  Mr.  Stanley 
attended  school  in  a  cabin  which  stood  where 
the  residence  of  Mrs.  Curtis,  of  Downer's 
Grove,  now  stands,  his  instructor  being  Nor- 
man G.  Hurd.  He  has  devoted  his  life'to 
farming,  save  four  years,  from  1850  to  1854, 
when  he  was  mining  in  California,  with  his 
brother  D.  C.  and  Amos  and  Albert  Adams.  He 
settled  on  his  present  farm  of  130  acres  in  1 854, 
and  has  improved  the  same  from  the  ' '  raw  " 
state  to  that  of  one  to  be  desired  by  the  most 
tasteful.  In  1854,  he  married  Helen,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Aaron  K.  and  Maria  (Ford)  Fair,  the  par- 
ents of  seven  children,  viz.,  Helen,  Edward, 
Mary,  George,  Frances,  Ida  and  Charles; 
her  parents  came  to  Downer's  Grove  in  1842, 
where  the  father  died  subsequently,  and  the 
mother  is  living  with  the  subject.  Mr.  Stan- 
ley has  three  children  living,  from  a  family 
of  five,  viz.,  Arthur  F.,  Mabel  and  Louie; 
the  former  is  working  for  the  Western  Eclec- 
tic Manufacturing  Company  of  Chicago. 
Our  subject  has  been  identified  with  the  Re- 
publican party  since  its  organization,  merg- 
ing from  the  Whig  and  Free-Soil  organiza- 
tion. He  devotes  considerable  time  to  the 
dairy  business. 


SIMON  SCHAFER,  farmer,  P.  O.  Down- 
er's Grove,  was  born  September  17,  1839,  in 
Germany;  is  a  son  of  David  and  Christina 
(Nusbaum)  Bchafer,  who  came  from  Germany 
in  1853.  They  first  settled  in  Canada,  where 
they  remained  two  years,  and  then  came  to 
Du  Page  County;  here  they  rented  land  for 
several  years,  until  they  had  saved  sufficient 
means  to  purchase  eighty  acres,  where  our 
subject  now  lives,  and  where  the  parents 
died,  the  father  in  1880,  the  mother  in  1866. 
Our  subject  was  the  only  son,  and  had  but 
little  opportunity  for  attending  school,  the 
greater  part  of  his  time  being  employed  in 
farming  with  the  ox-team  and  the  primitive 
implements  of  agriculture.  The  father's  vo- 
cation was  that  of  a  weaver,  and  the  son  was 
hired  out  at  an  early  age  to  learn  farming, 
after  which  he  took  charge  of  his  father' s 
farm.  He  now  has  120  acres  of  well-im- 
proved land  of  his  own.  In  1866,  Mr.  Scha- 
fer  married  Sarah  Peters,  a  sister  of  Daniel 
Peters,  whose  biography  appears  elsewhere 
in  this  book.  This  union  has  resulted  in  six 
children,  viz.,  Frank,  Bertha,  Amelia,  Min- 
nie. Edith  and  Willie.  Mr.  Schafer  is  en- 
gaged in  the  dairy  business;  he  votes  the 
Republican  ticket. 

ALOIS  SCHWARTZ,  farmer,  P.  O.  Na- 
perville. Mr.  Schwartz  was  born  June  17, 
1828,  in  Alsace,  now  Germany;  is  a  son  of 
Michael  and  Mary  Schwartz,  natives  of  Ger- 
many and  the  parents  of  thirteen  children, 
seven  of  whom  are  living,  viz.,  Lawrence, 
Joseph,  Alois,  Ferdinand,  Lewis,  Antone  and 
Michael;  the  parents  emigrated  to  this  coun- 
ty in  July,  1846,  and  settled  on  the  farm 
now  owned  by  Michael  Schwartz,  near  the 
center  of  Lisle  Township;  here  the  father 
died,  September  10,  1865,  and  the  mother  in 
February,  1874;  the  parents  were  Catholics ; 
the  father  was  a  fisherman  in  his  native 
country.  Alois  experienced  some  of  the 


LISLE  TOWNSHIP. 


151 


hardships  that  were  upon  the  early  settlers. 
He  never  attended  school  a  single  day,  and 
what  education  he  possesses  is  the  result  of 
his  ambitious  efforts.  In  1850,  he  went  to 
California;  there  he  mined  successfully  for 
about  five  years,  after  which  he  returned  and 
bought  land  in  Du  Page  County.  By  fru- 
gality and  careful  management,  he  has  secured 
380  acres  of  land,  which  is  finely  improved, 
partly  by  his  own  hands.*  In  1866,  he  made 
a  wise  selection  of  a  help -mate  in  the  person 
of  Miss  Katie  Gipe,  which  union  gave  him 
fora-  children,  viz.,  Edward,  Amelia,  Dan  C. 
and  Andrew.  He  is  tiling  his  farm;  has  now 
about  800  rods  of  tile  drainage  on  bis  fine 
farm.  The  family  are  members  of  the  Catho- 
lic Church  of  Naperville.  His  political  pro- 
clivities are  Democratic. 

ALBERT  SCHMITT,  farmer,  P.  O.  Na- 
perville, was  born  July  22,  1834,  in  Alsace, 
now  Germany;  is  the  son  of  Francis  A.  and 
Francisca  (Schwartz)  Schmitt.  The  parents 
came  to  Du  Page  County  in  1843,  settling 
where  the  subject  of  these  notes  now  lives; 
the  father  died  on  February  6,  1861;  the 
mother  was  born  October  24,  1808,  and  is 
living  with  her  son  Albert,  of  whom  we 
write;  the  parents  had  three  boys — Theopo- 
las.  Antona  and  Albert;  they  united  early 
with  the  Catholic  Church.  Mr.  S.  attended 
school  some  during  his  younger  days;  he 
drove  ox  teams  when  ten  years  old,  hauling 
oats  to  Chicago  and  selling  at  20  cents  per 
bushel;  he  was  married,  June  3,  1856,  to 
Mary  Schmiit  (no  connection),  she  a  daugh- 
ter of  Martin  and  Mary  (Pfaff)  Schmitt.  By 
her  Mr.  S.  had  seven  children — Frank,  Otilia, 
Heury  E.,  Willie  N.,  Joseph  T.,  Andrew  A. 
and  Sophia  (deceased).  Ho  owns  270  acres 
of  well-improved  land,  which  was  formerly 
timbered.  He  is  now  Road  Commissioner; 
has  been  School  Director.  The  family  are 
members  of  the  Catholic  Church  of  Naper- 


ville.     Votes   the   Democratic    ticket.      His 
wife  was  born  July  16,  1840,  in  Alsace. 

NICHOLAS  STENGER,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Naperville,  was  born  January  22,  1860,  in 
Du  Page  County;  is  a  son  of  Nicholas  and 
Elizabeth  (Snebly)  Stenger,  natives  of  Ger- 
many. The  parents  settled  at  Naperville 
very  early,  where  the  father  died;  the  mother 
is  still  living;  the  parents  had  seven  chil- 
dren, five  of  whom  are  living  Mary,  Amelia, 
Nicholas,  Adolph,  Elizabeth;  they  became 
members  of  the  Evangelical  Association  very 
early.  Our  subject  had  good  eduational 
advantages.  He  was  married,  November  25, 
1881,  to  Emma,  a  daughter  of  Fred  Strubler, 
of  Naperville.  He  settled  on  his  present 
farm  of  ninety-four  and  a  half  acres  in  1882. 
He  is  making  some  specialty  of  stock-raising. 
He  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Evangelical 
Association.  He  votes  the  Republican  ticket; 
is  a  strict  temperance  man.  His  father  was 
an  owner  of  the  early  brewery  at  Naperville. 

E.  O.  STANLEY,  farmer,  P.  O.  Downer's 
Grove,  was  born  August  8,  1828,  in  Penn- 
sylvania; is  a  son  of  Dexter  and  Nancy  (Cap- 
ron)  Stanley.  Mr.  Stanley  is  a  brother  of  L. 
W.  Stanley  and  Mrs.  Dryer,  the  mother  of 
H.  L.  Bush,  in  whose  sketches  the  parents 
are  prominently  noticed.  E.  O.  attended 
school  in  a  small  building  on  his  father's 
farm,  and  for  awhile  in  the  old  building 
that  htood  where  T.  M.  Woods  now  lives.  Was 
married,  in  1862,  to  Mary  Allen,  a  daughter 
of  Mr.  Allen,  of  Ohio,  who  blessed  him  with 
two  children,  viz.,  Adah  M.  and  Lee.  He 
has  134  acres  of  well-improved  land,  the  re- 
sult of  his  own  labors.  He  is  running  a 
dairy,  having  seventeen  cows.  Been  in  some 
small  offices.  Votes  the  Republican  ticket. 
He  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Baptist 
Church  of  Downer's  Grove. 

G.   W.  WEBSTER,  farmer,  P.  O.  Naper 
ville.     This  enterprising  young  man  is  the 


152 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


son  of  George  W.  and  Caroline  Webster. 
The  father  is  a  son  of  Lyf  ret  and  Sarah  Web- 
ster, and  was  born  in  1811.  The  mother  of 
our  subject  was  born  July  1,  1822,  in  Ash- 
land, N.  H. ;  is  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and 
Clarissa  (Webster)  Shepherd.  The  Shep- 
herds are  descendants  of  the  Holdeness 
Colony,  and  the  Websters  of  the  Plymouth 
Colony.  Mrs.  Webster's  parents '  emigrated 
to  Lisle  Township,  this  county,  in  1849,  and 
settled  on  the  farm  where  the  subject  now 
lives.  Here  her  father  died  in  1865,  and  her 
mother  in  1860.  She  was  one  of  two  chil- 
dren, Caroline  and  Walter  (a  grocer  of  Chi 
cago).  Her  mother  was  a  member  of  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church.  She  was  mar- 
ried to  Webster,  the  father  of  our  subject,  in 
1846,  the  result  being  two  children — Clara 
E.  and  George  W.  Her  husband  died  in 
November,  1848.  She  and  her  consort  came 
to  this  county  in  September,  1846,  buying  at 
that  time  152  acres  at  $1.25  per  acre.  Here 
she  has  lived  since.  Her  parents  really  never 
bought  any  land  here,  but  made  their  home 
with  her  after  her  husband  died.  She  and 
her  son  lived  in  Chicago  for  seven  years, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  the  milk  and  gro 
eery  business.  George  is  now  managing  the 
farm,  raising  grain  and  stock.  His  mother 
lives  with  him.  He  is  somewhat  in  the  dairy 
business.  Mrs.  Webster  tells  a  little  circum- 
stance connected  with  the  life  of  ancestors, 
Websters  and  Shepherds,  which  we  deem 
wortL  a  notice,  as  it  illustrates  some  facts  set 
forth  in  parts  of  this  book.  These  relations 
were,  two  families  of  them,  located  on  the 
banks  of  a  river,  in  New  Hampshire,  some 
forty  miles  away  from  any  other  people. 
The  river  ran  between  the  two  families,  and, 
as  there  was  no  means  by  which  they  could 
cross,  the  women  were  so  eager  to  visit  that 
they  would  go  to  the  banks  and  holloa  at  each 
other,  thus  learning  the  condition  and  wel- 


fare of  the  family.  They  would  bring  their 
interviews  to  a  climax  by  the  one  singing  and 
the  other  dancing  to  the  sweet  music  that 
rolled  over  the  turbulent  waters. 

S.  J.  WILLARD,  farmer,  P.  O.  Lisle,  was 
born  August  27.  1818,  in  South  Brimfield, 
Mass. ;  is  a  son  of  George  K.  and  Hannah 
(Dunham)  Willard,  natives  of  Massachusetts 
and  parents  of  eleven  children,  viz.,  George 
R.,  Ferdinand,  Clarissa,  Oriel,  S.  J.,  Whit-  • 
ney,  Benjamin  C. ,  Oriel  L.,  Annis,  Edwin 
and  Maryette.  In  1835,  the  parents  settled 
on  a  claim  of  300  acres,  where  the  subject 
now  resides.  The  father  died  in  1835,  about 
six  weeks  after  arriving  in  this  county;  the 
mother  died  in  1862.  Our  subject  attended 
school  as  much  as  was  convenient;  worked  on 
the  farm  and  with  his  father  at  wheelwright 
ing.  When  they  located  in  this  county,  Mr. 
Willard  drove  the  ox  teams  and  witnessed 
the  scenes  that  make  up  the  life  of  the  pio- 
neer. He  was  married,  in  1859,  to  Janet 
Decker,  by  whom  he  was  blessed  with  five 
children — Judson,  Lewis,  Maurice,  Alice, 
and  one  deceased  when  young.  Our  subject 
has  218  acres  of  well-improved  land.  He 
votes  the  Republican  ticket. 

S.  D.  WEBSTER,  farmer,  P.  O.  Naper- 
ville,  was  born  January  16, 1848,  in  Du  Page 
County;  is  the  son  of  M.  R.  and  Caroline 
Webster,  early  settlers  of  this  county,  and 
the  parents  of  eight  children,  viz.,  Henry, 
Sarah,  Charlotte,  Mary,  Charles,  Rockwood, 
William  and  S.  D.  The  mother  died  in 
1850;  the  father  survives,  among  his  children. 
The  father  was  married  a  second  time  to 
Arvilla  Bessel,  by  whom  he  had  two  children, 
Laura  and  Julia.  His  second  wife  died  in 
1870.  Our  subject  attended  school  at  Naper- 
ville,  aside  from  the  district  schools.  Was 
married,  October  1,  1874,  to  Flora  A. ,  daugh- 
ter of  J.  D.  and  Lucinda  Turner,  one  of  six 
children — Joel,  George,  Jennie,  Matilda, 


YORK  TOWNSHIP. 


153 


Flora  and  Charles.  He  is  farming  150  acres 
of  well-improved  land  belonging  to  his  father. 
His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church.  He  votes  the  Republican  ticket. 
His  father  is  noted  as  one  of  the  early  Aboli- 
tionists. 

JOSEPH  WOBLEY,  farmer,  P.  O.  Naper- 
ville,  was  born  February  21,  1832,  in  Alsace, 
Germany;  is  a  son  of  Antona  and  Mary 
(Herstel)  Worley,  who  came  here  in  1853, 
settling  in  Lisle  Township,  where  they  both 
died,  having  been  blessed  with  four  children 


— Joseph,  Sophia,  Lizzie,  and  one  deceased. 
Mr.  Worley  attended  school  some  in  his  na- 
tive country.  Came  to  this  country  in  1849, 
and  engaged  for  eleven  years  in  a  brewery  at 
Naperville.  Was  married,  in  1855,  to  Lizzie 
Schmitt,  the  result  being  six  children — Will- 
iam, Andrew,  Mary,  Frank,  Henry  and  Lib- 
bie.  He  settled  on  his  present  farm  of  180 
acres  in  1869,  which  is  well  improved,  and 
the  attainment  of  his  own  labors.  The  fam- 
ily are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church.  He 
votes  the  Eepublican  ticket. 


YORK    TOWNSHIP. 


GEORGE  H.  ATWATEE,  Utopia,  was 
born  in  Broome  County,  N.  Y. ,  February  19, 
1826;  his  father,  Jesse  Atwater,  was  born 
March  7,  1784,  in  the  State  of  Connecticut, 
son  of  Jesse,  a  Revolutionary  soldier.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  was  Lucretia  Martin. 
The  Atwaters  came  West  in  1834,  and  settled 
in  this  county.  Jesse  died  in  1866,  and  his 
wife  in  1868.  They  were  the  parents  of  eight 
children — William,  Olive,  George  H.,  Rachel, 
Ann,  Betsey,  Rebecca  and  Benjamin.  William 
Olive  and  Rebecca  are  dead.  Jesse  Atwater 
was  a  good  citizen  and  was  much  esteemed. 
His  successor  on  the  homestead,  his  son 
George  H. ,  has  constantly  resided  here  since 
his  father  located  the  claim.  July  14,  1849, 
he  married  Phebe  Willig,  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania, born  September  9,  1831,  daughter 
of  Henry  and  Mercy  Ann  (Abbott)  Willig; 
he  died  May  8,  1882.  Mr.  Atwater  has  two 
children — Alfred  and  Almeda.  Alfred  mar- 
ried Ada  Stevens,  and  has  two  children. 
Almeda  married  Jones  M.  Clapp,  of  Marengo, 
McHenry  County.  Mr.  Atwater  has  146  acres 
of  fine  land. 

GERRY  BATES  (deceased).  Prominent 
among  the  early  arrivals  of  Elmhurst  of  one 


who  contributed  much  toward  its  advance- 
ment and  settlement,  was  Gerry  Bates,  who 
came  here  in  1842,  and  purchased  the  section 
of  land  upon  which  the  town  of  Elmhurst 
now  stands.  He  was  born  August  24,  1800, 
in  Chesterfield,  Mass. ,  son  of  Benjamin  Bates, 
whose  ancestors  were  of  English  origin.  Our 
subject  removed  with  his  father  in  1808,  to 
Geauga  County,  Ohio,  but  in  1842,  removed 
to  this  locality  as  above  stated,  and  soon  after 
making  his  purchase,  built  Cottage  Hill  Hotel. 
A  few  years  after,  he  engaged  in  merchan- 
dising, and  was  made  Postmaster,  the  first 
one  in  the  township,  and  held  the  office  up 
to  the  time  of  his  death — a  period  of  about 
thirty  years.  His  death  occurred  July  29, 
1878.  He  was  twice  married — first,  to  Ada- 
line  Hovey,  who  bore  him  several  children. 
His  last  wife  yet  survives  him,  and  resides  on 
the  homestead;  her  maiden  name  was  Georgia 
S.  Smith,  a  native  of  South  Waterboro,  Me. 
She,  with  three  children — Frederick  H. ,  Ada- 
line  and  Charles,  resides  at  the  "Willows," 
the  name  of  the  family  residence.  Fred  H. 
is  now  practicing  medicine  in  Bensenville,  in 
Addison  Township,  this  county,  and  is  get- 
ting into  a  fine  practice;  he  received  his  lit- 


15 1 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


erary  education  at  the  University  of  Chicago, 
and  graduated  at  Rush  Medical  College  Feb- 
ruary 21, 1878.  After  the  doath  of  his  father, 
he  became  Postmaster,  and  held  the  office  un- 
til his  resignation.  In  August,  1881,  he  was 
associated  with  Dr.  J.  M.  Zahn,  of  Elgin,  in 
the  practice  of  medicine,  which  copartner- 
ship was  dissolved  in  May,  1882,  when  he  lo- 
cated at  Bensenville.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  Harlem  Lodge,  No.  540. 
GEORGE  BARBER,  farmer,  P.  O.  Lom- 
bard, was  born  in  Benson,  Rutland  Co.,  Vt., 
November  18,  1818,  second  son  of  Joel  and 
Laura  (Cleveland)  Barber,  he  born  in  Rutland 
County,  Vt.,  she  in  Hampton,  Washington 
Co. ,  N.  Y.  Joel  Barber  was  a  son  of  William 
Baber,  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  Rutland 
County,  Vt.,  who  had  to  keep  his  family  in 
the  fort  at  Ticonderoga,  N.  Y.,  For  shelter 
while  he  was  making  a  settlement  in  Benson, 
Vt,  and  who,  had  seven  children— William, 
Robert,  James,  Joel,  Sallie,  Polly  and  Eu- 
nice. Joel  Barber's  wife,  Laura  Cleveland, 
was,  a  daughter  of  Josiah  Cleveland,  who  was 
thrice  married,  Mrs.  Joel  Barber  being  one 
of  the  children  of  the  first  marriage.  The 
Clevelands  were  Methodists,  the  Barbers  Bap- 
tists and  Congregationalists.  Joel  Barber 
had  eight  children — William  C.,  George, 
Gilbert,  Carlyle,  Margaret  A.,  Lucy,  Anna 
E.  and  Betsey,  who  died  in  infancy.  Our 
subject  left  home  to  push  his  own  fortunes  at 
the  age  of  twenty-two,  having  but  little  edu- 
cational advantages.  In  the  spring  of  1844, 
he  started  West;  arrived  in  Chicago  June  15, 
that  year,  and  came  to  this  county,  having 
then  about  $70.  In  the  fall  of  1843,  he  mar- 
ried Maria  Root,  a  native  of  Rutland  County, 
Vt.,  daughter  of  Martin  and  Abigail  (Stearns) 
Root,  he  born  March  14,  1785,  died  Febru- 
ary 18,  1865,  she  born  January  23,  1788, 
died  in  York  Township,  this  county,  March 
2, 1873.  Martin  Root's  wife,  Abigail  Stearns, 


was  a  daughter  of  a  Revolutionary  soldier, 
who  was  with  Washington  at  Valley  Forge. 
The  Root  family  came  to  this  county  in  the 
fall  of  1843.  Martin  Root  had  a  family  of 
eight  children.  Mr.  Barber,  when  he  first 
came  to  this  county,  rented  land  in  Lisle 
Township;  then  bought  forty-eight  acres  in 
Downer's  Grove,  where  he  remained  several 
years,  then  sold  out  and  moved  to  Lisle 
Township,  and  after  remaining  there  about 
four  years,  came  to  his  present  place  in 
1860,  bought  140  acres  of  land,  at  $20  an 
acre,  and  has  since  remained  here;  he  bought 
this  farm  from  Horace  Brooks,  who  settled 
it.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barber  have  had  three 
children — Josiah  C.,  Lucy  M.  and  George 
F.,  who  died  March  3,  1866,  aged  seven- 
teen years.  Mr.  Barber  has  followed  farm- 
ing since  he  located  here,  and  has  also 
been  agent  for  Kirby's  mowers  and  reap- 
ers; he  has  been  Assessor  and  Supervis- 
or; was  formerly  a  Whig,  now  a  Republican. 
HENRY  BUCHHOLZ,  farmer,  P.  O.  Elm- 
hurst,  resides  on  Section  1;  his  residence 
is  situated  on  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
township.  He  was  born  November  5,  1846, 
in  the  Kingdom  of  Hanover,  and  came  to  this 
country  with  his  parents  when  but  two  years 
of  age.  His  father,  Henry,  was  born  October, 
1810,  and  married  Minnie  Beckmann,  daugh- 
ter of  Fred  Beckmann,  and  by  her  two  chil- 
dren were  born — Henry  and  Louisa.  Louisa 
married  Henry  Kemman,  of  La  Grange.  The 
paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  also 
named  Henry;  he  never  came  to  this  country. 
The  father  of  Henry  came  here  in  the  spring 
of  1848,  and  purchased  the  farm  upon  which 
he  remained  until  his  death,  in  March,  1868 ; 
his  wife  yet  survives  him,  and  resides  in 
Proviso;  she  married  Henry  Avers.  October 
1,  1873,  our  subject  married  Caroline,  born 
March  12, 1849,  in  this  township,  and  is  the 
second  daughter  of  Fred  Fisher,  one  of  the 


YORK  TOWNSHIP. 


155 


early  settlers  of  the  county.  Mr.  Buchholz 
has  two  children— Albert  Henry  and  Carl 
Fred;  he  has  about  200  acres  of  land  under 
excellent  improvement. 

MELVIN  J.  BALLOU,  railroad  conduc- 
tor, Lombard.  The  popular  and  well-known 
conductor  of  the  Omaha  Express  was  born  in 
the  Empire  State,  St.  Lawrence  County,  Oc- 
tober 5,  1845,  son  of  Philander  and  Abigail 
(Stearns)  Ballou.  The  paternal  grandsire 
of  Melvin  J.  lived  to  be  eighty-six  years  of 
age.  James  F.  Stearns  his  mother's  fa- 
ther, lived  to  be  also  four-score  years.  The 
father  of  M.  J.  was  a  farmer  and  yet  resides 
in  St.  Lawrence  County,  N.  Y.  He  raised 
nine  children,  six  sons  and  three  daughters. 
Melvin  was  brought  up  on  the  farm,  and, 
while  yet  in  his  teens,  he  volunteered  in 
Company  G,  Sixtieth  New  York  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  After  the  war,  he  returned  home;  soon 
after,  however,  he  came  West,  to  Du  Page 
County,  first,  to  Turner  Junction,  and,  in 
1867,  he  began  railroading  and  worked  his 
way  up,  and  in  due  time  was  placed  in  charge 
of  a  train  as  conductor,  and,  for  thirteen 
years,  has  been  serving  in  this  capacity,  his 
run  being  the  Omaha  Express  on  the  Chicago 
&  North- Western  Railroad,  running  from 
Chicago  to  Clinton,  Iowa;  his  efficiency  as  a 
railroad  man  and  his  known  fidelity  have  se- 
cured him  one  of  the  best  runs  on  the  line. 
He  resides  at  Lombard,  having  a  little  home 
of  his  own,  a  wife  and  two  children — Eva  F. 
and  Ashley  Melvin;  his  wife  Fannie  was  born 
in  Milton  Township,  daughter  of  M.  W. 
Murray,  one  of  the  old  residents  of  Du  Page. 
Mr.  Ballou  is  a  Republican  and  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  order.  He  has  three  brothers  in 
this  State,  all  of  whom  are  railroad  men — 
Henry.  Hector  and  Louis.  Henry  resides  at 
Blue  Island,  and  is  passenger  conductor; 
Hector  at  Danville;  is  conductor  of  freight 


train;  Louis  S.   resides  at  Watseka,  is  pas- 
:  senger  conductor.      He   has    one    brother — 
Charles,    a  farmer,   who  lives    near  Mears, 
Mich. 

SETH  CHURCHILL,  Lombard,  was  born 
in  Vermont  May  25,  1805,  and  is  a  son  of 
Winslow  and  Mercy  (Dodge)  Churchill,  na- 
tives of  Vermont,  Winslow  Churchill  having 
been  born  in  Rutland,  that  State.  The 
Churchill  family  came  to  this  country  from 
England  in  the  Mayflower;  the  Dodge  family 
came  from  Scotland.  Winslow  Churchill  and 
family  came  to  this  county  in  June,  1834, 
havincr  landed  in  Chicago  on  the  5th  of  that 

O  O 

i  month,  came  to  Babcock  Grove,  now  Pros- 
pect Park,  where  some  of  the  family  still  re- 
side, took  a  claim  eight  years  before  the  land 
was  surveyed,  paying  $1.25  p»r  acre  for  160 
acres.  Winslow  Churchill  settled  on  the 
banks  of  the  Du  Page  River,  where  he  died, 
aged  seventy-seven  years,  eight  months  and 
eight  days;  his  wife  died  at  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty-eight  years;  they  had  the  fol- 
lowing children:  William,  who  came  West 
about  the  year  1840,  died  in  Wisconsin,  aged 
eighty-one  years;  Malinda,  who  married  Syl- 
vester Ketcham,  died  in  Michigan;  Christina, 
in  this  county,  has  been  twice  married,  her 
first  husband,  Erustus  Ketcham,  died,  leaving 
one  son,  Erastus ;  her  second  husband,  David 
Christian,  also  deceased,  left  two  sons — 
Wesley  and  William  C.  Lorana,  who  came 
with  her  parents  from  New  York,  married 
John  D.  Ackerman,  and  had  fiv«  sons — Seth, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch;  Major,  living  in 
Jeddo,  N.  Y. ;  Betsey,  living  in  Cook  County, 
wife  of  Samuel  Mahoffy;  Winslow,  in  Down- 
er's Grove,  this  county;  Amanda,  died  when 
young;  Isaac  B.,  in  Milton  Township,  this 
county,  and  Hiram,  who  went  to  California 
and  has  never  since  been  heard  of.  The  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  lived  on  his  first  purchase 

'  of  land  until   March,  1854,  wh  en  he  came  to 


156 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


Lombard,  having  previously,  however,  spent 
one  year  in  Chicago.  August  9,  1828,  he 
was  married  to  Roxana  Ward,  of  Jordan,  N. 
Y.,  by  Rev.  M.  Fuller.  Mrs.  Churchill  was 
a  daughter  of  Elijah  Ward,  who  had  a  large 
family;  she  died  March  12,  1872,  aged  sixty- 
four  years  one  month  and  twenty -one  days, 
leaving  five  children — Mary  J.,  born  January 
8,  1830;  Horace,  December  9,  1831;  Myron, 
April  23,  1834,  Emily  R.,  August  17,  1838, 
and  William  H.,  July  17,  1840  Horace 
started  for  California  via  the  overland  route; 
was  at  Fort  Laramie  May  9,  1852,  and  has 
never  since  been  heard  from.  Myron  died 
December  25,  1876;  he  had  two  sons,  War- 
ren and  Orville.  Emily  resides  at  Prospect 
Park,  wife  of  Oscar  Johnson.  William  H. 
resides  in  Iowa.  December  10,  1874,  Mr. 
Churchill  married  Eliza  Young,  born  August 
23,  1849,  in  Oberholm,  Germany,  daughter 
of  Adam  and  Elizabeth  Young,  who  came 
here  about  1852;  the  latter  died  in  August, 
1852.  By  this  union  they  have  one  child 
— Jessia  Mr.  Churchill  has  a  fine  farm 
of  420  acres  of  land ;  he  has  been  a  church 
member  for  forty  years;  his  father  was 
formerly  a  Congregationalist;  later,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  M.  E.  Church,  to  which  he  be- 
longed at  his  death. 

EDWARD  ELDRIDGE,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Utopia.  This  gentleman  came  to  Du  Page 
County  May  29,  1835,  making  his  first  set- 
tlement in  York  Township,  where  he  has 
since  lived.  He  was  born  November  16, 
1803,  in  Albany  County,  N.  Y.  He  was  the 
seventh  child  and  fifth  son  of  a  family  of 
eleven  children.  His  father  was  Benedict 
Eldridge,  a  native  of  Cape  Cod.  Benedict 
Eldridge  married  Rhoda  Chevalier,  and  her 
children,  who  grew  up,  were  Richard,  Zenas, 
Hannah,  Dorcas,  George,  Edward,  Mary, 
Lydia  and  Louis.  In  May,  1835,  Edward 
came  West  to  Du  Page  County,  and  the 


same  year  went  north  to  Section  14,  where  he 
made  a  claim,  which  he  afterward  purchased, 
located  thereon,  and  has  since  been  a  resident 
of  the  same.  July  10,  1836,  he  married  Ra- 
chel B.  Atwater,  who  was  born  January  8, 
1815,  in  Broome  County,  N.  Y. ,  daughter  of 
Jesse  Atwater,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this 
township.  Mr.  Eldridge  has  had  five  chil- 
dren born,  four  living — Rhoda,  wife  of  Frank 
Filer,  she  died  June  1,  1882;  Lazetta,  mar- 
ried Charles  B.  Townsend;  Benedict  J.;  Mar- 
tha, wife  of  Charles  G.  Howell ;  Rebecca, 
wife  of  Walter  S.  Price.  Mr.  Eldridge  is 
now  nearly  fourscore  years  of  age;  has  been 
a  resident  of  the  township  forty-seven  years, 
and  is  yet  in  good  health.  Not  a  member  of 
any  church;  in  politics,  Democratic. 

GEORGE  FULLER,  farmer,  P.  O.  Uto 
pia,  was  born  March  6,  1815,  in  the  town  of 
Lisle,  Broome  Co.,  N.  Y.,  son  of  Jacob  W. 
Fuller,  who  came  to  this  county  in  1836,  and 
died  at  Fullersburg  June  5,  1867;  he  was  a 
blacksmith.  Jacob  W.  married  Candace  Sul- 
livan, who  bore  him  thirteen  children,  all  of 
whom  grew  up  save  one.  George  remained 
on  the  farm  until  twenty-three  years  of  age; 
he  learned  the  trade  of  his  father,  which  he 
followed  for  several  years,  but  finally  gave 
his  entire  attention  to  farming.  In  1850,  he 
located  where  he  now  lives.  He  was  the  first 
Assessor  of  York  Township,  and  has  subse- 
quently refilled  the  same  position.  He  has 
served  as  Township  Treasurer  for  fourteen 
years.  He  was  married,  December  31,  1841, 
to  Cynthia  M.  Talmadge,  a  native  of  New 
York,  daughter  of  John  Talmadge;  she  died 
September  15,  1851.  July  12,  1853,  he  mar- 
ried Polly  Davis,  daughter  of  Nelson  Davis; 
she  bore  him  three  children — Lorin,  Sarah 
and  Mary,  all  deceased;  she  died  in  18(33, 
February  12.  December  31,  1864,  he  mar- 
ried his  present  wife,  Lydia  A.,  who  was 
born  in  this  township;  her  parents  were 


YORK  TOWNSHIP. 


157 


Louis  and  Harriet  (Clark)  Eldridge.  Four 
children  were  born — Lorin,  Sarah,  Mary  J. 
and  Willie  N.,  all  deceased.  Mr.  Fuller  has 
about  300  acres  of  land;  is  in  very  easy  and 
comfortable  circumstances,  and  is  spending 
his  declining  years  in  happiness  and  content- 
ment. 

FRED  J.  T.  FISCHER,  physician,  Elm- 
hurst,  was  born  in  Du  Page  County  on 
the  homestead  farm,  in  Addison  Township, 
July  30,  1842,  and  was  the  second  son  of 
Henry  D.  and  Maria  Franzen  (Fischer). 
Fred  J.  T.  was  brought  up  on  the  farm, 
where  he  remained  until  June,  1861,  when 
ho  enlisted  as  private  in  Company  B,  Thirty- 
third  Regiment,  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry, 
and  served  three  years  and  three  months; 
during  that  time,  he  participated  in  every 
battle  in  which  his  company  was  engaged, 
some  of  the  most  prominent  being  Cache 
River,  Ark,  Bolivar  Bend,  Miss.,  Champion 
Hills,  Miss.,  seige  of  Vicksburg,  Jackson, 
Miss.,  and  Fort  Esperanza,  Texas.  Soon 
after  his  return  home  from  service,  he  was 
elected  County  Clerk,  and  served  three  years, 
when  he  resigned  in  order  to  complete  his 
education.  He  entered  Oberlin  College,  and 
graduated  in  1874,  receiving  the  highest 
honors  of  his  class,  consisting  of  thirty  mem- 
bers, and  being  elected  Greek  orator  of  the 
class;  he  received  the  degrees  of  A.  B.,  A.  M., 
as  well  as  M.  D.  He  also  took  a  three  years' 
course  at  the  famous  Heidelberg  University, 
Germany,  and,  upon  his  return,  engaged  in 
practice  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  until  the  spring 
of  1879,  when,  on  account  of  the  death  of  his 
father-in-law,  Diedrich  Struckmann,  he  re- 
turned to  Elmhurst.  Since  that  time,  he  has 
been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion here.  September  27,  1874,  he  married 
Martha  S. ,  daughter  of  Diedrich  Struckmann 
and  Caroline  Korthauer.  Mr.  Struckmann  came 
to  this  country  in  1844;  he  was  a  carpenter 


and  builder  by  trade;  he  was  a  successful 
business  man  and  accumulated  a  handsome 
competence  for  his  family;  he  died  in  1879. 
(See  sketch  of  Mr.  Struckmann  and  portrait 
appears  in  this  work.)  The  Doctor  has  one 
son — Walter  D.  He  is  a  stanch  Republi- 
can and  a  member  of  the  Evangelical 
Church. 

DAVID  FULLER,  farmer,  P.  O.  Fullers- 
burg,  born  March  28,  1825,  in  the  town  of 
Lisle,  Broome  Co.,  N.  Y. ,  son  of  Jacob  W. 
Fuller,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  York  Town- 
ship. David  was  a  lad  of  eleven  years  when 
his  father  came  to  this  township,  and  has 
been  a  resident  of  the  same  up  to  the  present 
time.  He  was  first  married  when  twenty-six 
years  of  age,  April  7,  to  Catharine,  daughter 
of  Philip  Bohlander,  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  Du  Page  County;  she  died  March  28, 
1870.  Of  this  marriage  the  issue  was  three 
children.  Angeline,  now  deceased,  was  the 
wife  of  George  Coffin;  Charles  P.  B.  and 
Lydia  L.  are  living.  June  1.,  1871,  he  mar- 
ried his  present  wife — Charlotte,  a  native  of 
England,  daughter  of  Thomas  Evernden  and 
Mary  Ford,  who  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1855,  and  to  this  State  ten  years  later. 
Nine  children  were  born  to  Mr.  Evernden, 
two  sons  and  seven  daughters  — •  William, 
Thomas,  Mary,  Jennie,  Charlotte,  Esther, 
Kate,  Annie  and  Birdie.  Esther  and  Kittie 
deceased.  Mr.  Evernden  died  September  2, 
1870;  his  wife  Mary  resides  with  her  son 
Thomas,  in  Fulton  County,  111.  William 
resides  in  this  county,  druggist  at  Hinsdale. 
By  the  last  marriage,  Mr.  Fuller  has  one 
daughter — Elsie  Bernice,  born  November  25, 
1872.  He  resides  on  the  farm  his  father  set- 
tled (Section  27),  which  has  never  been  out 
of  the  family  name;  he  has  208 J  acres  and 
other  interests  in  the  county;  he  has  traded 
successfully  in  real  estate,  and  is  of  a  me- 
chanical turn  of  mind. 


158 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


tRED  GRAUE,  miller,  Fullersburg,  was 
born  January  25,  1819,  in  Landesbergen,  in 
the  Kingdom  of  Hanover,  the  third  son  of 
Frederick  Graue    and  Lucie  (Thiirmau),    to 
whom  were  born  eight  sons  and  one  daugh- 
ter.     The  Graue   family   emigrated   to  the 
United  States  in  1833,  arriving  first  in  Albany 
County,  N.  Y.     In  May,  the  following  year, 
came  to  Chicago.     They  remained  at  Chicago 
a  short  time,  and,  he  the  same  summer,  lo- 
cated in  Addison  Township,  this  county,  at 
a  grove  which  has  since  borne  their  name. 
Here  Frederick,  the  father,  died  in  1837,  his 
wife  surviving  him  until  1866.      Fred,  the 
subject  of  these  lines,  remained  with  his  .fa- 
ther until  of  age,  when  he  located  on  a  piece 
of  land  near  the  homestead,  upon  which  he 
lived  until  1850;  he  then  moved  to  the  south- 
east corner  of  the  township,  on  Section  36, 
where  he,  in  company  with  William  Asche, 
purchased  a  mill  site  and  erected  a  saw-mill. 
After   three    years'    association   together   in 
business,  Mr.  Graue  bought  the  entire  inter- 
est, and  has  since  run  it.      In"  the  summer  of 
1852,  he  built  the  brick  mill,  main  building 
45x28,  three  stories  high  and  basement,  put  in 
two  run  of  buhrs,  and  has  since  run  the  same, 
mostly  on  custom  grinding.     Mr.  Graue  Las 
been  twice  married— first,  to  Louise  Fischer, 
born    in   Hanover,    daughter    of    Frederick 
Fischer;    seven  children  were  born  of  this 
marriage,  five  of   whom   lived  to  maturity — 
Caroline,  wife  of  Fred  Grage,   of  Addison 
Township;  Louis  and  Fred  E.  are  on  farms 
in  York  Township;  Emma  resides  in  Port- 
land,   Ore.,    wife  of  Harmon  H.  Kiessling; 
William,  the  youngest,  remains  yet  at  home. 
His  second  marriage  was  to  Mrs.   Henrietta 
Kiessling,  whose  maiden  name  was  Korthaur. 
He  has  about  200  acres  of  land  which  he  car- 
ries on,  but  gives  his  attention  personally  to 
his  milling.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Lutheran  Church. 


EDWARD  D.  GBAUE,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Elmhurst,  is  a  son  of  Henry  Graue,  one  of 
the  early  settlers  of  the  township,  and  resides 
on  the  farm  owned  and  settled  by  his  father. 
Henry  Graue  was  born  April  23,  1826,  in  the 
same  locality  in  the  Kingdom  of  Hanover  as 
were  his  brothers  Fred,  August  and  Lewis. 
Henry  came  here  to  York  Township  with  his 
brothers,  and  made  his  purchase  and  engaged 
in  farming,  remaining  here  until  his  death, 
July  19,  1868.  He  was  a  good  citizen,  and 
a  worthy  member  of  the  community.  His 
wife  was  Louisa  Krage,  born  near  Hanover, 
in  February,  1829,  daughter  of  Fred  Krage 
and  Mary  Stuenkel,  which  family  came  to 
Du  Page  in  1837.  Two  children  are  living, 
of  a  family  of  three,  born  to  Henry  Graue  and 
wife  — Edward  D. ,  our  subject,  and  Louisa, 
who  resides  in  this  township,  wife  of  Edward 
Botermund.  Edward  D. ,  who  has  taken  his 
father's  place  and  represents  him  on  the 
home  farm,  was  born  April  13,  1848,  and  has 
now  charge  of  the  farm  and  resides  with  his 
mother.  The  farm,  at  his  father's  death, 
consisted  of  360  acres.  Mrs.  Botermund's 
portion  taken  out  leaves  240  acres. 

HENRY  D.  GRAY,  hardware,  Lombard. 
This  genial  and  wide-awake  business  man 
was  born  November  19,  1849,  and  is  a  de- 
scendant of  the  Graue  family  (pronounced 
Gray),  who  were  among  the  earliest  settlers. 
Henry  D.  was  a  son  of  Deidrick  Graue  and 
Louisa  Flag.  Deidrick  Graue  was  the  pio- 
neer of  the  family ;  he  came  and  settled  in 
the  south  part  of  Addison  as  early  as  1833; 
he  purchased  considerable  amount  of  land, 
which  he  afterward  divided  out  among  his 
brothers,  who  settled  near  him;  he  died  in 
1879,  in  January;  his  wife  yet  survives  him 
and  resides  on  the  homestead.  The  children 
born  them  were  Henry  D.,  August,  Louisa, 
Regina  and  Albert,  all  of  whom  yet  reside  on 
the  farm  except  H.  D.  and  Louisa,  who  re- 


YORK  TOWNSHIP. 


159 


side  in  this  town.  Louisa  married  Duncan 
Malcomb,  a  partner  of  Henry  D.,  who  was 
raised  on  the  farm  where  he  was  born  until 
he  came  to  Lombard,  in  1877,  and  engaged 
in  the  hardware  and  agricultural  implement 
business.  Prior  to  this,  he  was  for  some 
time  engaged  as  auctioneer,  which  he  has 
since  followed,  in  connection  with  his  other 
business.  In  1879,  he  associated  with  him 
in  business  his  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Malcomb. 
Since,  the  firm  has  been  Gray  &  Malcomb. 
In  politics,  Republican;  is  unmarried,  and  a 
member  of  the  A.,  F.  &  A.  M. ,  Wheaton 
Lodge.  Mr.  Gray  is  the  ' '  outside  man  "  of 
the  firm,  attends  to  the  canvassing  and  set- 
ting up  the  machinery.  Malcomb  attends  to 
the  store  and  tin-shop. 

AUGUST  GRAUE,  store  and  farming, 
Elmhurst,  was  the  youngest  child  born  to 
Frederick  Graue;  he  was  born  January  12, 
1829,  in  the  Kingdom  of  Hanover,  and  came 
with  his  parents  to  this  State,  arriving  at  the 
grove  which  bears  the  family  name,  June  9, 
1834.  August  was  but  a  child  when  he  came 
here,  and  was  brought  up  to  farm  labor,  and 
has  since  that  time  given  his  time  to  agricultur- 
al pursuits.  July  24,  1851,  he  married  Caro- 
line Krage,  daughter  of  Fred  Krage,  a  native 
of  Hanover;  she  died  March  21,  1862,  having 
borne  four  children  —  Louisa,  Henrietta, 
Mary  and  August.  His  last  wife  was  Mrs. 
Louisa  Stelling,  and  by  her  he  has  Caroline, 
Edward,  Willie  and  Julius.  After  Mr.  Graue 
married,  he  located  on  part  of  the  homestead, 
and  continued  on  the  same  a  constant  resident 
and  been  engaged  in  farming.  He  has  271 
acres  in  this  county,  and  10Q  in  Will  County, 
this  State.  'October,  1881,  he  left  the  farm 
and  located  in  Elmhurst  and  engaged  in  mer- 
chandising, carrying  on  a  general  store- -dry 
goods,  boots  and  shoes,  groceries,  notions,  etc. 

J.  B  HULL,  stock-dealer,  Lombard. 
Among  the  old-time  residents  of  Lombard  is 


Joseph  B.  Hull,  who  descended  from  old 
English  stock;  his  progenitors  came  to  Con- 
necticut and  there  settled  prior  to  the  Revo- 
i  lution.  Joseph  B.  was  born  March  24,  1814, 
in  Kinderhook,  Columbia  Co.,  N.  Y. ,  and 
removed  with  his  parents  to  Cortland  Coun- 
ty when  six  months  old.  His  father,  George 
Hull,  was  born  in  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y. ,  in 
June,  1786,  son  of  Tiddman  and  Annie  Hull. 
George  Hull  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  Jo- 
seph and  Eunice  Barnard.  The  family  on 
both  sides  are  remarkable  for  their  longevity. 
Subject  s  father  is  yet  living,  in  his  ninety- 
sixth  year;  his  wife  died  aged  seventy-five; 
her  mother,  Eunice,  died  aged  eighty-four. 
Tiddman  lived  to  nearly  a  centenarian;  his 
wife  Annie  died  aged  ninety-four.  Joseph 
Barnard,  from  whom  our  subject  was  named, 
was  a  sea  Captain,  and  followed  the  seas  and 
was  lost  while  on  one  of  his  voyages.  To  Tidd- 
man Hull  and  wife  Annie  were  born  seven 
children;  those  who  lived  to  be  grown  were 
Penelope,  Avis,  Ruth,  Annie,  Amy,  Solomon 
and  George;  now  living,  are  George,  the 
father  of  J.  B.,  who  resides  in  Madison 
County,  Y.  Y. ;  Avis  resides  in  Brooklyn. 
To  Joseph  Barnard  were  born  two  children 
— Eliza,  and  Annie,  the  mother  of  J.  B. 
Eliza  married  a  man  by  the  name  of  Hunt, 
and  settled  in  Wisconsin.  Our  subject  was 
raised  a  Quaker.  To  Geo.  Hull  and  wife  were 
born  ten  children;  except  the  one  who  died 
in  infancy,  nine  of  them  lived  to  many  years 
past  their  maturity  ere  there  was  a  death  in 
the  family;  the  first  death  of  this  number 
was  at  the  age  of  forty-nine.  The  eldest 
was  Edward;  then,  in  order,  came  Judith, 
Joseph  B.,  Lydia,  Annie,  Tiddman,  Caroline 
and  George  M. ;  those  deceased  are  Edward 
and  Lydia.  Eliza  and  Tiddman  never 
came  West.  Caroline  resides  at  Harvard, 
McHenry  County,  wife  of  Henry  Benjamin. 
Annie  and  Judith  reside  at  Oak  Park;  the 


160 


HIOGRAPHICAL: 


former  married  L.  Morey,  the  latter  Horace 
Coleman.  George  M.  resides  at  Port  Dodge, 
Iowa,  and  Joseph  B.,  who  resides  here  in 
Lombard.  His  father  was  a  mill  man,  and, 
for  several  years,  ran  a  large  paper  mill  in 
Kinderhook;  afterward,  was  engaged  in  farm- 
ing, and  ran  a  saw-mill.  Joseph  was  raised 
to  farming  and  in  the  mill  business;  lived 
with  his  father  until  about  twenty-five  years 
of  age;  he  afterward  engaged  with  his  brother 
Edward  in  the  mill  business.  He  came  to 
this  State  in  1845,  arriving  in  Chicago  in 
April,  and  came  out  to  Bloomingdale  Town- 
ship, this  county,  and  purchased  of  the  Gov- 
ernment and  laid  claim  to  160  acres,  120  of 
which  he  got  at  Government  price,  the  other 
eighty  a  neighbor  entered  away  from  him, 
which  he  afterward  obtained  by  paying  him 
$100  extra;  when  he  paid  for  his  land,  he 
had  $75  left;  he  pur  chased  two  yoke  of  cattle 
for  $65,  and  a  horse  for  $13;  this  wiped  out 
all  his  money.  The  first  money  he  got  he 
obtained  by  cutting  by  hand  twenty-five  tons 
of  hay,  which  he  sold  to  E.  O.  Hills  at  $1.25 
per  ton;  he  hauled  the  same  on  a  sled  and 
his  wife  stacked  it.  About  two  years  after, 
he  sold  his  improvements  and  land  to  W.  E. 
Patrick,  for  $25  per  acre.  He  then  came  to 
the  northwest  part  of  York  Township,  and 
purchased  over  300  acres,  costing  $2.50  per 
acre.  When  he  first  settled,  he  engaged  in 
butchering,  and,  in  two  seasons,  he  killed 
188  head  of  cattle,  and  other  sto  ck  in  pro- 
portion. About  the  year  1848,  he  went  to 
Chicago,  and  engaged  in  business;  carried 
on  a  store  and  manufactured  shingles.  About 
two  years  later,  he  came  to  Lombard  and 
built  a  storehouse  and  engaged  in  merchan- 
dising; subsequently,  had  interests  in  a 
store  at  Cottage  Hill  and  at  Danby.  About 
the  year  1875,  he  sold  out  his  land,  reserving 
twenty  acres  and  engaged  in  stock  trading, 
which  business  he  has  since  followed.  He  has 


done  much  toward  building  up  the  town; 
when  he  came  there  was  about  three  buildings 
there;  there  are  now  nine  buildings  here 
which  he  built.  He  has  always  been  identi- 
fied with  the  Republican  party  since  its  or- 
ganization In  September,  1861,  he  enlisted 
in  the  army,  and  was  over  one  year  in  the 
commissary  department,  serving  as  non-com- 
missioned officer;  on  account  of  ill-health, 
he  was  released  and  returned  home.  He  was 
married,  in  April,  1841,  to  Fannie  E.  Pat- 
rick, born  in  Cortland  County,  N.  Y.,  in 
1817,  daughter  of  Nathaniel  and  Penelope 
Patrick.  Four  children  have  been  born  to 
Mr.  Hull;  but  two  living — Alma  and  Alice 
(twins);  Alma  resides  in  Huron,  Dakota, 
wife  of  C.  C.  Hills;  Alice  resides  in  Lom- 
bard, at  the  home  of  her  parents,  wife  of 
Henry  Ferguson.  Emily  and  Lydia  are  de- 
ceased. Emily  E.  died,  aged  thirteen;  Lydia 
married  Franklin  Claflin,  and  moved  to  Hop- 
kinton,  Mass. ;  she  had  two  children,  both 
of  whom  died  of  diphtheria,  and  now  lie  by 
the  side  of  their  mother,  who  died  in  1877. 
Mr.  Hull  has  been  a  member  of  the  Congre- 
gational Church  since  its  origin  in  this 
place;  himself  and  wife  and  two  daughters 
of  the  number  (fourteen)  who  formed  the  so- 
ciety at  its  organization.  Though  now  nearly 
his  threescore  years  and  ten,  yet  he  is  active 
as  a  man  of  forty,  and  is  actively  engaged  in 
stock  trading,  his  operations  extending  into 
Iowa  and  other  places,  where  he  gathers  up 
beef  and  stock  cattle  for  the  Chicago  market. 
GEORGE  F.  HEIDEMANN,  physician, 
Elmhurst,  was  born  February  10,  1839,  in 
Hanover,  Germany,  the  seventh  son  of  Chris- 
tian Hiedemann,  who  served  in  the  famous 
battle  of  Waterloo.  His  wife  was  Mary 
Heuer.  Our  subject  was  left  an  orphan  at  a 
very  early  age,  and  came  to  this  State  when  a 
lad  of  fifteen.  At  the  age  of  seventeen,  he 
engaged  in  a  drug  store,  after  which  he  at- 


YOKK  TOWNSHIP. 


163 


tended  the  University  at  Ann  Arbor,  where 
he  took  a  course  of  lectures  and  completed 
his  course  at  Rush  Medical  College,  being  at 
one  time  private  pupil  of  Dr.  Brainard. 
March  31,  1863,  he  was  appointed  Second 
Assistant  Surgeon  of  the  Fifty-eighth  Illi- 
nois Volunteer  Infantry.  May  7,  same  year, 
was  commissioned  as  First  Assistant  Surgeon 
by  Gov.  Yates,  and  was  assigned  to  Spring- 
field in  charge  of  the  post  there.  In  the 
summer  of  1863,  he  was  sent  to  Cairo,  where 
he  remained  until  he  joined  Gen.  Sherman's 
forces;  afterward  was  with  Gen.  Banks  on 
the  Red  River  Expedition;  subsequently, 
was  with  Gen.  A.  J.  Smith,  at  Memphis; 
then  with  Rosecrans,  who  was  operating  in 
Missouri,  winding  up  his  service  with  Gen. 
Thomas  at  Nashville.  He  was  discharged  in 
February,  1865.  After  his  discharge  from 
service,  he  came  to  Elmhurst  and  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  has  since 
remained.  He  was  married,  March  26,  1865, 
to  Hannah  C.  Schween,  daughter  of  William 
Schween;  her  mother's  maiden  name  was 
Sophia  Boeska.  The  Doctor  served  two 
years  as  Coroner  under  Hayes'  administration, 
and  has  been  School  Director  for  nine  years 
at  the  place;  has  six  children — Alvenia  M. , 
William  G.,  George  H.,  Lydia,  Ellen  and 
Edie.  Member  of  the  Evangelical  Church 
and  a  Republican.  He  has  since  his  coming 
to  Elmhurst  been  in  active  practice,  which 
has  been  a  successful  one,  having  now  been 
here  about  eighteen  years. 

L.  A.  HAGANS,  Elmhursfc,  has  been  iden- 
tified with  the  interests  of  Elmhurst  since 
1857,  at  which  time  he  removed  here,  locat- 
ing on  the  place  he  now  owns,  though  pur- 
'  chased  by  him  some  time  previous  to  his  ar- 
rival. He  was  born  January  31,  1825,  in 
Preston  County,  now  West  Virginia.  There 
were  nine  children  of  his  father's  family,  five 
sons  and  four  daughters,  L.  A.  being  the 


third  son  and  fourth  child  in  order  of  birth. 
His  father  was  Harrison  Hagans,  who  was 
born  in  1796,  in  Massachusetts,  son  of  George 
Hagans,  who  served  in  the  war  of  the  Revo- 
lution and  came  of  Irish  stock.  The  mother 
of  our  subject  was  Jane,  whose  father  was 
Daniel  McCollum,  of  Scotch  origin.  The 
subject  of  these  lines  received  the  advan- 
tages of  a  common  school,  and,  entering 
Washington  College,  Pennsylvania,  remained 
there  until  his  graduation,  after  which  he 
'.  began  merchandising  at  Brandonville,  Va. , 
remaining  about  one  year,  and  then  to  King- 
wood,  the  county  seat,  where  he  continued 
about  eight  years.  In  the  fall  of  1857,  he 
came  to  Illinois,  locating  here.  In  August, 
1860,  he  returned  to  Virginia,  and  engaged 
in  merchandising  once  more.  The  war 
breaking  out,  he  went  to  Wheeling,  where  he 
was  appointed  Secretary  of  the  commonwealth 
under  Gov.  Pierrepoint.  After  the  formation 
of  the  new  State  of  West  Virginia,  he  re- 
moved to  Alexandria,  remaining  there  until 
1865,  when  he  returned  to  this  State  to  settle 
his  father-in-law's  estate,  after  which  he  re- 
turned to  Virginia  once  more  and  purchased 
an  interest  in  the  Wheeling  Daily  Intelli- 
gencer, and  was  associated  in  the  manage- 
ment of  that  journal  until  the  fall  of  ]  873, 
when  he  sold  out  his  interest  and  returned  to 
Elmhurst.  His  place  is  called  "Hawthorn," 
which  he  has  improved  from  the  wild  prairie 
to  its  present  condition.  Since  his  last  re- 
turn to  this  State,  he  has  been  associated 
with  the  firm  of  Rand,  McNally  &  Co.,  Chi- 
cago. April  19,  1848,  he  married  Lovela, 
born  in  Pennsylvania,  daughter  of  Elisha 
and  Anne  M.  (Brown)  Hagans;  he  has  one 
child  living — Wilbur  E.  Myra  Bella  is  dead; 
she  was  born  May  9,  1857,  and  died  June 
10,  1868.  Mr.  Hagans  is  retired  from  active 
business,  and  employs  his  spare  time  in  beau- 
tifying and  improving  his  home. 


164 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


WILLIAM  HAMMEESCHMIDT,  tile 
manufacturer,  Lombard.  Among  the  recent 
inventions  of  the  day,  there  are  none  that 
are  productive  of  better  results  and  pay  a 
better  return  as  an  investment  to  the  farmers 
than  the  judicious  distribution  of  drain-tile 
on  low  and  wet  soils,  which  fact  is  now  gen- 
erally understood.  As  an  industry,  the  manu- 
facture of  drain-tile  is  becoming  one  of  im- 
portance, and,  recognizing  this  fact,  Mr. 
Hammerschmidt  has,  within  the  past  few 
years,  turned  his  attention  to  the  manufact- 
ure of  tiling.  He  came  to  this  township  in 
May,  1878,  and  established  the  Lombard 
Tile  Factory,  and  has  since  been  giving  his 
whole  time  and  attention  to  the  enterprise, 
giving  employment  to  a  large  force  of  men. 
He  is  a  native  of  Du  Page  County,  born  in 
Naperville  October  10,  1853,  eldest  son  of 
Adolph  Hammerschmidt,  a  native  of  Prussia, 
who  came  to  this  country  in  1848.  "William 
remained  at  home  until  twenty- four  years  of 
age,  and  came  to  York  Township  in  the  spring 
of  1878,  and  has  since  been  identified  with  that 
township.  His  factory  is  situated  one  mile 
south  of  Lombard;  his  residence  is  adjacent  to 
the  factory.  On  March  30,  1882,  he  married 
Miss  Elizabeth  Bundorf,  a  native  of  Hanover. 

A.  E.  HILLS,  merchant,  Lombard.  Fore- 
most among  the  energetic  and  stirring  busi- 
ness men  of  Lombard  is  A.  E.  Hills,  who  was 
born  September  15,  1846,  in  the  town  of 
Bloomingdale,  eldest  son  of  H.  S.  and  Lorena 
(Maynard)  Hills.  At  the  age  of  fourteen,  he 
set  out  for  himself,  and  for  several  years  was 
engaged  as  a  clerk  In  January,  1871,  he 
came  to  Lombard  and  opened  a  grocery,  flour 
and  feed  store,  and  was  Postmaster.  About 
two  years  later,  he  moved  to  the  Marquardt 
corner,  and  continued  there  under  several 
firm  changes  until  1878,  when  he  sold  out  to 
his  partner,  Louis  Marquardt.  In  1879,  he 
associated  with  W.  J.  Loy  in  the  auction 


business  as  Hills  &  Loy.  May,  1881,  he 
purchased  Ley's  interest  and  built  the  store 
building  he  now  occupies,  which  he  stocked 
with  general  merchandise.  May  3,  1882,  he 
associated  with  his  brother,  D.  C.,  and  since 
the  firm  is  known  as  A.  E.  &  D.  C.  Hills. 
He  also  does  an  auctioneering  business  and 
attends  to  sales  all  over  the  country.  He  is 
the  present  Postmaster  and  Police  Justice  of 
the  town,  and  a  member  of  the  A. ,  F.  &  A. 
M.,  Turner  Lodge,  No.  872.  May  16,  1870, 
he  married  Ellen  M.  Patrick,  born  in  Bloom- 
ingdale Township,  daughter  of  W.  R.  Pat- 
rick and  Mary  L.  Knowles.  He  has  five 
daughters — Carrie  L.,  Florence  E.,  Donna 
J.,  Helen  M.  and  Alena. 

HERMAN  H.  KORTHAUER,  hardware 
and  agricultural  implement,  Bensenville, 
eldest  son  of  Esquire  Henry  Korthauer,  was 
born  in  this  township  May  28,  1852,  on  the 
homestead  farm.  He  received  a  good  com- 
mon-school education,  which  was  completed 
by  a  thorough  course  in  the  business  depart- 
ment in  Wheaton  College,  where  he  grad- 
uated in  1867.  He  then  returned  home  and 
engaged  in  farming  pursuits,  continuing  here 
until  the  fall  of  1881,  when  he  located  in 
Bensenville  and  engaged  in  the  hardware 
business,  buying  out  Henry  A.  Coggswell, 
who  was  well  established  in  the  trade.  Mr. 
Korthauer  is  well  known  in  the  community, 
and,  having  good  business  qualifications,  will 
merit  the  patronage  of  his  many  friends.  He 
makes  a  specialty  of  the  Grand  Detour  plows 
and  Woods'  machines,  as  well  as  a  line  of  the 
best  farming  machinery  and  implements  in 
use.  May  25,  1877,  he  married  Emma, 
daughter  of  Fred  Heuer,  a  well-known  and 
prominent  farmer  in  the  township;  has  had 
two  children,  one  living,  Mary,  Carrie  died 
March  4,  1880. 

B.  M.  LEWIS,  farmer,  P.  O.  Lombard,  is 
a  native  of  Berks  County,  Penn.;  was  born 


YORK  TOWNSHIP. 


165 


April  26,  1811,  the  youngest  son  of  Morgan 
Lewis,  born  in  same  county  in  1771,  and  died 
in  1843;  he  married  Rachel  Hudson,  who  was 
born  in  Lancaster  County,  Penn.,  in  17G8, 
and  died  in  1849.  The  paternal  grandfather 
of  our  subject  was  Evan  Lewis,  who  married 
Rachel  Williams;  she  bore  him  three  sons — 
Morgan,  Daniel  and  Amos;  the  former  was  a 
teacher;  the  latter  were  farmers  by  occupa- 
tion. The  great-grandfather  of  B.  M.  was 
Morgan  Lewis,  a  native  of  Wales,  and  came 
to  Pennsylvania  soon  after  William  Penn's 
arrival.  To  Morgan  Lewis  and  wife,  Rachel, 
were  born  six  children — two  sons  and  four 
daughters,  viz.,  Drusilla,  Rebecca,  Maria, 
Amos,  Jane,  and  Benjamin  M.,  the  youngest 
of  the  family.  He  was  raised  upon  the  farm 
of  his  father  until  the  year  1828,  when  he 
went  to  work  on  the  public  works,  on  the  Mine 
Hill  &  Schuylkill  Railroad,  where  he  contin- 
ued sixteen  years  and  worked  from  one  po- 
sition to  another,  until  he  was  promoted  to 
Superintendent,  which  position  he  held  un- 
til he  resigned  on  account  of  impaired 
health  from  typhoid  fever,  which  incapac- 
itated him  for  about  one  year.  In  June, 
1852,  he  came  West,  and  located  first  in 
the  south  part  of  Addison  Township,  pur- 
chasing 240  acres  where  Henry  Geills  now 
lives.  In  1858,  he  removed  to  Lombard  and 
engaged  in  merchandising  until  1861,  when 
he  located  on  the  farm  he  now  owns,  which 
place  was  settled  by  Walter  Filler.  Since 
his  advent  to  this  place,  he  has  been  engaged 
in  farming  pursuits.  He  has  been  a  success- 
ful business  man.  He  has  263  acres  here  in 
York  Town'ship,  160  in  Bureau  County,  and 
1,015  in  Kankakee  and  Will  Counties.  He 
was  married,  in  1833,  to  Sarah  Robinson, 
born  in  Berks  County,  Penn.,  in  1814,  daugh- 
ter of  Robert  Robinson  and  Martha  Philips. 
They  have  the  following  children:  George 
M.,  Jane  L.,  Ben  F.,  Rebecca,  Amelia,  John 


D. ,  Thomas  J. ,  Morgan  J.  and  Carrie  N.,  all 
living.  Charles  M.  died  in  1881;  was  mar- 
i  ried,  and  had  two  children.  George  resides 
in  Bureau  County,  a  farmer.  Jane  L.  lives 
in  Wisconsin,  near  Lake  Mills,  wife  of  Luciel 
Griswill.  Ben  F.  lives  in  Chicago;  runs  a 
flour  and  feed  store.  Rebecca  lives  with  her 
parents.  Amelia  married  John  Loy  and  re- 
sides in  Will  County;  also  John  D.  Thomas 
J.  works  the  home  farm.  Morgan  J.  resides 
in  this  township,  farming.  Carrie  is  a 
teacher;  graduated  in  1878  at  the  Northwest- 
ern College.  Mr.  Lewis  has  for  several  years 
been  Road  Commissioner.  In  politics,  has 
been  Democratic,  yet  not  partisan.  Was 
raised  an  Episcopalian,  and,  prior  to  his  leav- 
ing Pennsylvania,  became  affiliated  with  the 
Masonic  order. 

JACOB  LOY,  retired  farmer,  Lombard, 
was  born  April  14,  1804,  in  Perry  County, 
Penn., -son  of  Nioholas  and  Margaret  (Miller) 
Loy.  Jacob,  our  subject,  was  raised  to  farm- 
ing, and  lived  with  his  parents  until  he  was 
nineteen  years  of  age,  when  he  apprenticed 
himself  to  the  tanner's  trade,  working  at  it 
four  years.  He  then  began  the  career  of  a 
drover,  and  afterward  followed  butchering 
while  the  canal  was  being  built.  He  was 
subsequently  made  Superintendent,  and 
placed  in  charge  of  several  miles  of  con- 
struction work.  After  the  canal  was  com- 
pleted, he  engaged  in  boating,  and  ran  the 
first  boat,  Juniata,  Newport;  was  also  engaged 
in  the  mercantile  business,  after  which  he 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  iron,  and  pur- 
chased a  foundry,  but  the  venture  was  not 
lucrative,  so  he  turned  his  attention  to  the 
lumber  business,  purchasing  a  saw  and  grist 
mill,  but  finally  sold  out  and  removed  with 
his  family  to  this  county  March  31,  1858, 
locating  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  the 
northwest  section  in  the  township,  and  has 
since  been  a  resident  here,  and  engaged,  in 


166 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


the  meantime,  in  farming.  In  February, 
1830,  he  married  Catharine  Zinn,  a  na- 
tive of  Lebanon  County,  Penn. ,  daughter 
of  Joseph  Zinn  and  Elizabeth  Snavely. 
He  has  had  ten  children  born  him,  seven 
of  whom  are  living — William  J.,  George, 
John,  Rebecca,  Caroline,  Amanda  and  Mary. 
Mr.  Loy  is  now  retired  from  active  life. 
His  farm  is  carried  on  by  his  sons,  George 
and  John.  Is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
Church. 

W.  J.  LOY,  farmer,  P  O.  Lombard.  One 
of  the  worthy  officials  of  York  Township  is 
Esquire  Loy,  who  has  been  meting  out  legal 
justice  to  the  people  of  this  locality  for  sev- 
eral years;  is  now  serving  his  fourth  term. 
He  came  to  York  Township  in  September, 
1857,  from  Perry  County,  ^enn.,  where  he 
was  born  September  11,  1831,  and  is  the  only 
son  of  Jacob  and  Catharine  (Zinn)  Loy,  well- 
known  residents  of  the  township.  William 
J.  has  been  reared  to  farming  pursuits.  He 
worked  with  his  father,  remaining  under  the 
parental  roof  until  of  age,  and  afterward,  as 
he  continued  in  his  father's  employ  some 
time  after  arriving  at  his  majority.  Decem- 
ber 25,  1859,  he  married  Sophronia  Hatfield, 
a  native  of  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  daughter  of 
Adam  and  Isabella  (Truesdell)  Hatfield,  who 
came  to  the  township  in  1854.  Her  father 
died  July  3,  1865;  mother,  in  1859;  seven 
children  were  born  them  ;  five  grew  up — 
Jennie,  now  of  Chicago;  William,  in  Cali- 
fornia; Luellen,  in  Missouri;  Lucinda,  in 
Wayne  County,  Ohio,  wife  of  John  Reeder. 
After  the  marriage  of  Esquire  Loy,  he  located 
on  the  farm  he  now  owns,  and  has  been  closely 
allied  with  the  township  interests.  He  is 
Township  Treasurer,  and  held  that  office  for 
eight  consecutive  years.  He  has  three  chil- 
dren— Edward  E. ,  Vesta  L.  and  Hazel  V.  Is 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  of  long 
standing,  having  been  entered,  passed, 


raised,  inducted,  etc.,  etc.,  before  coming  to 
the  West.  Is  a  member  of  the  Chapter  at 
Wheaton. 

J.  H.  LATHROP,  capitalist,  Elmhurst, 
was  born  July  5,  1806,  in  Lebanon,  N.  H., 
and  was  the  youngest  of  a  family  of  ten  chil- 
dren. His  father,  Samuel  Lathrop,  was  the 
!  youngest  of  a  family  of  twenty  children,  and, 
when  but  a  mere  boy,  served  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war,  and  was  wounded  at  the  battle 
of  Bunker  Hill.  He  married  Lois  Hunting- 
ton,  daughter  of  Theophilus  Huntington,  of 
Connecticut.  Samuel  died  about  the  year 

1819.  Our  subj  ect  came  West  to  Erie  County, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  remained  until  some  years 
past  his   majority.     His  educational  advan- 
tages were  limited,  but  in  early  manhood  he 
turned  his  attention  to  active  .business  pur- 
suits,  first  embarking  in  the  lumber  trade; 
afterward,  was  appointed  Collector  at  Buffalo. 
Subsequently,     he     removed     to    Virginia, 
where  he  married,   in  1843,   Miss  Mariana, 
born  in  Alexandria,  Va.,  daughter  of  Daniel 
and  Mary  (Barbour)  Bryan.     While  in  Vir- 
ginia, he  engaged  in  the  banking  business, 
and  operated  extensively  in  coal  mines,  which 
at  that  time  was  the  largest  and  most  impor- 
tant in  the  United  States.     During  President 
Taylor's    administration,    he  was  appointed 
Navy  Agent  at  Washington,  D.  C.     In  1865, 
he  came  to  Illinois  and  settled  in  Elmhurst, 
where  he  has  since  resided,  having  an  elegant 
home,  surrounded  with  all  modern  comforts 
and  conveniences.     He  has  three  children — 
Bryan,  Barbour  and  Florence  W. 

WILLIAM  H.  LITCHFIELD,  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  Elmhurst,  was  born  November  2. 
1832,  eldest  son  born  to  Cyreneus  and  Nancy 
(Plummer)  Litchfield.  Cyreneus  was  a  son 
of  Joel,  and,  early  in  life,  was  apprenticed 
to  learn  the  clothier's  vocation.  In  the  year 

1820,  be  removed  to  Erie  County,  N.  Y.,  and 
engaged  in  farming.     In  1846,  he  came  to 


YOUK   TOWNSHIP. 


167 


Du  Page  County  and  located  on  Section  13, 
in  this  township,  where  he  purchased  land 
and  improved  the  same.  In  1865,  he  located 
at  Elmhurst.  In  1851,  he  was  appointed 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  to  fill  an  unexpired 
term,  and  was  four  times  re-elected,  serving 
eighteen  years  in  all.  His  death  occurred 
September  28,  1876.  He  was  first  married 
to  Nancy  Gardiner,  and  by  her  had  one  child, 
Harris  G. ,  now  on  Governor's  Island,  an 
officer  in  the  regular  army,  and  attached  to 
Gen.  Hancock's  staff.  His  last  wife  was 
Nancy  Plummer,  born  in  1813,  in  New 
Hampshire,  daughter  of  Caleb  and  Polly 
(Webster)  Plummer.  Mrs.  Litchfield  had 
three  brothers  and  four  sisters, .  nine  in  all — 
her  sister  who  married  David  Talmadge. 
They  came  to  the  county  and  settled  in  this 
township  in  1836.  She  has-  two  brothers, 
Benjamin  and  Chester,  who  are  residents  of 
the  county.  By  last  marriage  to  Miss  Plum- 
mer, two  children,  William  H.  and  C.  W.,  | 
were  born,  both  living  with  mother  in  Elm- 
hurst.  William  H.  was  elected  Justice  of 
the  Peace  in  1877,  and  has  since  been  hon- 
ored with  re-election.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Episcopal  Church. 

D.  MEYEE,  retired  farmer,  Lombard. 
The  present  prestige  of  Du  Page  County  is 
largely  due  to  the  advent  of  the  German  peo- 
ple, who  came  to  this  country,  and,  in  many 
instances,  penniless  upon  their  arrival,  yet  [ 
their  resolutions  were  only  surpassed  by  their 
industry  and  economy,  which,  together  com- 
bined, have  made  them  to-day  our  most  con- 
spicuous and  well-to-do  farmers,  and  added 
thereby  very  materially  to  the  wealth  and 
prosperity  of  the  county.  Of  this  class  Mr. 
Meyers  is  one.  He  left  his  native  home, 
Stulsnau,  in  province  of  Hanover  (where  he 
was  born  December  5,  1818),  in  the  summer 
of  1840,  son  of  Frederick  and  Sophia  (Ess- 
mann)  Meyer,  who  died  in  Germany.  He 


left  Bremen  in  the  summer  of  1840,  and  for 
the  first  two  years  lived  near  Cincinnati.  In 
the  spring  of  1844,  he  came  to  Leyden,  Cook 
County,  where  he  soon  purchased  land,  which 
he  sold  in  1849,  and  came  to  this  county  and 
purchased  210  acres  where  his  son  lives,  and 
remained  on  the  same  until  1878,  when  he 
removed  to  his  present  location.  He  was 
married,  while  in  Cook  County,  to  Dorotha 
Dierking,  born  in  Hanover  in  1830,  daughter 
of  Christian  Dierking.  Mr.  Meyer  has  ten 
children — Louis,  Louisa.  Caroline,  Emma, 
Fred,  William,  Rosa,  Henry,  Martha  and 
Frank.  Louis  resides  on  the  homestead; 
Louisa  is  the  wife  of  August  Botermund; 
Emma  (dead)  was  the  wife  of  August  Schmidt; 
Henry  resides  at  Bartlett,  in  cheese  factory; 
Fred  runs  a  store  at  Utopia.  Mr.  Meyer  is  a 
member  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

W.  D.  MEYER,  farmer,  P.  O.  Elmhurst. 
William  Deidrick  Meyer  was  born  in  the 
Faderland,  province  of  Hanover,  June  13, 
1848.  His  father's  name  was  Henry  Meyer, 
a  native  of  Germany,  born  August  25,  1807, 
and  married  Caroline  Reinking,  born  Feb- 
ruary 6,  1822,  daughter  of  Deitrich  Reink- 
ing. Four  children  —one  son  and  three 
daughters — were  the  offspring  of  Henry  and 
Caroline  Meyer.  William  D.  rfvas  the  eldest 
born.  The  girls,  in  order  of  birth,  were 
Louisa,  Doratha  and  Minnie.  Louisa  mar- 
ried Louis  Balgemann,  of  Elmhurst;  Doratha 
resides  in  Bloomingdale,  wife  of  Herman 
Malwitz;  Minnie  also  resides  in  Elmhurst, 
wife  of  George  Balgemann.  William  D.  was 
but  three  years  of  age  when  his  parents  came 
to  this  country  from  Germany.  His  father  for 
some  time  was  in  partnership  with  his  brother 
Deitrich,  they  working  together  until  each 
had  means  to  purchase.  Father  located  on 
this  farm  about  the  year  1854,  and  improved 
it,  and  remained  here  until  removed  by  death, 
March  18, 1882 ;  his  wife  yet  survives.  Will- 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


iam  D.  now  occupies  and  owns  the  homestead, 
having  120  acres.  November  4,  1877,  he  ! 
married  Annie,  born  in  Lombard  September 
11,  1857,  daughter  of  Deitrick  Klusmeyer; 
has  one  child,  Robert  William;  one  daughter, 
Alma,  deceased  at  five  months. 

F.  G.  MEYER,  store,  Utopia,  is  the  rising 
young  merchant  of  Utopia.  He  was  born  in 
the  township  October  10,  1855,  and  is  the 
second  son  of  Deitrick  Meyer,  a  well-known 
farmer  in  the  township.  Frederick  G.  has, 
since  his  birth,  been  a  resident  of  the  town- 
ship, remaining  on  the  farm  until  the  fall  of 
1879,  when  he  came  to  this  place  and  engaged 
in  the  employ  of  Arthur  Robinson  in  the 
cheese  and  butter  factory,  and  while  here  ob- 
tained a  general  knowledge  of  cheese  manu- 
facture. While  here,  he  saw  there  was  a 
good  opening  for  a  general  store,  and  accord- 
ingly erected  the  storehouse  he  now  occupies, 
and  in  August,  1880,  he  stocked  up  his  store- 
room with  groceries,  dry  goods,  boots  and 
shoes,  hardware,  crockery,  willow  ware,  flour,  : 
notions,  etc.,  and  has  since  been  doing  an 
excellent  business,  being  well  known  in  the 
community,  and  keeping  a  neat  and  select 
stock  of  goods  at  reasonable  prices,  he  has 
been  well  patronized.  In  January,  1881,  he  ! 
was  appointed.  Postmaster  of  Utopia,  which 
position  he  yet  holds.  August  10,  1881,  he 
married  Annie  Thoma,  daughter  of  J.  M. 
Thoma,  of  this  township. 

L.  MARQUARDT,  store  and  elevator, 
Lombard,  is  the  junior  member  of  the  firm  of 
Marquardt  Bros.  He  was  born  September  23, 
1851,  in  Bloomingdale  Township,  the  fifth 
son  of  Henry  and  Sophia  (Weber)  Marquardt. 
He  remained  at  home  until  fourteen  years  of 
age,  when  he  was  sent  to  Fort  Wayne,  Ind., 
and  remained  here  in  school  three  years  and 
a  half,  and  then  went  to  Chicago,  on  Twelfth 
street,  and  engaged  in  the  grocery  business, 
where  he  continued  until  July  13,  1876,  when 


he  came  to  Lombard  and  engaged  in  the 
grocery  business  on  the  corner  he  now  occu- 
pies; was  first  associated  with  A.  E.  Hill; 
afterward  purchased  his  interest  and  carried 
on  the  business  alone  some  time;  then  took 
in  his  brother  Fred,  and  since  then  the  firm 
has  been  Marquardt  Bros.  They  keep  a 
general  store,  and,  aside  from  this,  have  a 
large  elevator  and  warehouse,  and  do  a  large 
business  in  grain,  coal,  bran  and  feed  in 
general.  November  1,  1877,  he  married 
Minnie,  born  March  9,  1860,  in  Addison 
Township,  daughter  of  Fred  Rotermund. 
He  has  two  children,  Amanda  and  Arthur. 
Are  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

MRS.  FRANCES  E.  OGDEN,  Elmhurst, 
is  a  native  of  Delhi,  Delaware  Co.,  'N.  Y. 
Her  parents  were  William  B.  Sheldon  and 
Ann  Bonesteen.  He  was  a  native  of  Rhode 
Island,  and  son  of  Job  Sheldon,  who  served 
in  the  Revolutionary  war.  The  maternal 
grandfather  was  Philip  Bonesteen,  whose 
wife  was  Maria  Ollendorf.  To  WTilliam  B. 
Sheldon  were  born  three  daughters — Maria, 
Cornelia  and  Frances  E.  (Mrs.  Ogden). 
Cornelia  is  deceased.  In  1854,  Frances  E. 
became  the  wife  of  Hon.  Mahlon  D.  Ogden. 
He  was  born  July  16,  1811,  in  Walton,  Dela- 
ware Co.,  N.  Y.,  son  of  Abraham  and  Abigail 
(Weed)  Ogden,  of  English  descent.  Mr.  Og- 
den went  to  Columbus,  Ohio,  in  1836,  where 
he  studied  law  under  Judge  Crane,  and  came 
to  Chicago  about  1840,  and  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession.  About  fifteen 
years  later,  he  associated  in  the  real  estate 
business  with  his  brother,  William  B.,  and 
continued  in  this  relation  up  to  bis  death, 
which  occurred  February  13,  1880.  In  1871, 
he  was  elected  Alderman  of  his  ward,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  St.  James  Episcopal 
Church.  He  was  a  stanch  Republican  and  a 
thorough  business  man.  He  was  first  mar- 
ried in  1837,  to  Henrietta  M.  Kasson,  who 


YORK  TOWNSHIP. 


169 


died  leaving  two  children — Charles  C. ,  now  a 
resident  of  Little  Hock,  Ark. ;  and  Mary  B., 
who  resides  in  Chicago,  wife  of  Gen.  Will- 
iam E.  Strong.  In  1873,  Mr.  Ogden  located 
on  his  summer  residence,  known  as  ' '  Clover 
Lawn,"  in  Elmhurst,  where  he  died  ;  his 
wife  yet  occupies  the  same  during  the  sum- 
mer months,  when  not  traveling,  and  her 
winters  are  passed  in  New  York  City.  She 
has  three  children — Anna  S.,  "William  B. 
and  Brernon.  Is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal 
Church. 

C.  W.  PLUMMER,  farmer,  P.  O.  Utopia, 
was  born  December  20,  1821,  in  Erie  County, 
N.  Y.  He  was  a  son  of  Caleb  and  Polly 
(Webster)  Plummer.  Caleb  Webster  died  in 
1840.  To  him  were  born  the  following  chil- 
dren: Sally,  Polly,  William,  Benjamin, 
Nancy,  Maria,  Philura  and  Charles  W.,  who 
was  the  youngest  of  the  family.  Our  subject 
came  to  this  county  in  1848,  and,  the  year 
following,  began  breaking  land  on  Section 
15,  where  his  land  was  located,  and,  in  1850, 
built  a  house,  and  has  since  been  a  resident 
of  the  township,  and  upon  the  same  farm, 
which  contains  120  acres.  Before  leaving 
New  York,  September  17,  1848,  he  married 
Mary  Townsend,  who  was  born  in  Erie  County 
February  25,  1829,  in  Concord.  Her  parents 
were  Gilbert  W.  Townsend  and  Esther 
Twitchell.  Gilbert  W.  was  born  in  Erie 
County,  N.  Y.,  February  12,  1812;  Esther 
was  born  in  Athol,  Mass.,  October  11,  1811, 
The  Townsend  family  came  to  York  Township 
from  New  York  in  1856,  locating  on  Section 
15.  In  1874,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Townsend  re- 
moved to  Oak  Park,  where  they  now  reside. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Plummer  have  two  children — 
Henry  M.  and  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Philips.  Henry 
married  Lovina  Kernan;  they  have  one  child, 
Chester  Henry,  born  May  7,  1877.  Mr. 
aud  Mrs.  Plummer  are  Protestant  Metho- 
dists. 


ARTHUR  ROBINSON,  cheese-maker, 
Utopia,  the  enterprising  proprietor  of  the 
cheese  factory  at  Utopia,  in  this  township, 
who  was  born  in  Derbyshire,  England,  July 
6,  1854,  son  of  William  Robinson  and  his 
wife,  Catharine  Palmer.  Our  subject  received 
his  instruction  as  a  practical  cheese-maker  in 
his  native  country,  having  worked  in  the  first 
cheese  factory  that  was  run  on  the  American 
system.  He  came  to  this  country  in  March, 
1875.  Previous  to  his  coming  here,  he 
worked  two  years  in  a  factory  in  Otsego 
County,  N.  Y.  He  came  to  Will  County,  this 
State,  where  he  started  a  factory  at  Frank- 
fort, which  was  operated  by  the  farmers, 
where  he  continued  about  two  years  and  a  half. 
In  the  fall  of  1877,  he  came  to  Du  Page 
County,  and  engaged  in  the  commission  bus- 
iness in  Chicago.  The  factory  is  at  what 
is  called  Utopia,  this  township.  In  Jan- 
uary, 1882,  he  started  a  new  factory  in 
Downer's  Grove  Township,  which  is  prom- 
ising good  results.  Mr.  Robinson  has 
proven  himself  to  be  a  man  of  thorough  bus- 
iness principles,  and  given  entire  satisfaction 
to  his  patrons.  In  August,  1880,  he  was 
married  to  Amelia,  daughter  of  Henry 
Baethke,  of  Proviso,  Cook  County,  and  has 
one  child. 

DEIDRICH  STRUCKMANN  was  born  in 
Landesbergen,  on  the  River  Weser,  province 
of  Hanover,  Germany,  on  the  29th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1818.  After  acquiring  a  common-school 
education,  such  as  his  poor  parents  could 
afford  to  give  him,  he  devoted  himself  to  the 
carpenter's  profession,  at  which  he  worked 
faithfully  till  he  proved  himself  as  a  good 
workman  and  mechanic,  then  traveling  to 
some  extent  in  Holland  and  other  parts  of 
Europe.  Being  a  man  of  great  enterprising 
spirit,  he  concluded  to  leave  his  Fatherland, 
and  chose  America  for  his  future  field  of  la- 
bor. Mr.  Struckmann  emigrated  to  New  York 


170 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


in  1841,  but,  having  no  means  whatever,  he 
immediately  looked  for  employment,  and 
worked  for  several  years  at  Sandy  Hook, 
building  light-houses,  etc.  After  working 
here  awhile,  he  was  taken  sick,  which,  for  a 
time,  consumed  all  his  earnings.  In  the  fall 
of  1844,  he  came  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Addi- 
son  Township,  Du  Page  County,  the  country 
being  at  that  time  all  one  open  prairie.  Here 
a  number  of  his  friends  and  countrymen  had 
settled  previous  to  him,  and,  having  "Excel- 
sior "  for  his  motto,  he  made  himself  useful 
wherever  he  could  obtain  work,  for  low  wages, 
and,  after  several  years,  gradually  worked 
himself  up  as  a  master  of  his  calling,  and, 
through  his  ability,  his  cheerful  disposition 
and  straightforwardness,  and  also  his  honest 
and  upright  character,  he  rapidly  made 
friends,  and  gained  the  entire  confidence  of 
all  he  came  in  contact  with.  In  1848,  he 
was  married  to  Caroline  Korthauer,  which 
marriage  was  blessed  with  three  children, 
one  son  and  two  daughters,  the  youngest 
daughter,  Caroline,  dying  at  Wheaton  in 
1871,  while  preparing  herself  for  teacher  at 
college.  He  steadily  increased  his  reputa- 
tion as  a  builder,  and  continually  had  to 
have  more  men  in  order  to  erect  the  many 
buildings  which  he  had  contracted  for. 
Whatever  building  had  to  be  done  within 
many  miles  of  where  he  lived,  he  seemed  to  be 
their  choice,  as  he  acted  for  them  as  contract- 
or, builder  and  architect.  Owing  to  his  clear 
head  and  sound  judgment,  he  was  generally 
successful  in  all  his  undertakings,  and  when- 
ever he  would  meet  with  misfortune,  he 
would  show  a  ceaseless  spirit  in  overcoming 
it.  In  whatever  capacity  he  served,  he  would 
fill  it  with  honor  and  ability.  Besides  his 
professional  abilities,  he  was  also  a  very  good 
real  estate  speculator,  in  which  he  was  also 
very  successful.  He  erected  almost  every 
building  in  the  vicinity  of  where  he  lived, 


and  put  up  sixteen  churches,  some  of  which 
are  very  large  and  costly  structures.  He 
helped  to  form  the  Addison  Farmers'  Mutual 
Insurance  Company,  for  which  he  acted  as 
agent  for  over  twenty  years.  In  1875,  he 
went  to  Europe  to  visit  his  old  home,  and  re- 
turned after  an  absence  of  about  three 
months.  In  1877,  he  erected  a  large  Ger- 
man seminary  at  Elmhurst,  valued  at  $25,- 
000,  being  as  nice  a  structure  as  can  be  found 
between  Chicago  and  Elgin.  Mr.  Struckmann 

i  was  a  ceaseless  toiler  for  business,  a  self- 
made  man,  and  his  name  will  long  be  remem- 

|  bered  as  one  of  the  leading  and  best  business 
men  of  Du  Page  County.  Through  his  great 
enterprise  and  good  calculations,  he  accumu- 
lated a  large  amount  of  property,  comparing 
well  with  any  man's  standing  in  the  county 
who  built  himself  from  nothing  upward,  and 
being  the  founder  of  his  own  fortune.  He 
died  at  his  home  in  Elmhurst  May  4, 
1879. 

HENRY  G.  STRUCKMANN,  only  son  of 
Deidrich  Struckmann,  deceased,  was  born  at 
Addison,  Du  Page  Co.,  111.,  January  8,  1849. 
He  received  a  good  school  education,  attend- 
ing some  good  colleges,  and  always  took 
much  interest  in  learning.  He  intended  to 

|  be  a  draughtsman,  and  worked  in  a  Chicago 
architect's  office  for  some  time,  but  was 
obliged  to  go  into  other  business  on  account 

j  of  weak  eyesight.  At  the  age  of  eighteen, 
he  devoted  himself  to  the  milling  trade,  and, 
after  five  years'  experience  commenced  bus- 
iness for  himself  at  Vernon  Mills,  Lake  Co., 
111.,  where  he  owns  a  large  mill  property,  and 
is  carrying  on  a  very  successful  business  there. 
He  is  also  acting  as  Justice  of  the  Peace 
there,  and  is  now  serving  his  second  term, 
September  26,  1875,  Mr.  Struckmann  was 

I  married  to  Bertha  Rotermund,  daughter  of 
Frederick  and  Willielmine  Rotermund,  liv- 
ing near  Bensonville,  Du  Page  Co.,  111.,  and 


YORK  TOWNSHIP. 


171 


two  children  have  blessed  this  union — Laura 
and  Arthur. 

GEORGE  SAWIN,  attorney  at  law,  Elm- 
hurst,  is  one  of  the  leading  lawyers  in  Du 
Page  County.  He  was  born  in  Boston,  Mass., 
April  14,  1834.  His  ancestors  four  genera- 
tions back  came  from  the  North  of  Ireland. 
His  parents  were  John  and  Charlotte  (Lash) 
Sawin.  About  the  time  of  his  majority,  he 
began  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Hon. 
George  S.  Hilliard,  remaining  there  nearly 
two  years,  and,  from  close  application  and 
confinement,  his  health  became  impaired, 
and  he  concluded  to  try  traveling,  so  he  ac- 
cordingly accepted  a  position  offered  by  L.  L. 
&  W.  H.  Mills  as  general  collector  and  ad- 
juster of  accounts,  remaining  in  their  employ 
three  years,  also  working  in  the  same  capacity 
for  Stacy  &  Thomas  one  year.  He  then  en- 
tered the  law  office  of  James  P.  Boot,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  first  associated 
in  practice  with  John  Mattocks,  then  with 
Hon.  Gilbert  S.  Walker,  and  with  Chase  & 
Munson.  In  November,  1861,  he  enlisted 
in  the  Fifty-eighth  Illinois  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, and  was  commissioned  First  Lieuten- 
ant and  assigned  to  the  Quartermaster's  de- 
partment, where  he  remained  until  after  the 
battle  of  Shiloh,  when  he  was  assigned  to  the 
staff  of  Gen.  Sweeney.  He  served  until  the 
close  of  the  war,  and  came  out  with  the  rank 
of  Major.  During  his  term  of  service,  he 
participated  in  the  battle  of  Ft.  Donelson,  Shi- 
loh, Corinth,  luka,  Meridian,  on  Price's  raid 
in  Missouri,  Pleasant  Hill,  and  at  Nashville. 
He  escaped  unscathed,  yet  had  three  horses 
shot  from  under  him.  Upon  his  return  home, 
he  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession.  No- 
vember 13,  1855,  he  married  Miss  Carrie  L., 
who  was  born  in  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y., 
daughter  of  Elijah  and  Charlotte  (Brockway) 
Bust.  This  marriage  has  been  crowned  with 
the  birth  of  three  children — George,  Bobert 


L.  and  Gertrude  B.  George  died  aged  one 
year;  Bobert  L.,  at  the  age  of  nine;  Gertrude 
B.  resides  at  Bidgeland,  in  Cook  County, 
wife  of  Morton  L.  Marka  Mr.  Sawin  located 
at  Elmhurst  in  July,  1870,  where  he  has 
since  resided,  at  '  'Clover  Lawn. "  Mr.  Saw- 
in  is  one  of  the  Trustees  of  the  town,  and  is 
a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  Is  an 
honored  member  of  the  A. ,  F.  &  A.  M. ,  and, 
since  November,  1881,  has  been  Eminent 
Commander  of  Siloam  Commandery  at  Oak 
Park 

J.  B.  STBICKLAND,  farmer,  P.  O.  Utopia, 
born  June  28,  1822,  in  Broome  County,  N. 
Y.  His  father's  name  was  Ebenezer  Strick- 
land, who  served  in  the  war  of  1812;  he 
married  Mary  Mack,  and  by  her  had  fourteen 
children,  of  whom  John  Bogers,  our  subject, 
was  the  eighth  in  order  of  birth.  The 
Stricklands  came  toDu  Page  County  in  1839, 
and  located  where  Mr.  Hesterman  now  re- 
sides. Ebenezer  removed  to  Iowa  in  1866, 
and  there  died.  John  B.  was  brought  up  to 
farming,  but  went  to  Chicago,  where  he 
worked  a  short  time.  In  August,  1847,  he 
married  Cirinthia  Barus,  born  in  Berkshire 
County,  Mass. ,  daughter  of  James  and  Tem- 
perance (Childs)  Barus,  who  came  West  in 
1840.  In  1848,  Mr.  Strickland  located  where 
he.  now  lives,  purchasing  120  acres  of  land, 
upon  which  there  were  no  improvements. 
His  wife  died  March,  1878.  March  4,  1880, 
he  married  Mrs.  Maria  Cavanaugh,  a  native 
of  Du  Page  County,  daughter  of  Patrick 
Mulnix,  who  was  an  early  settler.  Mr. 
Strickland  has  been  identified  with  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  for  thirty  years. 

SETH  WADHAMS,  general  business, 
Elmhurst,  President  of  the  Washington  Ice 
Company  of  Chicago,  is  a  resident  of  Elm- 
hurst and  has  been  identified  with  the  State 
since  1835.  He  was  born  October  29,  1812, 
in  Litchfield  County,  Conn.,  son  of  David 


172 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


Wadhams,  born  March  4,  1769,  and  died  in 
1829.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Phebe 
Collins,  who  bore  her  husband  sixteen  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  grew  to  maturity,  but  only 
four  of  whom  are  now  living — Phebe,  Mrs. 
Roswell  Carter,  of  Chicago;  Mortimer,  in 
Rochester,  N.  Y. ;  Carleton,  in  South  Bend, 
Ind;  and  our  subject,  Seth,  who  left  home 
at  the  age  of  nineteen  and  clerked  for  about 
three  years  in  dry  goods  store  at  Rochester) 
N.  Y., after  which  he  decided  to  cast  his  fort- 
unes with  the  then  wild  State  of  Illinois, 
and  came  first  to  Vandalia,  Fayet*e  County, 
but  did  not  remain  there  long,  coming,  in  July 
of  the  same  year,  to  Chicago,  which,  at  that 
time,  had  less  than  one  thousand  inhabitants; 
yet,  as  small  as  the  place  was,  Mr.  Wadhams 
grasped  the  idea  readily  that  Chicago  was 
destined  to  become  a  great  city.  Turned  his 
attention  at  whatever  he  could  do;  worked  in 
harvest  at  75  cents  per  day  and  boarded  him- 
self; afterward  clerked  for  Norton  &  Case  in 
Chicago,  and,  subsequently,  for  Ryerson  & 
Blakeley,  dealers  in  hardware.  While  in 
their  employ,  he  sold  the  first  piece  of  bar 
iron  ever  sold  in  Chicago.  Afterward,  he  look 
an  interest  in  foundry  and  machine  shop  with 


H.  P.  Moses,  and  remained  about  three  years, 
and  then  went  into  the  ice  business  in  Chicago, 
which  business  he  has  built  up  from  a  capital 
of  a  few  thousand,  until  it  now  has  become 
one  of  the  largest  in  the  city,  and.  in  fact,  in 
the  West.  In  1868,  he  began  improving  the 
place  he  now  owns,  which  is  called  "White 
Birch,"  and  it  is  one  of  the  most  desirable 
residences  in  the  State.  In  January,  1849, 
he  was  married  to  Elizabeth  McKenney,  a 
native  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  daughter  of  David 
McKenney.  Her  grandmother  was  a  Wal- 
cot.t,  which  was  one  of  the  old  and  substan- 
tial families  in  early  time.  She  died  sud- 
denly, at  her  home,  Sunday,  July  9,  1882, 
and  was  buried  in  Graceland  Cemetery.  Mr. 
Wadhams  has  no  children  living;  had  one 
child,  Dana  T. ,  which  died  aged  six  and  a 
half  years.  He  has  property  of  great  value 
in  Chicago,  and  is  yet  actively  engaged  in 
business.  Though  now  having  attained 
nearly  his  threescore  years  and  ten,  he  pos- 
sesses all  the  vigor  of  mind  and  body  that  is 
usually  seen  in  men  of  forty.  In  politics 
and  religion,  he  has  taken  but  little  interest, 
yet  he  was  the  first  Assessor  of  personal  prop- 
erty in  the  county. 


WINFIEKD  TOWNSHIP. 


G.  J.  ATCHERSON,  retired,  P.  O.  Turner, 
is  a  native  of  Rockingham,  Vt.  He  was  born 
in  the  year  1825,  and  was  raised  on  the  farm. 
He  received  a  limited  common-school  edu- 
cation. At  the  age  of  thirteen,  his  father 
died,  and  he  worked  with  his  brother  till  he 
became  of  age.  He  then  began  peddling, 
and  traveled  by  wagon  in  that  line  for  nine 
years,  selling  tinware  the  first  year,  and  dry 
goods  and  notions  thereafter.  He  then  came 
West  and  rented  a  farm  on  Salt  Creek,  Du 
Page  County,  111.,  and  the  next  year,  he 


moved  to  Turner  Junction  and  engaged  in 
buying  hides, 'furs  and  wool.  He  also  kept 
'  a  boarding  house,  and,  about  three  years  la- 
1  ler,  he  added  the  boot  and  shoe  business. 
About  1870,  he  began  dealing  exclusively  in 
hides  and  fur.  Since  the  spring  of  1881,  he 
has  retired  from  active  business.  Politi- 
cally, he  was  formerly  a  Free-Soiler,  and  Re- 
publican since  the  organization  of  the  party. 
He  has  held  the  office  of  Poor  Master,  and 
has  served  as  Supervisor  of  Winfield  Town- 
ship for  three  years.  In  1855,  he  married 


WINFIELD  TOWNSHIP. 


173 


Mrs.  Mary  Ann  Bolles,  formerly  Miss  Wea- 
ver, a  native  of  Kockingham,  Vt.  They  have 
no  children.  By  her  first  marriage  there 
were  three  children,  two  living—  Charles  E. 
Bolles,  now  living  in  Oak  Park,  111. ;  and  ; 
Delia  I.  Davis,  living  in  Windsor,  Vt. 

WILLIAM     ADAMSON,     deceased,    was 
born    in    Yorkshire,    England,    in    the   year 
1818.     He  lived  in  his  native  land  until  he 
was  twenty-five  years  of  age.     He  worked  at  • 
mining,  and  in  1841  married  Miss  Harriet 
Squires,    a  native  of   Yorkshire.     In    1843, 
they  came  to  America,  in  company  with  Mrs. 
Squires,  her  son  and  daughters,  and  bought 
a   farm  one  mile  south  of  Turner  and  lived 
there.     About  1860,    Mrs.   Squires   and  her 
son  went  to  Kansas,    where  she  died   soon 
after.     Mr.   Adamson  died    in  1876,  on  the 
farm,  and  Mrs.   Adamson  lived  there  until 
1879,   when  she  came   to  Turner.     By   the 
marriage  there  were  twelve  children,  of  whom  , 
three  are    living — William,   on   homestead;  ; 
Mrs.  Sarah  A.  Pernnl,  living  in  this  county;  , 
Mary  E. ,  at  home. 

JACOB  BARTSH,  farmer,  P.  O.  Geneva, 
is  a  native  of  Baden,  Germany,  He  was 
born  in  the  year  1812.  He  was  raised  a 
farmer,  and  received  a  common-school  edu- 
cation. In  1832,  he  came  to  America,  and 
first  stopped  at  Lithopolis,  Ohio,  and  worked 
at  a  hotel,  and  in  1834  he  went  to  New  Lan- 
caster, and  the  following  year  he  joined  a 
circus  and  traveled  with  them  for  four  years, 
and  then  hired  as  coachman  in  Cincinnati, 
and  lived  there  about  seven  years.  During 
the  latter  part  of  the  time,  he  kept  a  livery 
stable,  and  then  went  to  farming  in  Shelby 
County,  Ohio,  where  he  lived  a  number  of 
years.  He  then,  in  1850,  came  to  Du  Page 
County,  and  bought  eighty-five  acres  in  Win- 
field  Township,  finally  getting  230  acres. 
"While  in  Cincinnati,  he  married  Kagena  Har- 
mon, a  native  of  Alsace,  France.  She  died 


here  in  Du  Page  County,  and  was  buried  at 
Geneva.  They  had  nine  children,  of  whom 
four  are  living.  About  four  years  after  the 
death  of  his  first  wife,  he  married  Mrs.  Fogt. 
She  lived  in  Shelby  County,  Ohio.  They 
have  one  child,  Julia.  He  sold  his  farm  to 
his  son-in-law  and  moved  to  Geneva. 

HENRY  BRADLEY,  grain-dealer,  Turner, 
is  a  native  of  Berkshire  County,  Mass.  He 
was  born  in  the  year  1834,  and  is  seventh  of 
twelve  children  born  to  Ebenezer  and  Abi- 
gail (Sturges)  Bradley.  They  were  natives  of 
Massachusetts.  They  married  there,  and 
came  West  in  1847  and  settled  on  a  farm  lo- 
cated on  the  line  between  Du  Page  and  Kane 
Counties,  111.,  three  miles  west  of  Turner 
Junction,  where  they  now  live,  at  the  ad- 
vanced ages  of  eighty-seven  and  eighty-four 
respectively,  both  in  good  health,  body  and 
mind.  Our  subject  was  raised  on  the  farm, 
and  received  a  common-school  education.  At 
the  age  of  nineteen,  he  began  working  on  his 
own  account,  with  his  brothers  on  the  farm, 
and,  some  three  years  later,  he  engaged,  in 
partnership  with  Mr.  Fowler,  of  Batavia,  in 
the  lumber  business,  and  continued  in  the 
business  four  or  five  years,  and  soon  after 
came  to  Turner  Junction,  where  he  engaged 
in  the  grain  business  and  shipping  stock, 
which  he  has  continued  since.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican in  politics.  In  1859,  he  married 
Miss  Mary  Lathrop,  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts. By  the  marriage  there  are  four  chil- 
dren— Clarence,  Fannie,  Grace  and  David. 

DARIUS  BARTHOLOMEW,  farmer,  P. 
O.  Batavia,  is  a  native  of  Du  Page  County, 
111.  He  was  born  in  1844,  and  is  the  second 
of  five  children  born  to  Bishop  and  Almina 
Jones  Bartholomew,  who  are  spoken  of  else- 
where in  this  work.  Mr.  Bartholomew  was 
raised  on  the  farm  and  received  a  common- 
school  education.  In  August,  1862,  he  en- 
listed in  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Regi- 


174 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


ment  Illinois  Infantry,  Company  D,  and 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was 
with  the  command  at  the  battle  of  Besaca, 
Atlanta  campaign,  the  march  to  the  sea,  and 
the  other  engagements  of  the  regiment. 
From  the  army  he  returned  home  and  farmed 
the  home  farm  on  the  shares  until  1871, 
when  he  married  Miss  Hannah  E.  Lehman, 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  She  came  to  Du 
Page  County,  111.,  with  her  parents.  After 
the  marriage,  he  bought  and  occupied  his 
present  place,  which  contains  136  acres,  lo- 
cated three  miles  east  of  Batavia.  By  the 
marriage  there  are  two  children  — Arlind  E. 
and  Walton  H.  He  is  Kepublican  in  politics. 

THOMAS  BROWN,  farming,  P.  O.  Tur- 
ner, is  a  native  of  England.  He  was  born 
in  the  year  1812.  In  1831,  he  came  to 
America  and  located  in  Schenectady  County, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  worked  on  the  farm  until 
1842.  He  then  worked  a  year  in  Onondaga 
County.  In  1843,  he  came  West  by  the 
lakes.  He  first  stopped  a  few  weeks  at  Bata- 
via. He  then  bought  forty  acres  of  the  Gov- 
ernment here  in  Wintield  Township,  and 
rented  a  farm  adjoining,  and  he  has  farmed 
ever  since.  He  now  owns  110  acres,  located 
adjoining  the  village  of  Turner.  In  1834, 
he  married  Miss  Cornelia  M.  Van  Valken- 
burg,  a  native  of  New  York.  By  the  mar- 
riage there  have  been  seven  children,  of 
whom  three  are  living.  He  is  a  Republican. 
He  has  held  the  office  of  Highway  Commis- 
sioner. The  three  children  living  are  Will- 
iam H.,  mining  in  Montana;  Mary,  at  home; 
Mark,  on  a  cattle  ranch  in  Montana. 

D.  C.  BROWN,  farming,  P.  O.  Warren- 
ville,  is  a  native  of  Wayne  County,  N.  Y. 
He  was  born  in  the  year  1834,  and  is  the  eld- 
est of  nine  children  born  to  James  and  Annie 
(Crane)  Brown.  They  were  natives  of  New 
York,  and  married  there  January  10,  1833, 
and  came  West  in  the  fall  of  1836.  They 


came  by  team  and  lake,  and  made  a  claim  to 
the  present  place.  She  died  here  on  the  farm 
in  1858.  He  married  a  Mrs.  Scofield,  May 
9,  1858.  They  moved  to  Wheaton  in  1868, 
and  he  died  there  in  1879.  She  is  living 
there  at  present.  They  had  one  child, 
George  Brown.  Our  subject  has  always  lived 
on  the  old  homestead.  He  received  a  com- 
mon-school education,  and,  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen, he  took  the  management  of  the  farm, 
and,  in  1868,  he  bought  the  same.  In  1857, 
he  married  Miss  Louisa  Bean,  a  native  of 
Ohio.  They  have  four  children.  He  is  a 
Republican;  has  served  two  terms  as  Road 
Commissioner,  and  has  been  School  Director 
for  nearly  thirty  years.  He  owns  175  acres, 
located  three  miles  west  of  Warrenville. 

CAPT.  L.  B.  CHURCH,  retired,  Turner, 
is  a  native  of  Wyoming  County,  N.  Y.  He 
was  born  in  1833,  and  is  the  fifth  of  ten  chil- 
dren born  to  Lucas  B.  and  Betsy  (Patterson) 
Church,  the  latter  an  own  cousin  to  Mrs.  Bon- 
aparte. They  were  natives  of  Cayuga  County, 
N.  Y.,  and  Colerain,  Mass.  They  married  in 
New  York.  He  was  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business,  having  mills  on  the  Genesee.  and 
a  yard  in  Rochester.  The  mills  were  de- 
stroyed by  floods,  and,  in  1844,  the  family 
came  West  and  settled  in  McHenry  County, 
111., where  they  followed  farming  at  Crystal 
Lake,  where  he  died  in  1849.  She  died  there 
in  1878.  Our  subject  lived  at  home  until  he 
became  of  age.  He  then  began  as  agent  for 
the  stage  company  on  the  old  Galena  &  Chi- 
cago Railroad,  and  in  1857 .  he  became  the 
proprietor  of  the  Junction  House.  In  1862, 
he  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifth 
Regiment  Illinois  Infantry.  He  was  made 
First  Lieutenant,  Company  B,  and  served  six 
months  with  his  regiment  He  was  then  de- 
tailed upon  the  staff  of  Gen.  W.  T.  Ward,  of 
Kentucky,  and,  a  year  later,  was  ordered  to 
his  regiment,  and  again  detailed  on  the  staff 


WINFIELD  TOWNSHIP. 


175 


of  Gen.  E.  A.  Payne,  and,  a  year  later,  was 
detailed  on  the  staff  of  Gen.  Saul  Merideth, 
of  Indiana,  and,  five  months  later,  joined  his 
regiment,  being  promoted  to  Captain  of  his 
company,  joining  the  command  at  Roanoke, 
N.  C.  Returned  home  in  June,  1865.  He 
then  became  the  traveling  agent  of  the  Lake 
Shore  &  Michigan  Southern  Railroad  for  five 
years.  He  was  then  appointed  one  of  the 
Assistant  Supervisors  of  Illinois  in  the  Inter- 
nal Revenue  Department,  and,  about  six 
months  later,  was  relieved  and  appointed  In- 
ternal Revenue  Assessor  for  Montana,  where 
he  served  until  1873,  when  he  returned  home 
and  took  his  old  position  with  the  Lake  Shore 
&  Michigan  Railroad,  and,  three  years  later, 
he  was  made  General  Western  Passenger 
Agent  of  the  Hoosac  Tunnel  Line,  headquar- 
ters at  Chicago,  and  remained  with  them  un- 
til 1879,  when,  owing  to  ill  health,  he  had  to 
retire,  and  has  since  looked  chiefly  after  his 
health.  November  23,  1854,  he  married  Miss 
Clara  Haffey,  a  native  of  Schoharie  Coimty, 
N.  Y.  She  lived  at  Franklinville,  111.,  with 
her  parents.  He  is  Republican. 

JAMES  CONLEY,  farmer,  P.  O.  Turner, 
is  a  native  of  Tipperary  County,  Ireland. 
He  was  born  in  the  year  1822,  and  was 
brought  up  on  the  farm,  receiving  a  fair 
common-school  education.  In  1834,  his  par- 
ents came  to  America  and  settled  in  St. 
Lawrence  County,  N.  Y.  In  1839,  Mr. 
James  Conley  came  West  to  Illinois,  and  lo- 
cated with  his  brother  in  Livingston  County, 
where  he  worked  on  the  farm.  In  1843,  he 
married  Miss  Eliza  Sutter,  and,  the  next  year, 
came  to  Du  Page  County,  where  he  bought 
forty  acres  of  land  in  Winfield  Township, 
and  has  farmed  in  the  vicinity  ever  since. 
During  the  past  twelve  years,  he  has  also  con- 
ducted the  eating-stand  at  the  depot  in  Tur- 
ner. By  the  marriage  there  are  three  chil- 
dren. 


C.  M.  CLARK,  dealer  in  lumber  and  coal, 
Turner,  is  a  native  of  Canada.  He  was  born 
in  the  year  1830.  When  two  years  of  age, 
his  parents  removed  to  Syracuse,  N.  Y., 
where  he  was  raised.  He  received  a  com- 
mon-school education.  At  the  age  of  twenty, 
he  began  teaching  public  school  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Syracuse,  and  taught  for  five  or  six 
years.  In  1856,  he  came  West,  and  taught 
school  two  winters  in  Wisconsin.  He  then 
taught  four  winters  at  Gary's  Mills,  in  Du 
Page  County,  111.,  and  five  winters  at  Turner, 
after  which  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  and 
coal  business  at  Turner,  and  has  continued 
same  since.  In  1859,  he  married  Miss  Ar- 
villa,  daughter  of  the  Rev.  R.  Currier.  She 
was  born  in  New  Hampshire,  and  came  to 
Turner  with  her  parents.  She  died  in  1865. 
They  have  had  one  child,  viz.,  Charles  D. 
Clark,  now  attending  Wheaton  College.  In 
1867,  he  married  Miss  Amanda  E.  Williams. 
She  was  born  near  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  where, 
also,  she  was  married.  He  is  Republican  in 
his  politics.  He  has  served  as  Town  Clerk, 
Village  Trustee,  and  a  member  of  the  School 
Board  for  the  past  twelve  years,  and  has 
taken  an  active  interest  in  securing  efficiency 
to  the  school. 

JUDGE  THOMAS  DRUMMOND,  Win- 
field,  was  born  October  16,  1809,  at  Bristol 
Mills,  Lincoln  Co.,  Me.  His  father,  James 
Drummond,  descended  from  a  Scottish  line; 
was  a  sailor,  a  farmer,  and  for  many  years, 
a  legislator  of  his  State.  Young  Drum- 
mond took  his  course  through  the  common 
schools,  the  academies,  to  prepare  him  for 
college,  and,  at  his  majority  he  was  a  grad- 
uate of  Old  Bowdoin.  His  next  three  years 
were  spent  as  a  student  in  the  law  office  of 
T.  Dwight,  of  Philadelphia,  whose  father  was 
President  of  Yale  College.  He  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  1833,  and,  in  1835,  made  his 
professional  start  in  life  in  Galena,  111.,  and 


176 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


never  lost  sight  of  his  original  aim  in  life. 
He  soon  won  distinction  among  his  peers,  as 
the  sequel  showed.  His  law  practice  grew 
into  large  proportions,  and,  in  1850,  he  re 
ceived  substantial  proofs  of  the  public  esti- 
mation of  his  able  jurisprudence  by  being 
appointed  Judge  of  the  Northern  District 
Court  of  Illinois.  The  duties  and  responsi- 
bilities of  his  office  soon  multiplied  on  his 
hands,  in  proportion  as  the  country  increased 
in  wealth,  and  with  it  the  inevitable  rivalship 
of  growing  interests,  only  to  be  harmonized 
by  the  principles  of  general  law,  and  never, 
since  the  days  of  Moses,  the  great  law-giver, 
did  a  jurist  find  more  versatility,  more  com- 
plexity, and  more  fallow  ground  to  break, 
than  has  come  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Mr. 
Drummond  since  he  has  been  clothed  with  the 
ermine.  Since  December,  1869,  he  has  been 
Judge  of  the  Circuit  Court  of  the  United 
States  for  the  Seventh  Judicial  District,  em- 
braced in  the  States  of  Illinois,  Indiana  and 
Wisconsin.  His  rural  home,  near  Winfield, 
to  which  he  came  in  1868,  evinces  his  love 
for  domestic  life,  in  its  immunity  from  the 
turmoil  of  metropolitan  centers  like  Chicago. 
Here,  at  this  tranquil  retreat,  he  entertains 
his  coterie  of  friends  who  visit  him  and  en- 
joy his  pleasant  surroundings  at  the  same 
time.  He  has  a  large  family,  two  of  whom 
have  died — his  daughter,  Annie  E. ,  in  1869, 
and  his  wife  in  1874.  To  his  neighbors  he 
is  plain  Mr.  Drummond  at  home,  and  in  his 
official  capacity,  when  they  uncover  their 
heads  before  His  Honor,  it  is  done  with  all 
the  more  genuine  respect. 

JOHN  FAIRBANKS,  deceased,  Turner,  is 
a  native  of  England.  He  was  born  in  the 
year  1806,  and  came  to  America  with  his  par- 
ents. They  settled  in  Wyoming  County,  N. 
Y.  His  father  was  a  clothier,  and  John 
learned  the  same  trade.  WThen  he  was  about 
twenty-five  years  of  age,  he  went  to  Erie 


Co.,  N.  Y. ,  and  conducted  a  woolen  factory 
in  Amherst,  now  Cheektowaga,  N.  Y.  While 
here,  he  married,  in  May,  1838,  Miss  Pame- 
lia  Levens.  She  was  a  native  of  Erie  County, 
N.  Y.  After  the  marriage,  they  came  to  Illi- 
nois and  settled  on  a  claim  he  had  bought  in 
the  previous  year,  in  what  is  now  Winfield 
Township,  Du  Page  County,  where  he  lived 
until  his  death,  on  January  11,  1879.  He 
was  a  Republican,  and  served  as  Supervisor 
of  his  township  a  number  of  years.  They 
had  six  children,  of  whom  three  are  living — 
Mrs.  Almina  Chatfield,  of  Turner;  Judson 
Fairbanks,  on  the  old  homestead;  and  Nellie 
Fairbanks,  at  home.  Mrs.  Fairbanks  lives 
in  Turner. 

JAMES  FAIRBANK,  farming,  P.  O. 
Turner,  is  a  native  of  Yorkshire,  England. 
He  was  born  in  the  year  1814,  and  is  the 
seventh  of  nine  children  born  to  Francis  and 
Jennie  Shaw  Fairbanks.  They  were  natives 
of  England.  They  married  there;  also  all 
the  children  were  born  there.  He  was  a 
manufacturer  of  woolen  goods.  About  the 
year  1820,  they  came  to  America,  and  located 
in  Genesee  County,  N.  Y. ,  where  they  farmed 
until  their  death,  he  in  1847,  and  she  some 
four  or  five  years  later.  John  Fairbanks,  the 
eldest  son  of  Francis,  manufactured  woolen 
goods  in  New  York  until  1837,  when  he  and 
his  brother  James  started  by  teams  for  the 
West.  They  proceeded  as  far  as  Erie,  Penn., 
when,  owing  to  the  roads,  James  took  the 
wagons,  etc. ,  and  went  to  Chicago  by  boat, 
John  going  through  on  horseback,  they  meet- 
ing at  Warrenville,  111.  John  bought  a  claim 
about  three  miles  northwest  of  Warrenville, 
and  lived  there  until  his  death.  James 
worked  by  the  month  at  farming  for  a  few 
years,  and  then  worked  at  carpenter  work  for 
a  number  of  years.  He  also  bought  a  claim 
to  his  present  place,  and  has  lived  on  the 
same  since.  In  1839  he  married  Miss  Maria 


WINFIELD  TOWNSHIP. 


177 


Blackman,  a  native  of  Erie  County,  N.  Y. 
She  died  a  f  uw  months  after  the  marriage. 
He  married  Miss  Eleeta  Chandler,  a  native 
of  Genesee  County,  N.  Y.  She  came  to  Du 
Page  County,  111.,  with  her  parents  in  1836. 
By  the  marriage  there  were  two  children,  of 
whom  one  is  living,  Allen  H.  He  was 
Democratic  in  his  politics  in  early  days,  then 
Abolitionist,  and  has  voted  Republican  since 
the  organization  of  the  party.  He  owns  220 
acres,  located  three  miles  south  of  Turner. 

GEORGE  FEHRMAN,  of  George  Fehr- 
man  &  Son,  Winfield,  is  a  native  of  Hanover, 
Germany.  He  was  born  in  the  year  1822. 
He  was  raised  a  farmer,  and,  at  the  age  of 
fifteen,  he  apprenticed  to  the  tailor's  trade, 
and  served  four  years,  and  worked  some  five 
years  as  a  journeyman.  In  1849,  he  came  to 
America,  and  first  stopped  at  Dunkle's  Grove, 
now  Addison  Township,  Du  Page  Co. ,  111. , 
where  he  worked  at  his  trade  one  year,  and 
then  opened  out  for  himself  at  Addison  Vil- 
lage, and,  pome  two  or  three  years  later,  he 
added  general  merchandise,  and  continued 
the  business  until  1865,  when  he  sold  out  and 
lived  three  years  in  Chicago  and  conducted 
a  produce  commission  business.  He  then 
went  to  Lombard,  in  Du  Page  County,  where 
he  conducted  general  store  until  1871,  when 
he  went  to  Bloomingdale  Township  and 
farmed  three  years.  He  then  rented  his  farm 
and  came  to  Winfield,  and,  two  years  later, 
he  and  his  son  William  opened  the  present 
store.  In  1853,  he  married  Miss  Catharine 
Oehman,  a  native  of  Germany.  She  died  in 
1870.  By  the  marriage  there  were  seven 
children,  six  of  whom  are  living.  In  1876, 
he  married  Mrs.  Kerch. 

JOHN  M.  FAESSLER,  retired,  Turner, 
is  a  native  of  Baden,  Germany.  He  was  born 
in  the  year  1828,  June  11.  His  father,  also 
his  grandfather,  were  carpenters,  and  he 
learned  the  same  trade,  and,  at  the  age  of 


twenty,  came  to  America.  He  worked  one 
year  in  New  York  City,  and  then  went  to 
Portsmouth,  Ohio,  where  he  worked  for  about 
four  years.  In  the  fall  of  1854,  came  to 
Turner,  111.,  and  bought  a  farm,  two  and  a 
half  miles  west  of  the  town,  where  he  farmed 
until  1869,  when  he  removed  to  Turner,  where 
he  has  lived  since.  In  1852,  he  married,  at 
Portsmouth,  Ohio,  Miss  Mary  Walter,  a  na- 
tive of  Germany.  She  came  to  America  two 
years  after  he  did.  They  were  acquainted  in 
the  old  country.  They  had  five  children,  of 
whom  but  one  is  living,  Charles  F.  M.  Faes- 
sler.  The  four  deceased  all  died  within  one 
week,  by  the  scarlet  fever.  He  is  Repub- 
lican in  his  politics.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Evangelical  Association,-  and  is  one  of  the 
pioneer  members  of  the  St.  Michael's  Church 
of  that  denomination  in  Turner.  Mrs.  Faes- 
sler  is  also  a  member  of  the  church.  Dur- 
ing his  residence  in  Turner,  Mr.  Faessler 
has  farmed  his  place  by  a  tenant. 

SEBA  FRENCH,  farmer,  P.  O.  Warren- 
ville,  is  a  native  of  Painesville,  Lake  Co., 
Ohio.  He  was  born  in  the  year  1819,  and 
was  raised  on  a  farm.  He  received  a  limited 
common-school  education.  His  father  was 
a  clothier  by  trade,  though,  in  later  years, 
followed  farming.  He  also  conducted  a  ^aw- 
mill.  Our  subject  worked  on  the  farm,  and, 
in  1842,  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Clark,  a  na- 
tive of  New  York.  She  died  here  in  Illinois. 
They  had  three  children — Abigail  Peas,  liv- 
ing in  Wisconsin;  D.  C.  French,  living  in 
Boone  County,  111. ;  Lucy  R.  Brown,  living 
in  Parsons,  Kan.  In  1862,  he  married 
Miss  Harriet  Woodburn,  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire,  and  living  in  Lake  County,  Ohio, 
at  time  of  marriage.  They  have  one  child, 
Hattie  E.  In  February,  1854,  Mr.  French 
came  to  Illinois  and  bought  a  place  one  mile 
north  of  Naperville,  where  he  farmed  two 
years,  and  then  came  to  his  present  place, 


178 


BIOGRAPHICAL : 


which  contains  129  acres,  located  one  mile 
west  of  Warrenville.  He  is  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  and  has  served  as  Road  Commis- 
sioner one  term. 

JACOB  A.  GALUSHA,  retired  farmer, 
Warrenville,  is  a  native  of  Burlington,  Vt. 
He  was  born  in  the  year  1S03,  and  is  the 
second  of  ten  children  born  to  Ezra  and  Ma- 
bel Barney  Galusha.  Th«y  were  natives  of 
Connecticut  and  Vermont.  He  was  a  farmer, 
and,  when  a  young  man,  went  to  Vermont, 
where  he  married,  and,  in  1834,  they  came 
to  Illinois  and  located  on  a  claim  in  what  is 
now  Milton  Township,  Du  Page  Co.,  111.,  and 
lived  there  a  few  years,  and  lived  thereafter 
with  their  sou  until  their  death.  Our  sub- 
ject was  raised  on  the  farm.  He  received  a 
common-school  education.  On  becoming  of 
age,  he  began  on  his  own  account,  farming  a 
piece  of  land  he  had  bought,  and  upon  which 
the  family  lived.  In  1833,  he  came  West, 
over  the  canal  and  lakes,  and  made  a  claim 
to  his  present  place,  and,  the  next  year,  his 
father  sold  the  property  in  Vermont  and  came 
West  with  his  family  and  made  a  claim  ad- 
joining his  son's.  Mr.  Jacob  A.  Galusha 
was  married  to  Miss  Parmelia  K.  Foote,  of 
Kane  County,  111.  She  died  in  1870.  They 
had  three  children — Ezra  and  Edwin,  farm- 
ing the  old  homestead;  and  Mrs.  Cora  Han- 
cock, of  Chicago.  In  1872,  he  married  Mrs. 
Bisbee,  formerly  Annie  Jayne,  a  native  of 
Susquehanna  County,  Penn.  She  came  to 
Du  Page  County,  111.,  in  1864.  By  the  first 
marriage,  she  had  three  children — Alonzo  and 
Albert,  farming  in  Nebraska;  and  Mrs.  Net- 
tie Henderson,  living  in  Reedsburg,  Wis. 
He  is  Republican  in  his  politics,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Universalist  Church  since  he  was 
a  young  man. 

JUDE  P.  GARY,  deceased,  was  a  native 
of  Pomfret,  Windom  Co.,  Conn.  He  was 
born  February  3, 1811,  and  was  one  of  the  pio- 


neers of  Du  Page  County,  111. ,  where  he  set- 
tled in  the  year  1832,  making  a  claim  near 
the  present  village  of  Warrenville,  fuller  par- 
ticulars of  which  are  given  in  another  part 
of  this  work.  In  1851,  he  married  Miss 
Margaret  L.,  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Kim- 
ball,  who  is  spoken  of  elsewhere  in  this  work. 
She  died  July  25,  1862.  By  the  marriage 

!  there  were  eight  children — George  P.,  Lucy 
M. ,  Leora  M. ,  Jude  F. ,  Lovisa  J. ,  Edwin  A. , 

,  Laura  E.  and  William  S.  In  1863,  Mr. 
Gary  married  Mrs.  Dr.  Rose,  formerly  Miss 
L.  M.  Sherwood,  a  native  of  Chenango  County, 

i  N.  Y.,born  April  28,  1827.  by  which  marriage 
there  were  born  four  children,  three  of  whom 
are  living — Eben  S.  Gary,  Lewis  E.  Gary  and 
Charles  L.  Gary.  By  her  first  marriage,  Mrs. 
Gary  had  one  child,  Mrs.  Mary  Rose  Wilson. 
Mr.  Gary  died  May  11,  1881.  Mrs.  Gary  is 
living  on  the  old  homestead  near  Warrenville. 
C.  W.  GARY,  hardware,  tinware  and  agri- 
cultural implements,  Turner  Junction,  is  a 
native  of  Du  Page  County,  111.,  and  is  the 
youngest  son  of  Charles  Gary.  He  was  born 
on  his  father's  farm,  located  two  miles  south 
of  Turner,  in  the  year  1844.  He  received  a 
common -school  education.  At  the  age  of 
twenty,  he  began  farming  on  his  own  account, 
farming  the  home  farm  on  the  shares,  and, 
on  becoming  of  age,  his  father  deeded  him 
100  acres,  and,  after  his  father's  death,  he 
bought  out  the  heirs,  and  now  owns  the  home 
farm  of  250  acres.  In  1877,  he  bought  the 
hardware  business  of  J.  W.  Gates  &  Co., 
and  has  conducted  the  business  since.  He  is 
Republican  in  politics,  and  has  held  the  office 
of  Supervisor  for  two  years.  In  1864,  he 
married  Miss  Maria  Pierce,  a  native  of  Du 
Page  County.  She  died  in  1873,  leaving 
three  children — Charles  E. ,  Mary  Nettie  and 
Ella  M.  In  1874,  he  married  Miss  Mary 
Baker,  native  of  the  State  of  Ohio,  near  Cleve- 
land. Her  parents  died  when  she  was  a 


WINFIELD  TOWNSHIP. 


1H1 


child,  and  she  made  her  home  with  her  un- 
cle, at  St.  Charles,  111.  They  have  one  child, 
Lula. 

G.  W.  GUILD,  farming,  P.  O.  Warren- 
ville,  is  a  native  of  Huntingdon  County,  N. 
J.  He  was  born  in  the  year  1837,  and  is  the 
eldest  of  eleven  children  born  to  A.  E.  and 
Suzan  A.  Warne  Guild.  They  were  natives 
of  New  Jersey  and  now  live  in  Cook  County, 
111.  In  1839,  they  moved  to  Fulton  County, 
111.,  and,  about  1843,  moved  to  Sugar  Grove, 
Kane  County,  and  thence  to  Cook  County. 
Our  subject  lived  at  home  until  he  was  about 
twenty  years  of  age.  He  received  a  common- 
school  education,  attending  the  Wheaton 
College  for  two  years.  In  1857,  he  came  to 
Du  Page  County,  and  worked  on  the  farm  of 
Mr.  John  Warne,  and,  the  next  year,  rented 
the  place,  and  farmed  it  several  years.  He 
then  bought  the  present  place  where  he  now 
resides,  and,  in  1881,  he  bought  the  adjoin- 
ing place,  now  owning  220  acres,  located  one 
mile  west  of  Warrenville.  In  1858,  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Abbie  E.  Warne,  a  native  of  Du 
Page  County,  111.,  daughter  of  John  Warne, 
Esq.  By  the  marriage  there  is  one  child — 
John  W. — and  an  adopted  daughter,  Augusta 
Guild.  He  is  Republican  in  politics. 

FRANK  J.  HAGEMAN,  farming,  P.  O. 
Winfield,  is  a  native  of  Du  Page  County,  111. 
He  was  born  on  his  father's  farm,  in  Win- 
field  Township,  in  the  year  1852,  and  is 
fourth  of  five  children  born  to  Frederick  and 
Margaret  Snyder  Hageman.  They  were  na 
tives  of  Germany.  Frederick  Hageman  came 
to  America  with  his  parents  when  a  young 
man,  and  she  with  her  parents  when  seven 
years  old.  On  the  way  over,  his  mother  and 
brother  were  drowned.  He  and  his  father 
went  to  Chicago.  His  father  was  a  physician, 
and  practiced  in  Chicago.  Frederick  studied 
medicine  in  Germany,  and  got  his  diploma 
in  the  Rush  Medical  College,  Chicago,  and 


also  practiced  in  that  city.  He  first  ran  on 
the  lakes,  and  made  headquarters  at  Buffalo, 
where  he  married.  His  father  died  in  Chi- 
cago. Frederick  came  to  Du  Page  County 
about  1850,  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Winfield 
Township.  He  bought  first  forty  acres,  and 
added  to  it  until  he  had  325  acres.  Shortly 
after  coming  here,  he  retired  to  Wheaton, 
and  lived  there  at  the  time  of  his  death.  Mrs. 
Hageman  is  living  there  at  present.  While 
in  Chicago,  he  served  as  City  Physician  and 
Alderman.  Frank  J.  was  raised  in  Wheaton. 
He  received  a  course  of  study  in  Wheaton 
College,  and  learned  the  painter's  trade, 
which  he  followed  about  five  years.  August 
11,  1877,  he  married  Miss  Emma  Batchelor, 
a  native  of  Du  Page  County,  111.  They  have 
three  children — Lucy,  George  and  Frank. 
After  the  marriage,  he  came  on  the  old  home- 
stead farm,  and  has  farmed  it  since. 

MATHIAS  HILLS,  general  store,  Win- 
field,  is  a  native  of  Prussia.  He  wfis  born  in 
the  year  1831.  He  was  raised  a  farmer.  He 
received  a  common-school  education.  In 
1854,  he  caine  to  America,  and  stopped  a  few 
months  in  Michigan,  and  thence  to  Chicago, 
and,  after  a  few  months  of  sickness,  he  went 

i  to  Lake  County,  111.,  and  dealt  in  stock  for 
two  years.  He  then  rented  a  farm  and 
farmed  for  about  six  or  seven  years,  and  next 
went  to  Cook  County  and  opened  a  butcher 
shop  at  West  Wheeling,  now  Arlington 
Heights.  He  remained  there  three  years. 
He  then  came  to  Winfield  and  engaged  in 
his  present  business,  and  has  continued  since. 
He  is  Democratic  in  politics;  has  served  as 
Postmaster  of  Winfield  for  about  four  years. 

!  He  also  served  as  agent  for  the  American  Ex- 
press Company  for  six  years,  and  station  agent 
for  the  North-Western  Railway  Company  at 

j  Winfield  for  three  years,  and  Collector  of 
township  for  one  year.  In  1855,  he  married 
Miss  Barbara  Nilles,  a  native  of  Prussia. 


183 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


They  had  seven  children,  five  living — Jacob 
P.,  Toony,  Mary,  Eva,  Katie. 

M.  W.  HAWKS,  carpenter,  Turner,  is  a 
native  of  Goshen,  Hampshire  Co  ,  Mass.  He 
•was  born  in  the  year  1817.  When  he  was 
fourteen  years  of  age,  he  apprenticed  to  the 
carpenter's  trade,  and  served  until  he  became 
of  age,  after  which  he  worked  transient  as  a 
journeyman,  at  Amherst,  on  the  college.  He 
also  traveled  three  years  in  Canada.  While 
there,  he  married  Miss  Julia  Wait.  She  died 
in  July,  1876.  From  Canada  he  came  to 
Chicago,  where  he  lived  until  February, 
1846,  when  he  came  to  W  infield  Township, 
Du  Page  Co.,  111.,  whore  his  brother-in-law 
lived,  and  bought  a  small  place  and  fanned 
the  same  in  connection  with  his  trade  as  car- 
penter, and  lived  there  until  a  few  years  ago, 
when  he  moved  to  his  present  place,  in  the 
village  of  Turner.  By  his  marriage  there 
were  seven  children,  of  whom  four  are  living 
— Mary  Church,  resides  near  Milwaukee; 
Cloye  Jones,  resides  in  Beatrice,  Neb. ;  Arthur 
Hawk,  telegraph  operator  ;  Clifford  Hawk, 
engineer  on  North- Western  Railway.  Sep- 
tember 16, 1877,  he  married  Hannah  Akers,  a 
native  of  Fulton  County,  Penn.  She  resided 
in  Wheaton  at  the  time  of  her  marriage.  He 
is  Republican  in  politics;  was  Whig,  anti- 
slavery.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church. 

NEWTON  HAWKS,  farming,  P.  O.  Tnr- 
ner,  is  a  native  of  Goshen,  Hampshire  Co. , 
Mass.  He  was  born  in  the  year  1819.  His 
father  was  a  physician,  and  died  when  New- 
ton was  young,  and  our  subject  was  raised  in 
the  village  until  he  was  eleven  years  of  age. 
He  then  went  on  the  farm,  living  with  a  rel- 
ative until  he  became  of  age.  He  then 
worked  one  year  in  a  saw-mill,  and  six  years 
in  a  flower  garden  at  North  Hampton.  He 
then,  in  1847,  came  West  and  worked  at  the 
carpenter  business  in  Chicago  for  one  year, 


when  he  came  to  Du  Page  County  and  bought 
his  present  place,  though  he  rented  for  two 
years  before  he  occupied  his  place,  and  has 
lived  here  ever  since.  In  1858,  he  married 
Miss  Jane  Wood,  a  native  of  Vermont.  She 
came  to  Du  Page  County,  111.,  with  her  par- 
ents about  1854.  They  have  three  children 
— Wilbur  D.,  Louisa  C.  and  Theron  B.  Mr. 
Hawks  is  Republican  in  politics.  He  has 
served  in  the  school  offices,  and  as  Road 
i  Commissioner.  He  owns  eighty  acres,  locat- 
ed one  and  a  fourth  miles  southwest  of  Tur- 
ner. 

BENJAMIN  HOWARTH,  livery,  feed  and 
sale,  Turner,  is  a  native  of  New  York.  He  was 
born  in  Auburn,  N.  Y. ,  in  the  year  1843,  and 
is  the  fourth  of  six  children  born  to  Sanders 
and  Mary  Peacock  Howarth.  They  were  na- 
tives of  England.  They  married  there,  and 
moved  to  New  York  soon  after,  and  in  1844, 
they  moved  to  St.  Charles,  Kane  Co.,  111., 
and  in  1846,  settled  in  Milton  Township,  two 
miles  north  of  Wheaton,  where  they  carried 
on  farming.  He  died  there  in  1879.  She  is 
livtng  with  her  daughter,  in  Wayne  Town- 
ship. Our  subject  was  raised  on  the  farm. 
About  1868,  he  farmed  the  home  farm  on  the 
shares,  and,  in  1875,  went  to  Kane  County, 
where  he  farmed  one  year;  he  then  moved 
on  a  farm  two  miles  south  of  Wheaton,  and, 
in  1878,  came  to  Turner  and  engaged  in  his 
present  business.  In  1875,  he  married  Miss 
Emma  Vandervolgin,  a  native  of  New  York. 
He  is  Republican  in  politics. 

WILLIAM  J.  HOLLISTER,  farmer,  P. 
O.  Batavia,  is  a  native  of  Berkshire  County, 
Mass.  He  was  born  in  the  year  1840,  and  is 
the  youngest  of  five  children  born  to  G.  J.  and 
A.  M.  Fuller  Hollister  They  were  natives 
of  Massachusetts  and  Vermont  He  was  a 
wollen-manufacturer.  In  1846,  they  came 
West,  and  bought  a  place  lying  on  both  sides 
of  the  county  line  of  Du  Page  -and  Kane 


WINFIBLD  TOWNSHIP. 


183 


Counties,  where  he  fanned  until  his  death,  in 
1880.  Mrs.  Hollister  died  in  1875.  Our 
subject  was  raised  on  the  farm.  He  received 
an  academic  course  of  study  at  the  academy 
in  Batavia.  In  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-fourth  Eegiment  Illi- 
nois Infantry,  Company  B,  and  was  in  the 
service  three  years.  The  first  year,  he  served 
as  Clerk  in  the  Commissary  Department. 
He  was  in  the  siege  and  capture  of  Vicks- 
burg,  siege  and  capture  of  Mobile,  and  the 
other  engagements  of  the  regiment.  He  re- 
turned home  from  the  army,  and,  in  1866,  he 
married  Miss  Ella  Carpenter,  a  daughter  of 
A.  E.  Carpenter,  an  old  pioneer  of  Du  Page 
County,  now  resident  in  Aurora,  111.  He 
lived  on  the  old  homestead  the  first  year  after 
he  was  married,  and  then  came  to  his  present 
place,  where  he  has  lived  since.  By  the  mar- 
riage there  are  three  children — Bertha  M., 
Freddie  A.  and  Robie  C.  He  is  Eepublican. 
Owns  150  acres  located  in  Du  Page  and  Kane 
Counties. 

A.  H.  JONES,  farmer,  P.  O.  Turner,  is  a 
native  of  White  Hall,  Washington  Co.,  N. 
Y.  He  was  born  in  the  year  1824,  and  is 
the  second  of  eleven  children  born  to  Cornel- 
ius and  Fannie  M.  Wilson  Jones.  They 
were  natives  of  Washington  County,  N.  Y. 
They  married  there  and,  a  few  years  after, 
moved  to  Providence,  R.  I.,  and,  in  company 
with  Mr.  Jerry  Breede,  owned  and  conducted 
a  canal  boat  for  three  years.  He  then  re- 
turned to  his  native  county  in  New  York  and 
farmed  until  1835,  when  he  and  Reuben  Jones, 
a  son  of  his  half-brother,  with  their  families, 
came  West  by  teams  to  Illinois,  and  settled 
on  the  east  side  of  the  Big  Wroods,  in  what  is 
now  Naperville  Township,  Du  Page  County, 
where  they  bought  claims  and  occupied  and 
improved  the  same.  In  1850,  Mr.  Jones  went 
overland  with  two  of  his  sons,  Franklin  and 
Hiram,  to  California,  where  he  mined  on  the 


Yuba  River  for  about  three  years.  He  then 
came  home  and  sold  out  and  moved  to  Iowa, 
where  he  lived  for  four  years,  when  he  re- 
turned to  a  place  he  bought  in  Winfield 
Township,  where  he  lived  until  1875,  when 
they  moved  to  Batavia,  where  they  now  live, 
both  of  whom  have  passed  the  age  of  eighty. 
Our  subject  lived  at  home  until  the  year  1847, 
when  he  married  Miss  Susan  Warne,  a  native 
of  New  Jersey.  She  came  to  Du  Page  County, 
111.,  with  her  parents,  in  1834.  After  the* 
marriage,  they  occupied  a  part  of  his  father's 
farm,  where  he  farmed  until  1852,  when  he 
went  overland  by  team  to  California,  and 
mined  one  year,  and  farmed  two  years  in 
Santa  Clara  Valley.  He  then  returned  home, 
and,  soon  after,  bought  and  occupied  his 
present  place,  where  he  has  since  lived.  By 
the  marriage  there  are  five  children,  all 
daughters — Sarah  M.  Del  ana,  farming  in 
Linn  County,  Iowa;  Emma  E.  Hodges,  of 
Turner,  111. ;  Mary  Hummel,  farming  in  Ne- 
braska; Carrie,  at  home;  Josephine,  at  home. 
Mr.  Jones  is  Republican.  He  owns  160 
acres,  located  two  and  a  half  miles  northwest 
of  Turner. 

J.  J.  KAUTZ,  farming,  P.  O.  Turner,  is  a 
native  of  Baden,  Germany.  He  was  born  in 
the  year  1828.  He  was  raised  on  the  farm. 
He  received  a  common-school  education,  and, 
at  the  age  of  twenty,  he  entered  the  army, 
and  was  engaged  in  the  war  or  rebellion 
against  Prussia.  In  1849,  he  came  to  Amer- 
ica, and  stopped  in  Erie  Coun'y  N.  Y.,  where 
he  worked  at  farming  and  lumbering  for 
about  two  years,  when  he  came  to  Illinois  and 
located  at  Turner,  where  he  had  relatives. 
He  worked  at  gardening,  and,  the  following 
spring,  his  parents,  Christian  and  MaryPfei- 
fer  Kautz,  came  and  bought,  a  farm  in  Win- 
field  Township,  Du  Page  County,  where  they 
lived  until  their  death.  J.  J.  Kautz  worked 
on  the  Galena  &  Chicago  Railroad,  he  being 


184 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


foreman  of  a  gang  of  laborers,  and,  the  next 
winter,  went  to  live  with  his  parents,  and  has 
lived  on  the  farm  since,  he  buying  out  the  ! 
heirs  after  their  death.  He  married,  in  1856? 
Miss  Saloma  Hansel,  a  native  of  Germany. 
She  came  to  America  with  his  parents  in 
1852.  They  had  nine  children,  of  whom 
three  are  living — Christian,  farmer  in  Kane 
County;  Charles,  at  home;  Louisa,  at  home. 
He  owns  208  acres,  located  on  county  line, 
three  miles  west  of  Turner. 

MARTIN  KAUTZ,  farming,  P.  O.  Geneva, 
is  a  native  of  Baden,  Germany.  He  was  born 
in  the  year  1829.  He  was  raised  on  the  farm 
and  received  a  common-school  education.  In 
May,  1855,  he  came  to  America  and  settled  in 
Turner,  111.,  where  he  had  relatives  living. 
He  then  worked  as  a  helper  to  a  mason  in 
Geneva,  and  then  rented  one  of  his  present 
places  for  four  years,  and  then  bought  the 
place,  and  has.  lived  there  since.  He  now 
owns  223  acres,  located  on  the  line,  three 
miles  west  of  Turner.  In  1855,  he  married 
Miss  Barbara  Hawk,  a  native  of  Baden,  Ger- 
many. She  came  to  America  on  the  same 
vessel  he  did,  and  also  came  to  this  county 
with  him;  they  were  married  a  few  months 
later.  They  have  seven  children — Carrie 
Wolf,  farming  in  Kansas;  Mary,  Martin,  Jr., 
Jacob,  Frederick,  Barbara,  Christina.  He 
has  earned  all  his  property. 

EDWAKD  LAMBB,  milling,  Warrenville, 
is  a  native  of  Yorkshire,  England;  he  was 
born  in  the  year  1831;  he  received  a  common- 
school  education,  and,  at  the  age  of  fifteen, 
began  clerking  in  a  railroad  office,  where  he 
continued  about  three  and  a  half  years.  In 
1850,  he  came  to  America  with  his  parents, 
William  and  Mary  Watson  Lambe;  they  were 
natives  of  Yorkshire;  they  settled  on  a  farm 
in  Du  Page  County,  111.,  where  the  family 
lived  till  1857,  when  Mr.  Edward  Lambe 
bought  the  mill  in  company  with  Mr.  Victor 


Fredenhagen,  and  the  family  moved  10  War- 
renville, where  Mrs.  Lambe  died  a  few  years 
later.  In  1862,  Mr.  Lambe  sold  one-half  his 
interest  in  the  mill  and  moved  to  a  farm  in 
Downer's  Grove,  where  he  farmed  for  eleven 
years,  during  which  time  his  father  died.  In 
1873,  he  returned  and  bought  Mr.  Freden- 
hagen'a  one-fourth  interest  in.  the  mill,  giv- 
ing him  then  one-half  interest,  and,  a  few 
years  later,  he  became  the  sole  proprietor. 
August  11,  1879,  the  mill  was  destroyed  by 
fire,  and  was  rebuilt,  on  a  more  extensive 
plan  and  improved  pattern.  In  1855,  he 
married  Miss  Sofa  Fredenhagen,  a  native  of 
Germany;  they  have  four  children — William 
Victor,  Paul  Edward,  Mary  L.  and  Carrie 
A.  Both  the  sons  are  engaged  in  the  mill. 

J.  E.  LEHMAN,  farmer,  P.  O.  Batavia,  is 
a  native  of  Lee  County,  111. ;  he  was  born  in 
the  year  1847,  and  is  the  second  of  three  chil- 
dren born  to  Samuel  and  Mrs.Foutz  Lehman. 
Our  subject  was  raised  on  the  farm  in  Lee 
County,  111.,  until  he  was  ten  years  of  age, 
when  the  family  moved  to  Warrenville,  111., 
where  our  subject  lived  until  1871,  when  he 
came  to  his  present  place,  and  has  lived  here 
since.  In  1873,  he  married  Miss  Emma 
Pratt,  a  native  of  Du  Page  County,  111.  By 
the  marriage  there  are  three  children — Wil- 
ton, Delia  and  Luke.  He  owns  130  acres  lo- 
cated two  and  a  half  miles  southwest  of  Tur- 
ner. 

JAMES  W.  McKEE,  farmer,  P.  O.  War- 
renville, is  a  native  of  Du  Page  County,  111. ; 
he  was  born  in  the  year  1840,  and  is  the  sec- 
ond of  three  children  born  to  David  McKee 
and  his  second  wife,  Sarah  Ward.  David 
McKee  (deceased)  was  a  native  of  Loudoun 
County,  Va. ;  he  was  born  December  2,  1800 ; 
his  parents  were  John  F.  and  Jane  Marple 
McKee,  of  Scotland;  they  settled  in  Virginia, 
from  which  State  they  went  to  Pennsylvania, 
and,  in  1813,  they  went  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 


WIXFIELD   TOWNSHIP. 


185 


where  David  learned  the  trade  of  blacksmith- 
ing.  In  1821,  he  made  a  trip  to  New  Or- 
leans, on  the  City  of  Washington,  and,  in 
1822,  he  was  appointed  to  do  blaeksmithing 
for  the  Indians  at  Chicago,  where  he  worked 
for  eight  years;  he  then  carried  mail  for  a 
year  between  Chicago  and  Fort  "Wayne;  served 
with  Capt.  Bordman  in  the  Black  Hawk  war, 
and  then  hired  to  the  Government  again.  lu 
1836,  he  located  on  a  farm  at  the  forks  of  the 
Du  Page  River,  and  kept  a  blacksmith  shop 
there  for  a  number  of  years;  from  there  he 
moved  on  a  farm  in  Winfield  Township,  Du 
Page  County,  where  he  lived  to  within  a  few 
years  of  his  death,  which  occurred  near  Au- 
rora, 111.,  April  8,  1881.  Mr.  McKee  was 
twice  married— first,  to  Miss  Wealthy  Scott, 
a  sister  of  Willard  Scott,  Esq.,  of  Naper- 
ville,  111. :  two  children  were  born — Stephen 
and  Josephus;  the  latter  died  when  he  was 
young.  Stephen  served  four  years  in  the 
army  during  the  rebellion,  after  which  he  re- 
moved to  Nebraska,  where  he  died.  The 
second  wife  was  Miss  Sarah  Ward,  a  native 
of  New  York;  they  had  three  children — Mrs. 
Wealthy  Bicknell,  of  Cedar  Springs,  Mich. ; 
Miss  Carrie  A.  Fisher,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and 
James  W.  McKee,  living  here  on  the  old 
homestead,  where  he  was  born.  November 
28,  1860,  he  married  Miss  Frances  L.  Bird, 
of  Winnebago  County,  111. 

WILLIAM  A.  MACAULEY,  farmer,  P 
O.  Turner,  is  a  native  of  St.  Lawrence  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y.;  he  was  born  September  21,  1823, 
and  is  the  second  of  ten  children  born  to 
George  and  Mary  Miller  Macauley;  they  were 
natives  of  Ireland  and  New  York  City,  she 
being  of  Scotch  descent.  He  came  to  America 
when  a  young  man;  he  had  been  educated  as 
a  Presbyterian  minister;  his  father  was  a 
successful  merchant  of  Dublin,  and  placed 
his  son  in  circumstances  that  he  was  not  re- 
quired to  follow  the  ministry,  and  did  not. 


George  Macauley  married  in  New  York  City, 
and  came  to  Illinois  in  the  summer  of  1841, 
and  occupied  a  claim  he  had  bought  of  Mr. 
Town,  which  was  located  in  what  is  now 
Winfield  Township,  Du  Page  County,  and 
lived  on  the  place  until  his  death.  Mrs. 
Macauley  died  about  two  years  previous  to 
her  husband.  Our  subject  was  raised  on  the 
farm;  he  received  a  common-school  educa- 
tion. In  1841,  he  and  his  brother  Walter  M. 
drove  a  team  to  the  present  place.  In  1864, 
he  married  Miss  Anna  Whitmer,  a  native  of 
Niagara  County,  N.  Y. ,  where  she  lived  when 
married,  she  being  engaged  as  a  school 
teacher.  They  have  three  children — Will- 
iam L. ,  David  W.  and  Mary  F.  In  1849,  Mr. 
Macauley  went  to  California  overland  with 
cattle,  being  seven  months  on  the  trip;  he 
lived  there  three  years;  he  followed  mining 
one  year,  and  conducted  a  grocery  and 
butcher  shop  for  about  two  years;  he  then 
returned  and  kept  a  general  store  in  Elgin 
for  about  seven  years,  when  he  came  to  the 
old  homestead,  and,  except  three  years'  resi- 
dence in  Chicago,  has  lived  here  since. 

M.  W.  MURRAY,  farmer,  P.  O.  Winfield, 
is  a  native  of  Ireland;  he  was  born  in  the 
year  1823,  and  is  the  eldest  of  four  children 
born  to  John  and  Mary  Brenan  Murray;  he 
was  of  Scotch  descent  and  born  in  Ireland; 
he  married  in  his  native  land  and  came  to 
Canada  soon  after,  where  he  lived  for  six  or 
eight  years,  and  then  came  to  the  United 
States  and  settled  in  Connecticut,  and,  in 
1835,  he  came  West  by  the  lakes  and  bought 
a  place  on  the  lake  shore,  at  Grosse  Point, 
and,  the  next  fall,  went  to  Chicago,  where 
he  lived  until  1837,  and  then  made  a  claim 
in  what  is  now  Winfield  Township,  Du  Page 
County,  111.,  and  occupied  and  improved  the 
place  where  he  lived  until  his  death.  Mrs. 
Murray  lived  on  the  old  homestead  until  her 
death.  Our  subject  lived  with  his  parents 


186 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


\\nti\  he  was  about  nineteen  years  of  age;  he 
then  began  for'himself,  working  by  the  month 
for  a  season,  and  then  rented  a  place,  which 
he  farmed  a  year,  and,  on  becoming  of  age, 
he  was  elected  Constable  of  Wayne  Township 
to  fill  a  vacancy,  and  he  served  in  all  for 
seven  years.  During  the  last  foTir  years,  he 
also  served  as  Deputy  Sheriff;  he  then  moved 
on  a  place  which  his  father  deeded  to  him, 
and  farmed  the  same  since.  In  January, 
1845,  he  married  Miss  Martha  Ann  Billings, 
a  native  of  Indiana,  and  came  to  Du  Page 
County,  111.,  with  her  parents,  who  were  early 
pioneers.  She  died  May  1,  1872.  By  the 
marriage  there  were  nine  children,  of  whom 
seven  are  living.  September  29,  1875,  he 
married  Mrs.  Ketchum,  formerly  Miss  Lu- 
cinda  C.  Scott,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania;  she 
came  to  Du  Page  County  in  1856.  By  the 
present  marriage,  there  have  been  two  chil- 
dren, both  of  whom  have  died.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican  in  his  politics. 

D.  R.  MARTIN,  farmer,  P.  O.  Turner,  is 
a  native  of  Erie  County,  N.  Y. ;  he  was  born 
in  the  year  1843,  and  is  the  second  of  eight 
children  born  to  Christian  F.  and  Sarah 
Rhodes  Martin;  they  came  to  Kane  County, 
111.,  in  1849,  and  to  Du  Page  County  in 
1865;  they  now  live  near  Naperville.  Our 
subject  was  raised  on  the  farm;  he  received 
a  common -school  education.  When  he  was 
i  about  twenty-two  years  of  age,  he  began 
farming  the  home  farm  on  the  shares,  and,  in 
1871,  he  married  Miss  Lucinda  Pratt,  u  na- 
tive of  Du  Page  County,  111.  After  the  mar- 
riage, they  came  to  the  present  place,  which 
he  rented  a  few  years  and  then  bought  the 
same,  it  being  the  old  David  Martin  home- 
stead, and  has  lived  here  since.  By  the  mar- 
riage there  are  four  children — Jessie,  Olive, 
Albert  and  Cora.  Mr.  Martin  is  Republican 
in  politics;  he  has  served  as  Assessor  and 
school  officer.  He  owns  122  acres,  located 


one  and  three-fourths  miles  west  of  Tur- 
ner. 

JONATHAN  R.  MATHER,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Warrenville,  is  a  native  of  Du  Page  County, 
111. ;  he  was  born  in  the  year  1849,  and  is  the 
seventh  of  ten  children  born  to  Israel  and 
his  second  wife,  Hannah  Royce  Mather;  they 
were  natives  of  Essex  County,  N.  Y.  Our 
subject  was  raised  on  the  farm;  he  received 
a  common-school  education.  At  the  age  of 
sixteen,  he  began  doing  for  himself,  working 
by  the  month,  and,  after  becoming  of  age,  he 
began  farming  the  home  farm  on  shares.  In 
1877,  he  married  Miss  Nettie  L.  Ketchum,  a 
native  of  Du  Page  County,  111.;  they  had  two 
children,  one  living — Israel.  Since  his  mar- 
riage, Mr.  Mather  has  farmed  the  home  farm. 

HENRY  H.  MARTIN,  farmer,  P.  O.  Tur- 
ner, is  a  native  of  Erie  County,  N.  Y. ;  lie 
was  born  in  the  year  1848,  and  is  the  fifth  of 
nine  children  born  to  Christian  F.  and  Sarah 
Rhodes  Martin.  Henry  H.  Martin  was  raised 
on  his  father's  farm,  and  received  a  common - 
school  education;  he  lived  at  home  until  he 
was  twenty-four  years  of  age;  had  an  interest 
or  share  in  the  product  of  the  home  farm, 
since  he  was  sixteen  or  seventeen  years  of 
age.  In  1872,  he  married  Miss  Clara  A. 
Hodges,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania;  she  came 
to  Du  Page  County,  111.,  with  her  parents, 
who  settled  on  a  farm  in  Winfield  Township. 
After  the  marriage,  they  settled  on  the  pres- 
ent place,  which  he  bought  of  his  father,  and 
has  lived  here  since.  He  owns  eighty-six  and 
one -half  acres  located  one  mile  west  of  Turner. 
By  the  marriage  there  have  been  three  chil- 
dren, two  of  whom  are  living — Elmer  and 
George.  Mr.  Martin  is  a  Republican.  He  is 
at  present  Highway  Commissioner. 

DANIEL  W.  MARTIN,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Turner;  is  a  native  of  Kane  County,  111.;  he 
was  born  in  the  year  1851,  and  is  the  fifth  of 
eight  children  born  to  Christian  F.  and 


WINFIELD  TOWNSHIP. 


187 


Sarah  Rhodes  Martin.  Mr.  Martin  was  raised 
on  the  farm,  and  received  a  common-school 
education.  In  1865,  the  family  moved  to 
Du  Page  County,  111.,  and,  in  1872,  he  began 
farming  his  father' s  place  on  the  shares,  and, 
in  1874,  he  married  Miss  Jennie  Pratt,  a  na- 
•  tive  of  Wayne  Township,  Du  Page  County, 
111.,  and  daughter  of  Obadiah  Pratt,  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  Wayne  Township.  After  the 
marriage,  he  rented  the  farm,  and,  in  the 
spring  of  1881,  he  bought  the  place,  his  par- 
ents then  retiring  to  Naperville,  where  they 
now  live.  Mr.  Martin  is  a  Republican.  He 
owns  117  acres,  located  one  mile  south  of 
Turner.  In  addition  to  farmiug,  Mr.  Martin 
has  conducted  a  thresher  for  the  past  ten  years. 
RUSSEL  MANVILLE,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Turner,  is  a  native  of  Whitehall,  Washing- 
ton Co.,  N.  Y. ;  he  was  born  June  5,  1818; 
he  was  raised  on  the  farm  and  received  a 
common-school  education;  his  father  died 
when  he  was  about  fourteen  years  of  age;  he 
lived  on  the  home  farm  with  his  mother  till 
he  was  twenty  years  of  age;  he  then  decided 
to  go  West,  and,  accordingly,  took  the  canal 
to  Buffalo,  thence  by  boat  to  Detroit,  and 
railroad  to  Ypsilanti,  and  team  and  stage  to 
St.  Joe  and  lake  to  Chicago;  thence  to  War- 
renville,  where,  the  next  spring,  he  rented  a 
farm  and  farmed  one  season,  after  which  he 
worked  during  summers  and  taught  school  in 
Marshall  and  Tazewell  Counties,  and,  about 
1845,  he  came  to  his  present  place,  and  has 
lived  here  since.  In  1848,  he  visited  Ver- 
mont, and  married  Miss  Julia  C.  Smith,  a 
native  of  that  State.  By  the  marriage  there 
are  four  children — Lotan  S.,  United  States 
mail  agent;  Mrs.  Jane  E.  Smith,  of  Wayne 
Township;  E.  H.,  of  Oak  Park;  Martha  J., 
at  home.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and 
has  served  as  Collector  one  year.  He  owns 
175  acres,  located  four  and  one-half  miles 
southwest  of  Turner. 


EDWARD  P.  MACK,  farmer,  P.  O.  War- 
renville;  is  a  native  of  Susquehanna  Coun- 
ty, Penn. ;  he  was  born  in  the  year  1815,  and 
was  raised  on  the  farm  and  received  but  a 
very  limited  common-school  education.  At 
the  age  of  twenty,  he  went  to  Rockingham, 
Vt.,  and  learned  the  clothier  and  cloth-dress- 
ing business,  working  about  five  years.  He 
then  returned  home  and  boated  on  the  Schuyl- 
kill  Canal  one  season,  and,  in  1841,  he  came 
West  and  sold  dry  goods  and  groceries  from 
a  wagon  in  Wisconsin  and  Illinois.  He  then 
engaged  in  breaking  prairie  in  Wisconsin, 
which  business  he  followed  for  two  seasons. 
He  then  bought  his  present  place  and  occu- 
pied the  same.  He  owns  240  acres,  located 
two  and  one-half  miles  north  of  Warrenville. 
In  1842,  he  married  Miss  Maria  Royce,  a 
native  of  Essex  County,  N.  Y. ;  she  came  to 
Will  County,  111.,  with  her  parents;  she  died 
in  July,  1882;  there  have  been  ten  children, 
of  whom  seven  are  living — Abner,  farmer  in 
Iowa;  Edward,  farmer  in  Nebraska;  Charles, 
employed  on  the  Chicago  &  North-Western 
Railway;  Orland,  farmer  in  Will  County,  111. ; 
Adaline,  at  home;  Elmer,  at  home,  and  Mil- 
ton, at  school,  Aurora.  Mr.  Mack  is  a  Re- 
publican. 

J.  C.  NELTNOR,  general  store  and  nurs- 
ery, Turner,  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania; 
he  was  born  in  the  city  of  Erie,  in  the  year 
1841,  and  is  the  eldest  of  six  children  born 
to  Francis  X.  and  Mary  A.  Runser  Neltnor; 
they  were  natives  of  Baden,  Germany;  they 
came  to  America  when  young;  they  married 
in  Pennsylvania.  He  was  a  merchant  tailor, 
and  came  to  Du  Page  County,  111.,  in  1847, 
and  conducted  his  business  in  Bloomingdale 
until  his  death,  in  1881,  Mrs.  Neltnor  is 
living  in  the  old  home  at  Bloomingdale.  Our 
subject  lived  with  his  parents  until  he  became 
of  age.  When  about  ten  years  of  age,  he 
engaged  as  clerk  in  a  general  store  in  Bloom- 


188 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


ingdale,  and  clerked  there  until  1861,  when 
he  became  a  partner  with  Dr.  Sedgwick  in  a 
general  store,  and  continued  thereuntil  1864, 
when  he  sold  out  and  came  to  Turner  and  en- 
gaged in  his  present  business.  In  1868,  his 
place  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  he  afterward 
built  his  present  place.  In  1870,  he  estab- 
lished, in  company  with  Mr.  C.  "W.  Rich- 
mond, the  Grove  Place  Nurseries,  and,  in 
1874,  he  became  the  sole  proprietor  and  has 
conducted  the  business  since.  In  1882,  he 
established  Neltnor'a  Fruit  and  Flower  Grow- 
er, a  horticultural  magazine,  published  quar- 
terly. He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics  and  has 
served  as  Secretary  of  the  County  Committee 
for  a  number  of  years.  In  1864,  he  married 
Miss  Mary  E.  Kinney,  a  native  of  Du  Page 
County.  111.  They  have  six  children. 

CAPT.  G.  N.  EOUNDY,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Turner,  is  a  native  of  Spafford,  Onondaga 
County,  N.  Y. ;  he  was  born  December  4, 
1811;  he  was  raised  on  his  father's  farm  and 
received  a  common-school  education;  on  be- 
coming of  age,  he  began  on  his  own  account, 
working  by  the  month;  he  also  spent  two 
years  in  Canada,  collecting  for  a  party  doing 
business  there,  and,  in  1836,  November  12, 
he  drove  the  first  car  over  the  Erie  &  Kala- 
mazoo  Railroad,  from  Toledo  to  Adrian,  now 
part  of  Southern  Michigan.  November  1, 
1837,  he  came  to  Illinois  and  bought  a  claim 
in  what  is  now  Wayne  Township,  Du  Page 
County,  and  improved  the  place,  and,  in  the 
fall  of  1843,  he  sold  out  and  came  to  Win- 
field  Township,  and  has  farmed  in  the  town- 
ship ever  since.  He  owns  120  acres,  located 
one  mile  east  of  Turner.  He  married  Miss 
Maria  L.  Kimball,  a  native  of  Vermont;  she 
came  to  Illinois  with  her  parents.  By  the 
marriage,  there  have  been  twelve  children, 
of  whom  seven  are  living.  He  is  Republi- 
can in  his  politics;  he  has  served  as  Assessor 
of  Winfield  Township  some  seven  or  eight 


years,  and  has  held  the  office  of  Supervisor. 
During  the  war,  he  was  appointed  County 
Marshal;  he  has  also  served  as  Road  Com- 
missioner for  two  terms,  and  he  was  Captain 
of  the  old  Wintield  Cavalry  Company. 

DAVID  ROOT,  farmer,  P.  O.  Batavia,  is 
a  native  of  Piermont,  near  Haverhill,  N.  H. ; 
he  was  born  November  8,  1815;  his  parents, 
Ephraim  and  Vashti  Burd  Root,  were  natives 
of  New  Hampshire  and  Vermont.  He  was  a 
farmer,  and  moved  to  Genesee  County,  N. 
Y.,  in  1822.  Mrs.  Root  died  there  in  1829, 
and  Mr.  Root  later  moved  to  Michigan,  and 
thence  to  Illinois,  and  finally  died  in  Indiana, 
where  he  lived  with  a  son.  Our  subject  was 
brought  up  at  home  until  his  mother  died; 
he  then  went  to  live  with  an  uncle,  for  whom 
he  worked  on  the  farm,  receiving  $7  per 
month,  and.  after  two  years,  he  began  teach- 
ing at  the  age  of  sixteen,  having  a  school  of 
fifty  scholars  and  receiving  $12  per  month, 
for  a  four-months'  term.  He  then  went  to 
Kentucky,  where  he  had  brothers  living,  and 
taught  school  at  Newport  and  in  Fayette  and 
Harrison  Counties,  for  seven  years.  When 
Mr.  Root  first  went  to  Kentucky,  he  made  a 
trip  horseback  to  Michigan;  this  was  about 
the  year  1832,  and,  in  1839,  he  came  horse- 
back to  Illinois,  and  bought  a  claim  to  his 
present  place,  which  he  occupied,  and  has 
lived  here  since,  except  about  a  year  he  lived 
in  Indiana.  In  1841,  he  married  Miss  Syl- 
vania  Graves,  a  native  of  New  York;  she 
came  to  Du  Page  County  with  her  parents; 
she  died  September  22,  1847;  they  had  three 
children.  In  1847,  he  married  Miss  Marietta 
Hallenbeck,  a  native  of  Erie  County,  N.  Y.; 

;  she  came  to  Du  Page  County,  111.,  with  her 
parents,  in  1843;  they  had  seven  children. 
He  is  Republican,  and  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church  for  the  past  forty  years ;  also  Mrs.  Root 

'  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church.  He  owns 
190  acres,  located  three  miles  east  of  Batavia. 


WINFIELD  TOWNSHIP. 


189 


W.  T.  EEED,  Reed  &  Stark,  general  store, 
Turner;  is  a  native  of  Du  Page  County,  111.; 
he  was  born  on  the  farm  in  Wayne  Township, 
in  the  year  1843,  and  is  the  third  of  seven  chil- 
dren born  to  Geo.  W.  and  Juda  A.  Ellenwood 
Reed,  of  Wayne  Township.  Our  subject  was 
raised  on  the  farm  and  received  a  common- 
school  education.  After  he  became  of  age,  he 
began  farming  on  the  shares,  which  he  contin- 
ued until  1876,  when  he  removed  to  Turner  and 
engaged  in  partnership  with  Mr.  Voll  in  the 
general  store  business,  and,  about  one  and  a 
half  years  later,  Mr.  Voll  sold  his  interest  to 
Mr.  Stark,  and  they  have  conducted  it  since. 
In  1864,  he  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred  and 
Forty-first  Regiment  Illinois  Infantry,  and  was 
in  the  service  about  five  months.  In  1878, 
he  married  Miss  Maggie  Campbell,  a  native 
of  Philadelphia;  she  came  to  DuPage  Coun- 
ty, 111. ,  with  her  parents.  By  the  marriage 
there  is  one  child — Jennie  Irene.  He  is  Re- 
publican in  politics,  and  has  served  as  Police 
Magistrate  for  two  years. 

0.  K.  SANDERS,  commercial  traveler, 
Turner,  is  a  native  of  Cattaraugus  County,  N. 
Y. ;  he  was  born  in  the  year  1836,  and  is  the 
eldest  of  four  children,  born  to  James  and 
Betsy  Irish  Sanders;  they  were  natives  of 
Vermont  and  New  York;  they  married  in 
New  York,  and  came  West  in  1841,  and 
rented  a  farm  in  Wayne  Township,  Du  Page 
County,  111.,  and,  two  years  later,  bought  a 
piece  of  land  and  began  building  a  house  on 
the  place,  but  died  before  it  was  completed, 
and  Mrs.  Sanders  sold  the  place  and  soon 
after  married  Mr.  O.  Higgins,  and  lived  in 
Wayne  Township  until  aboxit  1881,  when 
they  moved  to  Turner,  where  they  now  live. 
Our  subject  lived  at  home  until  he  was  about 
eighteen;  he  received  a  common-school  edu- 
cation; he  spent  one  year  in  the  East,  and, 
while  there,  taught  writing,  and  returning 
home  in  the  spring,  clerked  in  a  store  in 


Wayne  during  the  summers  and  teaching 
writing  in  the  winters.  He  then  accepted 
the  position  of  Deputy  Circuit  Clerk,  under 
Mr.  Whitney,  and  held  the  position  about 
one  year,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  Fifty-fifth 
Regiment  Illinois  Infantry,  Company,  C,  and 
was  appointed  Quartermaster  Sergeant,  and 
served  fifteen  months,  when  he  was  dis- 
charged, after  which  he  became  a  citizen  em- 
ploye in  the  Quartermaster's  department,  and 
held  the  position  until  the  close  of  the  war, 
when  he  returned  home  to  Wayne  Township, 
and  clerked  in  a  general  store  for  about  one 
and  one-half  years,  at  Lincoln,  111.  He  then 
engaged  in  the  business  at  that  place  on  his 
own  account,  which  he  conducted  until  the 
fall  of  1869;  he  then  became  a  salesman  in 
the  office  of  Franklin  McVeagh  &  Co.,  of  Chi- 
cago, and,  four  years  later,  began  traveling 
on  the  road  for  the  same  house,  with  whom 
he  has  remained  since.  In  1865,  he  married 
Miss  Elvira  Currier,  a  native  of  Du  Page 
County,  111. ;  she  died  in  1 876.  By  the  mar- 
riage there  was  one  child — Bertha  D.  In 
1878,  he  married  Mrs.  Almeda  E.  Townaend, 
a  native  of  Utica,  N.  Y.  There  are  no  children. 
EDGAR  STEPHENS,  of  Wiant  &  Stephens, 
general  store,  Turner;  is  a  native  of  Morris 
County,  N.  J. ;  he  was  born  in  the  year  1845. 
In  1847,  the  family  moved  West  to  Illinois, 
and  located  at  Geneva,  where  they  lived  for 
seven  years,  then  moved  on  a  farm,  two  miles 
south  of  Batavia.  Our  subject  lived  at  home 
until  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  Forty- 
second  Regiment  Illinois  Infantry,  Company 
I,  and  served  three  years;  he  was  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Stone  River,  Chickamauga,  Mission 
Ridge;  at  the  latter  place  was  wounded 
and  joined  his  regiment  about  five  months 
later,  and  took  part  in  the  Atlanta  campaign 
— battles  of  Jonesboro  and  Kenesaw  Moun- 
tain; from  the  army  he  came  home  and  en- 
gaged as  fireman  on  the  North-Western  Rail- 


190 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


way  for  two  years;  he  then  became  engineer 
and  continued  with  the  company  nine  years 
longer.  He  then  became  a  partner  in  the 
present  business.  He  is  Eepublican  in  poli- 
tics, and  has  held  the  office  of  Trustee  of  Tur- 
ner and  Township  Treasurer.  In  1869,  he 
married  Miss  Alice  Wiant,  daughter  of  Joel 
Wiant,  Esq.,  of  Turner.  By  the  marriage, 
there  have  been  four  children,  one  of  whom 
is  living,  viz.,  Lloyd  Stephens. 

JOSEPH  W.  SMITH,  Postmaster,  Tur- 
ner, is  a  native  of  Cazenovia,  Madison  Co. , 
N.  Y. ;  he  was  born  in  the  year  1812.  In 
1819,  the  family  moved  to  Gates,  Monroe 
County,  N.  Y.,  where  his  father  died;  he 
then  went  back  to  Cazenovia,  and  lived  with 
his  uncle  until  he  was  about  sixteen  years  of 
age,  during  which  time  he  worked  at  black- 
smithing;  he  then  went  to  Greece,  Monroe  Co. , 
N.  Y.,  where  his  mother  lived.  February  28, 
1829,  he  enlisted  in  the  United  States  Army, 
and  was  in  the  service  for  three  years;  he 
then  learned  the  cooper's  trade  and  followed 
the  business  in  Monroe  County  and  in  the 
State  of  Michigan  for  eighteen  years,  where 
he  engaged  first  as  trackman  and  then  as  fire- 
man on  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad,  and 
later,  he  engaged  with  the  New  Albany  &  Sa- 
lem Railroad,  having  charge  of  their  black- 
smith shops.  In  1857,  he  came  to  Turner 
and  engaged  as  blacksmith  for  the  old  Galena 
Railroad.  During  the  war,  he  enlisted  in 
the  One  Hundred  and  Forty-first  Illinois  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  and  served  about  five  months, 
and,  on  his  return,  he  resumed  his  place  with 
the  railroad  company.  In  1873,  he  was  com- 
missioned Postmaster  of  Turner,  and  has  held 
the  position  since.  October  20,  1833,  he 
married  Miss  Eliza  Ann,  daughter  of  Dr. 
Moses  Lewis,  of  Greece,  N.  Y. ;  they  had  five 
children,  three  of  whom  are  living — two  sons 
and  one  daughter;  the  latter  married  Mr.  D. 
C.  Stanley,  of  Downer's  Grove. 


C.  P.  STARK,  of  Reed  &  Stark,  general 
store,  Turner,  is  a  native  of  Du  Page  Coun- 
ty, 111. ;  he  was  born  on  the  farm  in  the  year 
1855,  and  is  the  second  of  nine  children  born 
to  Martin  and  Margaret  (Voll)  Stark;  they 
were  natives  of  Germany;  she  came  to  Amer- 
ica with  her  parents,  and  he  came  to  America 
in  1847,  and  settled  in  Du  Page  County,  111. 
Our  subject  lived  at  home  until  he  was  about 
fifteen  years  of  age,  then  engaged  as  a  clerk 
in  a  general  store  at  Turner,  and  continued 
clerking  at  Turner  and  Chicago  for  seven 
years  (one  year  in  Chicago),  and,  in  1877,  he 
purchased  Mr.  Voll's  interest  in  the  business 
and  formed  the  firm  of  Reed  &  Stark.  In 
1881,  he  married  Miss  Ida  M.  Reed,  a  native 
of  Du  Page  County,  111. ,  daughter  of  George 
W.  Reed,  of  Wayne  Township.  Mr.  Stark 
is  Democratic  in  politics,  and  has  served  as 
Town  Clerk  three  terms  and  Village  Clerk 
four  or  five  years. 

CHRISTIAN  D.  SMAIL,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Winfield,  is  a  native  x>f  Mecklenburg,  Ger- 
many; he  was  born  in  the  year  1812;  he  was 
raised  a  farmer  and  shepherd,  and,  in  1849, 
he  married  Miss  Mary  Witt,  a  native  of 
Mecklenburg,  and  the  same  year  came  to 
America,,  and  lived  for  three  years  in  Chi- 
cago, and  then  came  to  De  Plaines,  where  he 
lived  about  one  and  one-half  years,  and,  in 
1853,  he  came  to  Du  Page  County  and  rented 
a  farm  in  Winfield  Township.  In  1858,  he 
bought  and  occupied  his  present  place. 
There  were  two  children — one  liv  ng — Caro- 
line; she  manned,  January  15,  1874,  Mr. 
Christian  Fessler,  a  native  of  Baden,  Ger- 
many; he  was  born  October  4,  1841;  he  was 
raised  a  farmer,  and  received  a  common- 
school  education,  and  served  as  a  teamster  in 
the  French  and  German  war;  he  came  to 
America  in  1871,  and  worked  at  farming  in 
Du  Page  County.  By  the  marriage  there  are 
two  children — Flora  and  George.  Mr.  and 


WINFIELD  TOWNSHIP. 


191 


Mrs.  Fessler  live  on  the  old  homestead  with 
Mr.  Smail.  He  owns  forty  acres,  located  two 
and  a  half  miles  south  of  Winfield. 

JOHN  WEST,  drugs  and  general  store, 
Turner,  is  a  native  of  England ;  he  was  born 
in  the  year  1829.  In  1830,  his  parents  moved 
to  America,  and  located  in  Oneida  County, 
N.  Y.,  where  they  engaged  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  woolens,  which  business  they 
and  their  ancestors  carried  on  in  England  for 
generations.  Our  subject  was  raised  in 
Oneida  County,  and  received  his  education 
at  the  Whitesboro  Academy.  When  about 
eighteen,  he  began  as  book-keeper  in  a  gen- 
eral store,  and,  in  1850,  he  visited  one  year  in 
England;  in  1852,  he  engaged  in  that  busi- 
ness on  his  own  account;  in  1855,  he  went  to 
California  via  Panama  and  lived  there  about 
fifteen  months,  being  engaged  in  mining;  he 
then  returned  East  and  soon  after  took  charge 
of  a  general  store  at  Blackberry,  111.,  and,  in 
the  spring  of  1857,  he  located  at  Turner  aud 
opened  a  general  store,  and  has  conducted 
the  business  ever  since,  he  being  the  oldest 
merchant  in  the  town.  In  1852,  he  married 
Miss  Elizabeth  Allison,  a  native  of  Leeds, 
England;  she  came  to  America  with  her  par- 
ents. By  the  marriage  there  have  been  four 
children,  three  of  whom  are  living.  He  was 
formerly  a  Whig,  and,  later,  a  Republican; 
from  1860  to  1869,  he  was  Postmaster  of 
Turner;  he  has  also  served  as  Town  Clerk,  in 
all  about  fifteen  years.  In  1848,  Mr.  West 
and  his  father  subscribed  for  twenty  shares  in 
the  old  Galena  &  Chicago  Kailroad,  and  that 
$2,000  has  now  increased  to  $20,000,  besides 
the  dividends,  and  has  remained  in  the  fam- 
ily. The  children  are  as  follows:  John  A. 
West,  musician  and  organist  in  the  Church 
of  the  Ascension,  Chicago  ;  Mrs.  J.  T. 
Hosford,  and  Annie  West,  Utica,  N.  Y. 

JOEL  WIANT,  retired,  Turner  Junction. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch,  whose  portrait  ap- 


pears in  this  work,  is  a  native  of  Luzerne 
County,  Penn. ;  he  was  born  December  10, 
1812,  and  was  raised  on  the  farm;  his  educa- 
tion was  obtained  in  the  common  schools  of  his 
day;  he  lived  at  home  until  he  became  of  age, 
and  then  went  to  the  vicinity  of  Mauch  Chunk, 
where  he  was  principally  engaged  as  a  clerk 
in  a  hotel  until  1837,  when,  with  a  Benjamin 
Fuller  and  family,  he  came  West  by  team, 
via  Chicago,  and  stopped  at  Spencer's  Cross- 
ing, owing  to  the  roads.  He  and  Mr.  Fuller 
took  horses  and  prospected,  visiting  Eockford 
and  Dixon,  returning,  intending  to  go  to 
Dixon,  but,  owing  to  the  roads,  they  stopped 
in  Wayne  Township,  where  they  bought 
claims.  Mr.  Wiant  lived  with  Mr.  Fuller 
about  one  and  one -half  years;  he  then  went 
East  and  married  Miss  Rhoda  W'olever,  a  na- 
tive of  Sunbury,  Penn. ;  after  their  marriage, 
they  occupied  their  place  in  Wayne,  to  which 
piece  after  piece  of  land  was  added,  until  fin- 
ally it  contained  over  400  acres  Mrs.  Wiant 
died  June  6,  1851;  they  had  four  children, 
all  of  whom  are  living  to-day.  October  17, 
1852,  he  married  Miss  Dorcas  Wrolever,  a 
twin  sister  of  the  first  wife.  By  this  mar- 
riage one  child  has  been  born,  which  died 
September  22,  1865.  In  1858,  he  moved  to 
the  Junction,  trading  a  part  of  his  farm  for  a 
store  property  and  grounds.  He  conducted  the 
store  until  1862,  when  he  traded  his  business 
for  a  farm  near  Wheaton  and  a  village  prop- 
erty in  that  village,  where  he  moved,  and,  in 
1865,  he  returned  to  Turner  and  opened  up 
in  the  old  store  again,  firm,  J.  Wriant  &  Sons, 
and  was  connected  with  the  business  about 
four  years,  since  which  time  his  sons  have 
conducted  the  business.  He  then  built  his 
present  elegant  brick  house,  where  he  has  lived 
retired  since.  In  politics,  Mr.  Wiaut  was 
formerly  a  Whig,  but,  since  the  organization 
of  the  Republican  party,  has  voted  that  ticket. 
While  in  Wayne,  he  served  as  Assessor,  Col- 


192 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


lector  and  Highway  Commissioner.  In  1869, 
he  was  appointed  by  the  Board  of  Supervisors 
County  Treasurer,  which  office  he  held  about 
two  years. 

A.  H.  WIANT,  United  States  Gauger, 
Turner,  is  a  native  of  Wayne  Township,  Du 
Page  County,  111.;  he  was  born  in  the  year 
1841,  and  is  the  oldest  of  five  children  born  to 
Joel  and  Rhoda  Wolever  Wiant  who  are  spoken 
of  elsewhere  in  this  work  Our  subject  was 
raised  on  his  father's  farm,  and,  in  addition  to 
the  common  schools,  he  attended  the  Wheaton 
College  a  short  period.  At  the  age  of  seven- 
teen, the  family  moved  to  Turner,  and,  in 
1862,  they  moved  to  Wheaton,  where  he  en- 
listed in  Company  B,  One  Hundred  and  Fifth 
Regiment  Illinois  Infantry,  and  was  in  the 
service  nearly  three  years;  during  the  first 
year  and  a  half,  he  acted  as  Commissary  for 
the  company.  He  was  with  his  regiment  in 
the  battles  of  Resaca,  Cassville,  the  Atlanta 
campaign,  Kenesaw  Mountain  and  Peach  Tree 
Creek,  the  march  to  the  sea,  Averysboro  and 
Beutonville,  and  finally,  at  the  review  in 
Washington,  D.  C.  He  served  every  day  with 
the  command,  never  being  ill  or  injured  in 
any  way;  from  the  army  he  came  to  Turner, 
111.,  and  became  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Wi- 
ant &  Sons'  general  store,  and,  a  few  years 
later,  the  firm  became  Wiant  Bros.,  Mr.  Wi- 
ant continuing  in  the  business  until  1876;  he 
then  sold  out  and  engaged  as  a  traveling 
salesman  for  Franklin  Me Veagh&  Co.,  of  Chi- 
cago, and,  the  same  year,  he  was  appointed 
United  States  Gauger  and  has  held  the  office 
since.  In  1870,  he  married  Miss  Ella  Haffey, 
a  native  of  Turner,  111.  By  the  marriage 
there  is  one  child,  viz.,  Lester  Albert. 

THOMAS  WIANT,  of  Wiant  &  Stephens, 
general  merchandise,  Turner,  is  a  native  of 
Du  Page  County,  111. ;  he  was  born  on  his 
father's  farm  in  Wayne  Township,  December 
24,  1844,  and  is  the  second  of  four  children 


born  to  Joel  and  Rhoda  Wolever  Wiant,  who 
I  are  spoken  of  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Mr. 
Wiant  was  raised  on  the  farm  until  fourteen 
years  of  age,  when  tho  family  moved  to  Tur- 
ner. He  received,  in  addition  to  the  common 
schools,  two  terms  at  Wheaton  College;  he 
assisted  his  father  in  the  store,  and,  in  1865, 
became  a  partner  with  his  father  and  brother, 
and  has  been  identified  with  the  store  ever 
since.  October,  1877,  he  married  Mis?  Mary 
Moore,  a  native  of  Canada;  she  came  to  Tur- 
ner, 111.,  with  her  parents.  By  the  marriage 
there  are  two  children — Edith  and  Clare. 

HENRY  S.  WILLIAMS,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Warrenville,  is  a  native  of  Jefferson  County, 
N.  Y. ;  he  was  born  in  the  year  1820;  his 
parents,  William  and  Mary  Sterling  Williams, 
were  natives  of  Connecticut  and  New  York. 
Mary  Sterling  was  a  daughter  of  Judge  Ster- 
ling, who  was  the  first  Judge  of  Herkimer 
|  County,  N.  Y.  William  Williams  was  a 
farmer;  he  went  to  New  York  when  a  young 
man  and  married  there.  In  1834,  he  came 
West  afoot,  and  made  a  large  claim  near 
Warrenville,  111. ;  he  also  made  a  timber 
claim  in  the  Big  Woods,  where  he  put  up  a 
log  house,  in  1836;  he  was  joined  by  a  daugh- 
ter and  two  sons,  and,  in  the  following  year, 
j  built  the  house  on  the  prairie  claim,  one  mile 
west  of  Warrenville.  In  1838,  his  wife  and 
several  children  came.  Mr.  Williams  was  a 
militia  man,  and  took  part  in  the  battle  of 
Sackett's  Harbor.  He  was  very  poor  when 
he  came  West,  and  borrowed  $43  of  Dr.  Max- 
well, of  the  United  States  Army,  at  Fort  Dear- 
;  born.  He  made  a  claim  of  1,600  acres  when 
he  first  came,  but  it  was  jumped  down  to  320, 
:  upon  which  he  and  his  wife  lived  until  their 
'  death.  Henry  S.  Williams  was  raised  a 
farmer,  and  had  but  limited  opportunities 
in  the  schools  of  his  day.  In  1836,  he  came 
West  with  his  brother  and  sister,  and,  the 
next  year,  assisted  in  building  his  present 


WINFIELD  TOWNSHIP. 


198 


residence;  he  worked  on  the  farm  which 
finally  became  his  after  his  parents'  death. 
In  1855,  he  married  Miss  Sarah  Jane  Welty, 
a  native  of  Maryland;  they  have  no  children, 
but  one  adopted  daughter — Florence  Will- 
iams. 

JACOB  WUBTZ,  invalid,  Turner,  is  a 
native  of  Baden,  Germany;  he  was  born  in 
the  year  1823 ;  he  was  raised  on  the  farm  and 
received  a  common-school  education;  his 
father  was  a  weaver,  and  he  learned  the  same 
business,  and  worked  at  it  and  farming.  In 
1848-49,  when  the  Revolution  took  place,  he 
took  up  arms  against  the  Prince,  and,  in 
1849,  he  and  his  brother  Christian  came  to 
America  and  worked  in  New  York  State  by 
the  day  for  about  two  years,  when  their  par- 
ents came  to  America  and  they  all  came 
West  and  settled  in  Winfield  Township,  Du 
Page  County,  111.,  where  the  parents  died. 
Mr.  Jacob  Wurtz  has  lived  here  since;  for 
the  past  eight  years  he  has  been  afflicted  with 
paralysis,  and  has  been  confined  most  of  the 
time.  In  1849,  he  married  Miss  Saloma 
Schocb,  a  native  of  Baden,  Germany;  she 
came  over  to  America  at  the  same  time  he 
did.  There  are  four  children — Mrs.  Saloma 
Asmus,  farming  in  Erie  County,  N.  Y. ; 
Christian,  farming  in  Erie  County,  N.  Y. ; 
Mrs.  Louisa,  wife  of  Eev.  Mr.  Wolf,  of  Cook 
County,  111.,  and  Michael,  managing  the 
home  farm,  which  contains  102  acres,  located 
two  and  a  half  miles,  southwest  of  Turner. 

MICHAEL  WURTZ,  farmer,?.  O.Turner, 
is  a  native  of  Baden,  Germany;  he  was  born 
in  the  year  1825;  he  was  raised  a  farmer  and 
received  a  common-school  education;  when 
about  fifteen  years  of  age,  he  began  working 
at  weaving,  which  he  followed  for  about 
three  years;  he  also  worked  at  washing  gold 
in  the  Rhine  and  also  at  fishing.  In  1851, 
he  and  his  parents  came  to  the  United  States 
of  America,  and  settled  on  the  present  place, 


where  the  parents  died,  and  the  son  has  lived 
here  since.  In  1853,  he  married  Miss  Saloma 
Kress,  a  native  of  Baden,  Germany;  she  came 
to  the  United  States  of  America  with  Mr. 
Wurtz.  There  have  been  five  children,  three 
of  whom  are  living — Mary  B.,  Susan  K.  and 
Annie  E.  Mr.  Wurtz  was  a  Revolutionary 
soldier  in  the  rebellion  in  Baden  against  the 
Prince.  He  is  Republican.  He  owns  230 
acres  in  this  county,  besides  some  timber  land 
in  Kane  County.  The  homestead  is  located 
three  miles  southwest  of  Turner. 

CHRISTIAN  WURTZ,  farmer,  P.  O.  Tur- 
ner, is  a  native  of  Baden,  Germany;  he  was 
born  in  the  year  1828,  and  came  to  America 
in  1849  with  his  brother;  they  worked  for 
two  years  in  Erie  County,  N.  Y.,  and  then 
wrote  to  their  parents,  Michael  and  Suzannah 
;  C.  Pfeifer  Wurtz;  they  came  and  bought  a 
farm  in  Winfield  Township,  Du  Page  County, 
111.,  where  they  lived  until  their  death.  Our 
subject  married,  in  1857,  Miss  Elizabeth 
Bachman;  she  was  born  in  Wurtemberg,  Ger- 
many, and  came  to  America  with  her  brother 
After  the  marriage,  they  lived  on  the  old  home 
farm;  he  then  bought  and  moved  to  a  place 
;  on  the  Geneva  Railroad,  and,  later,  came  to 
,  his  present  place.  There  have  been  nine 
children,  seven  living — B.  Franklin,  Michael 
E.,  Suzannah  C.,  George  W. ,  Christian  J. , 
Carrie  D.  and  Louisa  S.  E.  He  is  Republi- 
can. Mr.  Wurtz  owns  about  356  acres;  his 
residence  is  located  two  and  one-half  miles 
northwest  of  Turner.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Evangelical  Church  since  childhood,  and  has 
taken  an  active  interest  in  its  affairs. 

COL.  J.  M.  WARREN,  retired,  Warren 
ville,  is  a  native  of  Fredonia,  N.  Y. ;  he  was 
born  in  the  year  1810,  and  is  the  third  of 
eight  children  born  to  Daniel  and  Nancy 
Morton  Warren;  they  were  natives  of  Worces- 
ter County,  Mass. ;  they  married  in  Madison 
County,  N.  Y.,  in  1803,  and  moved  to  Chautau- 


194 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


qua  County  soon  after.  He  conducted  a  grist 
and  saw  mill,  and  also  carried  on  a  general 
store,  and,  at  one  time,  a  distillery.  In  1833, 
they  came  West  by  teams,  the  Colonel  and 
two  sisters  coming  in  the  spring,  and  made 
a  claim  to  about  160  acres,  where  Warrenvi  lie 
now  stands.  His  father  came  out  the  same 
spring,  and  bought  a  claim  on  the  river  north 
of  Naperville,  where  he  lived  several  years, 
when  they  came  here  and  lived  with  their 
son,  where  they  died,  he  July  6,  1866,  and 
she  February  4,  1873,  they  living  to  the  age 
of  eighty-six  and  eighty-eight  respectively. 
Col.  Warren  farmed  his  claim,  upon  which 
he  built  the  first  house  in  the  village  of  War- 
ren ville,  which  was  laid  out  on  the  claim 
about  1836;  he  also  built  and  conducted,  in 
company  with  Philo  Carpenter,  of  Chicago, 
a  saw-mill.  He  also  conducted  a  general 
store  in  Warrenville  for  a  number  of  years. 
He  was  the  first  Postmaster  of  the  place,  and 
has  held  the  office  in  all  some  twenty-five 
years.  He  was  formerly  a  Democrat  in  poli- 
tics, his  first  vote  being  for  Jackson,  and  has 
been  Bepublican  since  the  second  administra- 
tion of  Lincoln.  In  1844,  he  was  elected  to 
the  Legislature  from  the  Will  District,  rep- 
resenting Du  Page,  Will,  Kankakee  and 
Iroquois  Counties,  and,  later,  was  elected  to 
fill  a  vacancy.  The  Colonel  was  raised  in 
the  village  of  Fredonia  until  he  was  fourteen 
years  of  age;  he  received  a  common-school 
course  of  study;  after  he  became  old  enough, 
he  assisted  in  his  father's  business,  which, 
at  the  time,  was  principally  confined  to  the 
distillery,  where  he  worked  until  he  came 
West. 

DAVID  WARD,  farmer,  P.  0.  Turner,  is 
a  native  of  Bothwell,  Yorkshire,  England;  he 
was  born  in  the  year  1826;  his  father  was  a 
coal  miner,  and  David  was  put  in  the  mine 
at  nine  years  of  age,  and  continued  at  work 
in  the  mines  for  about  thirteen  years,  he  re- 


ceiving his  education  by  attending  night 
schools.  In  1846,  he  married  Miss  Ann  Bar- 
ber, a  native  of  Eothwell,  Yorkshire,  Eng. 
In  1849,  they  came  to  America,  and  located 
on  a  farm  near  Winfield,  where  they  farmed 
for  eighteen  years;  they  then  sold  out  and 
came  to  his  present  place,  located  one  mile 
east  of  Turner,  where  he  has  lived  since.  By 
the  marriage  there  are  nine  children,  of 
whom  eight  are  living-  —Joseph  A.  Ward,  liv- 
ing in  Sycamore,  111. ;  Mrs.  Annie  Gladding, 
of  Fulton  County,  111. ;  William  K.  Ward,  of 
Turner,  111.;  Mrs.  Mary  Eoundy,  of  Turner, 
111.;  John  L.,  George  Alfred,  Ella  May  and 
Charles  D. ,  at  home.  Mr.  Ward  is  Republi- 
can in  his  politics. 

SANFORD  WATSON,  farmer,  P.  O.  Ba- 
tavia,  is  a  native  of  Cortland  County,  N. 
Y. ;  he  was  born  in  the  year  1839,  and  is  the 
fourth  of  eight  children  born  to  Eliphalet  S. 
and  Lois  Kendall  Watson;  they  were  natives 
of  New  York  and  Massachusetts;  he  was  a 
j  carpenter  and  also  farmed.  In  1844.  they 
I  came  W_est  and  settled  in  Winfield  Township, 
Du  Page  County,  111.,  where  Mrs.  Watson 
died;  he  afterward  married  Miss  Morina 
Bartholomew,  and  lived  on  the  old  homestead 
until  1882,  when  they  moved  to  Geneva,  where 
they  now  live.  Our  subject  was  raised  on  the 
farm ;  he  received  a  common-school  education ; 
he  also  taught  school  a  number  of  terms.  On 
becoming  of  age,  he  began  working  as  a  car- 
penter with  his  brother.  In  1862,  he  married 
Miss  Jane  Cooper,  a  native  of  Ohio ;  she  came 
to  Du  Page  County,  111,,  with  her  parents. 
In  the  fall  of  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the  One 
Hundred  and  Fifth  Regiment  Illinois  Infant- 
ry, and  some  three  months  later,  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  Pioneer  Corps,  and  served  for 
three  years.  From  the  army  he  returned 
home  and  began  farming,  also  doing  carpen- 
ter work.  They  have  four  children — Irving 
S.,  attending  Grinnell  College,  Iowa;  Charles 


WAYNE    TOWNSHIP. 


195 


S.,  Mary  E.  and  Frank  S. ,  at  home.  He  is 
Republican;  he  owns  118  acres  located  two 
miles  east  of  Batavia. 

REV.  JOHN  WIEDERHOLD,  Winfield, 
is  a  native  of  Westphalia,  Prussia;  he  was 
born  in  the  year  1840;  he  was  born  on  his 
father's  farm,  and  lived  there  until  he  was 
twelve  years  of  age,  when  he  began  to  pre- 
pare for-the  ministry,  and  studied  at  Pader- 


born  and  Fulder,  except  a  two  years'  vacation, 
owing  to  sickness,  until  1864,  he  came  to 
America,  and  studied  for  four  years  at  the  St. 
Mary's  Seminary,  of  Chicago,  and  then  fin- 
ished his  studies  in  Milwaukee,  where  he  was 
ordained  by  Bishop  Henne  and  was  appoint- 
ed to  his  present  parish,  where  he  has  pre- 
sided since. 


WAYNE    TOWNSHIP. 


IRA  ALBRO,  farmer,  Wayne  Township, 
was  born  in  Erie  County,  N.  Y.,  October  31, 
1809,  son  of  John  and  Martha  (Gardner)  Al- 
bro.  John  Albro  was  a  native  of  Rhode  Isl- 
and, to  which  State  his  ancestors  came  from 
Nova  Scotia.  He  was  twice  married;  his 
wife  was  Betsey  Dunham,  sister  of  Solomon 
Dunham,  of  Du  Page  County;  his  second 
wife,  Martha  Gardiner,  bore  him  seven  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  grew  to  maturity,  none  of 
whom,  however,  came  West,  save  Ira,  our  sub- 
ject, the  eldest  of  the  family.  He  came  to 
Illinois  in  the  spring  of  1835;  worked  out  by 
the  month  some  time;  took  a  claim  of  228 
acres  of  land  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year, 
and  has  since  resided  on  the  place.  He  has 
devoted  his  attention  to  farming  since  he  set- 
tled here;  he  started  on  his  farm,  May,  1866, 
the  first  cheese  factory  in  this  section  of  the 
country,  which  he  sold  after  running  it  seven 
years;  his  farm  now  comprises  about  three 
hundred  acres  of  land.  Mr.  Albro  was  mar- 
ried, September  29,  1839,  to  Betsey  Dunham, 
born  in  Erie  County,  N.  Y.,  June  24,  1819, 
eldest  daughter  of  Solomon  Dunham.  Mrs. 
Albro  died  October  25,  1880,  leaving  one  son, 
Adrian  B.,  born  in  1841;  she  was  a  woman 
of  worth  and  of  marked  character,  and  did 
much  good  in  the  community.  Mr.  Albro 
was  a  Democrat,  as  was  also  his  father.  The 


latter  was  in  the  war  of  1812,  came  West  in 
1853,  and  died  February  2,  1861;  his  wife 
died  January  4,  1862. 

ROBERT  YOUNG  BENJAMIN,  farmer, 
P.  O.  Turner  Junction.  Of  the  pioneer  repre- 
sentatives of  Du  Page  County,  this  gentleman 
ranks  among  the  first.  At  the  time  of  his 
coming,  the  red  man  had  not  taken  his  final  de- 
parture, and  was  watching  with  envious 
anxiety  the  encroachments  of  the  ' '  pale  face  " 
upon  their  domain.,  and  the  consequent  dimi- 
nution of  their  own  numbers.  Robert  Young 
Benjamin  was  born  in  the  (then)  wilds  of  the 
Buckeye  State  July  7, 1808,  near  Worthington, 
Franklin  Co.,  Ohio.  He  was  the  eldest  son 
and  the  third  child  of  his  father,  Daniel  Ben- 
jamin, a  native  of  New  York  State,  son  of 
William.  Daniel  Benjamin  was  a  carpenter 
by  trade,  and  emigrated  to  Ohio  and  made 
his  settlement  north  of  where  Columbus  now 
stands,  and  was  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of 
Franklin  County.  He  married  Martha,  a 
daughter  of  Robert  Young,  who  was  a  native 
of  county  Tyrone,  Ireland.  Robert,  whose 
name  heads  this  sketch,  was  named  for  his 
mother;  he  was  reared  to  farm  labor,  and  as- 
sisted his  father  when  young  in  clearing  up 
the  farm,  and  thus  early  in  life  became  accus- 
tomed to  the  usages  and  inconveniences  that 
are  necessarily  incident  to  frontier  life.  His 


196 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


school  advantages,  as  a  matter  of  course,  were 
very  meager;  the  elements  of  reading,  writ- 
ing, etc.,  were  acquired  in  the  log  cabins  of 
that  day ;  his  principal  schooling  was  such  as 
he  obtained  in  the  busy  school  of  life — ex- 
perience. February  25,  1826,  he  married 
Nancy,  who  was  born  March  8,  1808,  in  Hop- 
kins County,  Ky. ,  daughter  of  John  Groff. 
In  the  spring  of  1834,  he  came  West  to  this 
State,  and  the  12th  of  May  he  made  his  loca- 
tion where  he  now  resides,  and  the  15th,  three 
days  from  his  arrival,  he  moved  into  his 
house,  which  was  the  first  one  built  in  the 
township.  His  claim  amounted  to  about  four 
hundred  acres,  which  he  purchased  of  the 
Government  as  soon  as  it  came  into  market. 
Here  he  settled,  and  for  well  on  to  half  a 
century  he  has  been  a  constant  resident  of  the 
place,  and  been  identified  with  the  interests 
of  the  county  and  township.  Of  eight  chil- 
dren born  to  him,  seven  are  living,  viz.,  Will- 
iam, Allen,  Daniel  and  Nathan  (twins),  George, 
Walter  and  Elizabeth.  The  above  are  living, 
but  variously  scattered.  William  resides  in 
Roseburg,  Ore.,  Register  of  Land  Office  there; 
Allen,  Walter  and  Daniel  are  in  Harrison 
County,  Iowa;  George  resides  in  Montana; 
Elizabeth  and  Nathan  are  residents  of  Wayne 
Township;  Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  John 
Kline.  Mr.  Benjamin  has  now  150  acres  of 
land,  and  is  yet  engaged  in  the  cultivation 
and  management  of  the  same,  and  has  always 
been  one  of  the  township's  worthy  citizens. 
He  is  not  a  member  of  any  church  or  society. 
Politically,  he  has  since  his  youth  been  a 
stanch  Democrat. 

LUTHER  BARTLETT,  deceased,  was  born 
July  21,  1817,  in  Conway,  Franklin  Co., 
Mass. ,  of  a  family  of  six  sons  and  one  daugh- 
ter, he  being  the  fourth  son  and  the  fifth 
child  that  grew  to  maturity.  His  father  was 
Luther,  and  his  mother's  maiden  name  was 
Annie  Nims,  of  Massachusetts.  Three  broth- 


ers named  Bartlett  came  from  England  at  an 
early  day  in  the  history  of  this  country,  one 
settling  in  New  Hampshire,  one  in  Massachu- 
setts and  one  elsewhere.  To  Luther  and 
Annie  (Niins)  Bartlett  was  born  seven  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  lived  to  maturity.  Luther 
Bartlett,  father  of  subject,  died  on  the  home- 
stead in  Conway,  and  there  our  subject  was 
raised  to  maturity.  He  taught  school  for 
several  years.  In  the  fall  of  1842,  he  came 
to  Michigan,  and  the  following  summer  he 
and  his  brother  Lyman  bought  a  farm  in 
Wayne  Township  of  320  acres,  and  settled 
upon  the  same,  and  the  following  spring 
(1844)  they  bought  of  the  State  enough  land 
to  make  765  acres  in  all.  Here  he  remained 
until  his  death,  June  25,  1882,  of  Bright's 
disease;  he  was  sick  only  a  few  days;  he  was 
a  life-long  Democrat;  he  was  Supervisor 
several  years.  The  deceased  was  a  man 
highly  respected  in  the  community  in  which 
he  lived;  was  strictly  upright  and  honest  in  all 
his  dealings  with  his  f  ellew-men,  and  although 
not  a  member  of  any  church,  was  extremely  lib- 
eral to  all  denominations,  November  8, 1844, 
he  was  married  to  Sophia,  daughter  of  Chester 
and  Sophia  (Palsifer)  Bartlett,  he  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  born  in  1788,  and  died  in 
1850;  she  born  in  1798.  Chester  Bartlett 
and  wife  came  West  in  1843. 

WILLIAM  BLANK,  faftner,  P.  O.  Bart- 
lett. Of  the  wealthy  farmers  in  the  township 
there  are  none  that  are  entitled  to  more  credit 
than  William  Blank.  He  was  born  April 
12,  1823,  in  Pennsylvania,  near  the  Lehigh 
River,  son  of  William  Blank  and  Sarah  Hick- 
man,  both  of  the  same  State.  Our  subject 
started  out  in  life  upon  his  own  resources. 
He  had  no  school  advantages;  could  just  read 
and  write  his  name,  but  had  no  knowledge  of 
figures  whatever.  He  worked  out  by  the 
month,  and  got  means  to  enable  him  to  come 
West.  Upon  his  arrival,  he  had  nothing  but 


WAYNE  TOWNSHIP. 


199 


his  hands,  but  he  labored  on;  he  came  West 
in  1845.  In  1850,  he  went  the  overland  route 
to  California,  and  while  on  his  way  had  some 
trying  experiences;  was  sick  six  months,  and 
was  in  danger  of  his  life  from  the  Indians, 
and  other  difficulties.  While  he  remained  in 
California,  he  was  engaged  in  teaming  and 
mining.  He  succeeded  in  saving  some 
money,  and  upon  his  return  to  the  county  he 
settled  permanently,  and  has  since  remained. 
He  is  a  self-made  man,  and  what  he  has  ac- 
cumulated has  been  by  hard  labor,  having 
never  speculated  nor  engaged  in  any  com- 
mercial business.  He  has  181  acres,  upon 
which  he  put  all  the  substantial  improve- 
ments. July  1,  1847,  he  married  Mrs.  Elea- 
nor Blank,  born  April  12,  1822,  in  Perry 
County,  Penn.,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Dunkel- 
berge.  Mr.  Blank  has  four  children — Orlin- 
thia,  Evaline,  Lydia  A.  and  Allison.  Orlin- 
thia  married  Albert  Ellis;  Evaline,  wife  of 
Dr.  Vanderhoof.  Mr.  Blank's  first  purchase 
was  eighty  acres,  costing  $8  per  acre,  and 
after  added  forty  more,  for  which  he  paid 
$15  per  acre.  He  purchased  and  located 
where  he  now  resides  in  December,  1866; 
farm  cost  $40  per  acre. 

HENRY  F.  BAEBER,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Wayne,  was  born  in  Benson,  Rutland  Co., 
Vt.,  July  12,  1804,  and  is  a  son  of  Levi  and 
Rebecca  (Himnan)  Barber,  natives  of  Wor- 
cester, Mass,  and  parents  of  nine  children — 
six  sons  and  three  daughters.  Mr.  Barber 
remained  on  the  homestead  farm  until  he 
grew  to  manhood,  and  in  January,  1828,  mar- 
ried Huldah  L.  King,  born  in  1806,  daughter 
of  David  King.  Mr.  Barber  came  to  this 
county  in  the  fall  of  1852,  and  purchased  a 
farm  in  Bloomingdale  Township,  where  he 
remained  about  three  years;  then  moved  to 
Cook  County.  111. ;  lived  there  until  about  the 
year  1869,  then  moved  to  his  present  place 
in  Wayne  Township.  Section  15,  where  he 


has  a  fine  farm  of  211  acres.  Mrs.  Barber 
died  July  4,  1875,  leaving  three  children- 
Caroline  E.,  wife  of  Josiah  Sterns,  of  Bloom- 
ingdale Township;  Mary,  wife  of  I.  B.  Kin- 
ney,  and  Henry  F.,  living  on  the  homestead, 
who  married  Mary  Moore,  who  has  borne  him 
three  children ;  Barton  H. ,  May  and  Howard. 
JOHN  CARR,  farmer,  P.  O.  Turner  Junc- 
tion, whose  portrait  appears  in  this  work,  was 
born  in  June,  1808,  in  Ireland,  and  emigrat- 
ed to  Vermont  in  1834,  where  he  worked  by 
the  month  at  a  small  salary  for  one  year,  when 
he  went  to  Massachusetts,  and  farmed  for 
two  years.  In  1837,  he  came  to  Chicago,  and 
subsequently  to  Batavia,  where  he  engaged 
in  a  grist  mill  at  $20  per  month.  Within 
about  one  year  he  took  sick,  and  when  able 
to  work,  his  means  were  exhausted,  and  he 
started  again  anew.  In  1841,  he  was  married 
to  Bridget  McGuire,  which  union  blessed 
him  with  two  children  that  grew  up,  viz., 
William  J.  and  Ann.  He  began  buying  land 
as  soon  as  he  could  save  some  means  from  his 
daily  labors,  such  as  digging  wells,  chopping 
wood,  etc.  He  has  now  250  acres  of  well-im- 
proved land,  the  result  of  his  own  labors. 
He  lived  for  many  years  in  Winfield  Town- 
ship, and  in  1867  he  settled  where  he  now  re- 
sides in  Wayne  Townnship.  He  has  ex- 
perienced the  hardships  that  make  up  the  life 
of  the  pioneer.  He  labored  for  some  time  in 
a  distillery,  yet  has  never  attained  the  habit 
of  drinking  strong  drinks.  He  has  hauled 
wheat  from  this  township  to  Chicago  and 
sold  it  for  40  cents  per  bushel,  and  also  oats 
at  20  cents.  He  served  one  term  as  School 
Trustee.  He  and  wife  early  united  with  the 
Catholic  Church.  He  votes  the  Democratic 
ticket.  His  son  William  was  married  to 
Mary  E.  Lynch,  a  daughter  of  James  and 
Margaret  Lynch,  by  whom  he  has,  as  a  result 
of  his  union,  four  children,  viz.,  Anna,  John, 
Gertie  and  James  W.  William  has  good 


200 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


land  adjoining  the  home  place,  and  he  with 
his  family  reside  with  his  parents  and  sister 
Ann,  who  was  never  married.  William  is 
now  School  Director,  and  has  served  in  some 
small  offices.  Our  subject  has  always  taken 
a  deep  interest  in  educating  his  children,  yet 
he  had  but  little  chance  himself.  He  is  now 
well  along  in  years,  burdened  with  poor 
health,  while  his  consort  suffers  with  cancer 
on  the  hand. 

EOBEET  CARSWELL,  farmer,  Wayne 
Township,  was  born  in  Scotland  May  1, 
1837,  son  of  Allen  and  Janet  (Johnson) 
Carswell.  Our  subject  was  the  youngest  of 
three  sons,  and  emigrated  to  Herkimer  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y. ,  with  his  parents.  He  engaged  for 
several  years  in  agricultural  pursuits  in  dif- 
ferent counties  in  New  York  State;  then  went 
to  New  Jersey,  where  he  engaged  in  farming 
in  Hudson  County  for  two  years;  then  located 
in  Otsego  County,  N.  Y.  From  there  Mr. 
Carswell  came  to  Wayne  Township,  Du  Page 
County,  111.  For  several  years  after  coming 
to  Illinois,  Mr.  Carswell  worked  at  the  car- 
penter's trade,  which  he  had  learned  in  New 
Jersey.  In  1872,  he  married  Emma  Dun- 
ham, youngest  daughter  of  Solomon  Dunham, 
one  of  the  old  pioneers  and  representative 
men  of  this  county.  After  marriage,  Mr. 
Carswell  lived  one  year  in  Wheaton,  and  the 
following  spring  located  in  this  township,  of 
which  he  has  since  been  a  resident.  He  has  j 
173  acres  of  land  under  cultivation,  and  ten 
acres  of  timber  land.  Since  purchasing  his 
place,  he  has  erected  a  good  house  and  barn 
and  made  general  improvements.  Aside  \ 
from  general  farming,  Mr.  Carswell  raises 
Norman  horses  and  conducts  a  dairy,  having 
thirty-seven  cows.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carswell 
have  four  children — Eobert  F.,  Ira  A.,  Grace  D., 
and  Willard  B.  Mr.  Carswell  is  a  Kepublican. 

SOLOMON  DUNHAM,  deceased.     Of  the 
early  settlers  who  came   to   this   region  of 


country  and  were  prominently  identified 
with  its  interests,  was  Solomon  Dunham; 
although  not  an  actual  resident  of  the  county, 
yet  living  as  he  did  near  the  line,  and  in 
that  early  time  lines  were  not  as  closely 
drawn  as  now,  and  being  a  man  of  much  more 
than  natural  ability,  possessed  of  an  educa- 
tion much  superior  to  the  settlers  in  common, 
and  being  of  strong  mind  and  of  a  positive 
nature,  his  influence  was  felt  to  a  large 
degree  for  miles  about  him.  Hence,  though 
Solomon  Dunham  was  not  an  actual  settler  of 
Du  Page  County,  yet  it  is  no  more  than  just 
to  him  that  he  receive  some  honorable  men- 
tion in  this  volume.  Most  of  his  children 
and  descendents  have  since  become  identified 
with  this  county.  He  was  born  in  Saratoga 
County,  N.  Y. ,  in  1791.  His  father,  who  was 
I  an  officer  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  was  a 
native  of  England,  and  had  several  sons,  some 
of  whom  took  sides  with  the  British,  and  were 
denominated  Tories.  The  father  of  our  sub- 
ject took  the  side  of  the  colonists,  and  took 
up  arms  against  his  brothers.  Solomon,  our 
subject,  was  bereft  of  his  father  at  an  early 
age,  and  was  thus  early  in  life  thrown  upon 
his  own  resources.  He  soon  learned  the  tan- 
ner's and  currier's  trade  and  that  of  shoemak- 
ing,  all  of  which  he  carried  on  for  several 
years.  He  used  to  run  a  boat  on  the  Hudson 
River;  was  engaged  in  the  lumber  business, 
and  was  on  a  sail  boat  passing  down  the  river 
when  the  first  steamboat  plowed  the  Hudson, 
and  his  boat  run  a  race  with  the  new  steamer. 
He  afterward  removed  West  to  Cattaraugus 
County,  N.  Y.,  and  still  carried  on  his  trade 
and  engaged  in  farming  to  some  extent.  As 
the  tide  of  emigration  was  drifting  west- 
ward, he  caught  the  spirit  of  the  times,  and 
in  March,  1835,  started  with  his  family  in  a 
wagon,  the  party  consisting  of  himself,  wife 
and  seven  children — Betsey,  Daniel,  Harriet, 
Cordelia,  Jane,  Julia  and  Helen.  He  located 


WAYNE    TOWNSHIP. 


201 


on  Section  12,  now  St  Charles  Township, 
bought  a  claim  of  about  f  our  hundred  acres  of 
land  of  Frances  Perry,  a  portion  of  land  ex- 
tending intoDu  Page  County.  He  studied 
surveying,  and  surveyed  off  and  divided  many 
-of  the  claims  that  were  taken  at  that  time,  and 
in  the  settling  these  lines  it  often  required 
much  promptness  and  decision  of  character  to 
settle  disputes  among  the  real  claimants  and 
the  "jumpers."  He  was  the  first  Station 
Agent  at  Wayne  Station  on  the  Chicago  & 
Galena  Railroad,  and  built  the  first  store 
there.  In  politics,  he  was  a  Jefferson  Demo- 
crat, and  up  to  the  time  of  his  death  was  true 
to  the  principles  he  held.  He  was  a  good 
farmer,  and  was  successful  in  his  business 
affairs.  He  was  a  good  neighbor,  and  a  valu- 
able member  of  the  Commonwealth.  He 
was  the  first  County  Commissioner  and  first 
Assessor  in  Kane  County,  and  took  an  active 
part  in  the  interests  of  the  county  as  long  as 
he  lived.  He  died  in  April,  1865.  His  mar- 
riage to  Lydia  Ballard  was  blessed  with 
eleven  children,  all  born  in  New  York,  except 
Mark  W.  and  Emma,  now  Mrs.  Carswell;  six 
are  living — Daniel,  Harriet,  Cordelia,  Helen, 
Mark  W.  and  Emma,  all  now  in  Wayne  Town- 
ship, except  'Mark  W.  and  Harriet;  the  latter 
resides  in  St.  Charles  Township,  adjoining 
Wayne  Township,  wife  of  Mark  "W.  Fletcher. 
Betsey,  now  deceased,  married  Ira  Albro; 
Helen;  Jane  married  Daniel  Stearns;  Julia 
died  aged  sixteen;  Cordelia  resides  in  Wayne 
Township,  wife  of  Peter  Pratt;  Emma,  wife 
of  Robert  Carswell;  Mark  W.,  on  the  home- 
stead. Solomon  Dunham  died  April,  1865. 
DANIEL  DUNHAM,  farmer,  breeder  and 
importer  of  Percheron  horses;  residence, 
Grove  Place;  P.  O.  W'ayne;  is  one  of  the 
prominent  farmers  of  Du  Page  County,  and 
ranks  among  the  first  of  the  breeders  of  fine 
stock  in  the  State.  He  was  born  in  Erie 
County,  N.  Y.,  January  13,  1821,  and  is  the 


eldest  son  of  Solomon  and  Lydia  (Ballard) 
Dunham.  At  the  age  of  five  years,  he  removed 
with  his  parents  to  Gowanda,  Cattaraugus 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained  till  the  spring 
of  1835,  when  he  came  West  to  Illinois,  and 
located  at  St.  Charles  Township,  Kane 
County,  one-half  mile  from  the  Du  Page 
County  line,  where  his  father  purchased 
about  400  acres  of  land  from  Francis  Perry. 
Mr.  Dunham  lived  with  his  parents  until  he 
was  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  having,  in 
1842,  purchased  a  farm  of  250  acres  in  this 
county,  which  he  began  improving  in  1849. 
November  5,  1853,  he  married  Olive  Hatha- 
way, born  in  Steuben  County,  N.  Y.,  in  May, 
1837,  eldest  daughter  of  Edward  and  Sallie 
A.  (Dolph)  Hathaway  ,he  born  in  Massachu- 
setts in  1815,  son  of  Joel  Hathaway,  she 
born  in  Steuben  County,  N.  Y. ,  daughter  of 
Alvin  and  Mary  (Calkins)  Dolph.  The 
Hathaway  family  moved  West  in  1844  to  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  where  they  remained  iintil  1850, 
when  they  came  to  Wayne  Township,  this 
county.  Mr.  Dunham  built  a  house  in  1849, 
on  his  farm,  where,  after  his  marriage,  he 
located  and  has  since  remained.  Mr."  and 
Mrs.  Dunham  have  four  daughters — Ellen 
D.,  wife  of  Joseph  Ross,  of  Wayne  Town- 
ship; Flora  I.,  wife  of  Charles  P.  Dewey, 
of  the  banking  firm  of  Birge  &  Dewey, 
Toulon,  Stark  Co. ,  111. ;  Julia  and  Mary  at 
home.  Mr.  Dunham  began  breeding  and 
importing  Norman  horses  in  1872,  and  makes 
a  specialty  of  that  business,  in  which  he  has 
met  with  good  success.  He  has  now  forty 
brood  mares  and  eighty  head  in  all.  Prior 
to  his  engaging  in  the  breeding  and  import- 
ing of  fine  horses,  he  followed  the  dairy  busi- 
ness, beginning  in  1868.  He  kept  about  100 
cows,  and,  in  the  summer  of  1877,  shipped 
to  Chicago  7,000  cans  of  milk.  Before  keep- 
ing the  dairy  farm,  he  fed  cattle  for  about 
ten  years,  shipping  large  numbers  of  cattle 


202 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


and  hogs.  He  carried  on  the  dairy  business 
till  1880,  since  which  time  he  has  given  his 
attention  to  his  horses.  He  has  800  acres  of 
land,  and  one  of  the  best  improved  farms  in 
this  county.  Among  the  breeders  of  Per- 
cheron  horses  in  the  United  States,  Mr.  Dun- 
ham ranks  third.  He  is  a  supporter  of  the 
Democratic  party. 

LYMAN  W.  DURFEE  (deceased)  was 
born  in  Windsor  County,  Vt.,  April  4,  1802; 
second  son  of  Nathan  and  Cynthia  (Slade) 
Durfee,  natives  of  Vermont.  Our  subject 
was  raised  on  a  farm,  and  was  early  in  life 
thrown  on  his  own  resources.  He  finally 
purchased  some  land  and  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. June  5,  1825,  he  married  Betheny  Al- 
len, born  November  4,  1807,  in  Cayuga 
County,  N.  Y.,  eldest  child  of  Barry  and 
Abigail  (Derby)  Allen,  she  a  native  of  New 
York  State,  and  he  of  Vermont.  Mr.  Durfee 
came  West  in  the  fall  of  1838;  spent  that 
winter  two  miles  east  of  Elgin;  thence  he 
came  to  Kane  County,  111. ,  near  the  Du  Page 
County  line,  where  he  worked  three  years. 
He  visited  this  county  first  in  1837,  and 
brought  his  family  here  in  1838;  in  1842, 
he  pre  empted  a  piece  of  land,  which  he 
afterward  lost,  and  the  following  year  bought 
forty  acres  for  $40;  he  added  to  this  land  till 
he  had  120  acres  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
which  occurred  December  5,  1874;  he  was  a 
Democrat.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Durfee  had  eight 
children — Jane,  living  in  Jackson  County, 
Wis.,  wife  of  Irvin  Whitney;  Martin,  en- 
gaged in  mining  in  Arizona;  Harvey,  in 
Kansas;  Henry,  in  Idaho,  mining;  Almera, 
deceased;  Andrew,  Frank  and  Abigail,  at 
home. 

W.  J.  GORHAM,  farmer,  P.  O.  Wayne 
Station,  born  November  27,  1837,  in  Dutch- 
ess  County,  N.  Y.,  the  youngest  son  of  Will- 
iam and  Sarah  (Halloway)  Grorham.  He  re- 
moved West  with  his  parents,  and  located 


with  them  in  Will  County,  and  remained 
there  until  his  location  on  the  farm  he  owns, 
which  was  shortly  after  his  marriage,  which 
occurred  in  July,  1866,  to  Lucinda  Smith, 
daughter  of  John  Smith,  one  of  the  early 
settlers.  Mr.  Gorham  has  an  excellent 
farm;  the  buildings  he  has  erected  since  his 
purchase;  he  has  one  child — Willis,  born 
October  17,  1871.  His  father,  William  Gor- 
ham, was  born  in  old  Stratford,  Conn.,  about 
the  year  1792,  son  of  William  and  Mary 
(Cannon)  Gorham.  Mary  Cannon  was  born 
in  France;  her  father  came  over  with  Lafay- 
ette, and  fought  in  the  Revolution  under 
Washington.  William  Gorham,  the  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  was  a  sea  pilot  by  oc- 
cupation. He  had  ten  children  born  to  him, 
viz.,  Le  Grand,  Joseph,  Hannah,  William, 
Mary,  Lewis,  Stephen,  Charlotte,  Curtis  and 
Betsy.  Le  Grand  was  born  the  day  that 
Danbury  was  burned;  he  settled  in  Massa- 
chusetts, and  run  a  mill  and  kept  a  hotel  at 
Great  Barrington.  Joseph  went  off  with 
Commodore  Porter  on  the  sea,  and  was  never 
heard  of  after.  Hannah  married  George 
Robson,  a  Revolutionary  soldier;  they  settled 
in  New  York.  Mary  settled  in  the  same 
place;  she  was  the  wife  of  George  Cox. 
Lewis  settled  in  Great  Barrington.  Stephen 
in  old  Stratford,  where  he  was  born.  Betsy 
married  Capt.  Kimball,  and  settled  in  New 
York.  Charlotte  and  Curtis  never  married, 
so  far  as  known.  Sarah  Holloway,  the 
mother  of  W.  J.,  was  born  July  22,  1800,  in 
Pawling,  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y.,  daughter 
of  Justice  and  Hannah  (Parks)  Holloway. 
Hannah  was  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Parks  and 
Deborah  Stevens.  Jacob  Parks  married  Lydia 
Tinkham,  who  was  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Tink- 
ham,  an  Englishman  by  birth,  who  died  leav- 
ing a  large  estate,  which  his  heirs  in  this  coun- 
try have  never  been  able  to  get  possession  of. 
He  (Jacob  Tinkham)  had  three  children — 


WAYNE    TOWNSHIP. 


203 


Lydia,  Hannah  and  Jacob;  the  latter  died 
when  crossing  the  ocean.  To  Justice  Hollo- 
way  and  Hannah,  his  wife,  were  born  five 
sons  and  one  daughter,  viz.,  Sarah,  Debo- 
rah, Jacob,  Althea  A.,  Phebe  and  Anna;  all 
of  the  above,  except  Sarah  (Mrs.  Gorham), 
came  West  and  settled  at  St.  Charles,  Kane 
County,  this  State.  Justice  Holloway  died 
March  1,  1840;  his  wife  survived  him  until 
January,  1862.  W7illiam  Gorham,  the  father 
of  W.  J. ,  was  a  tanner  and  currier  by  trade, 
and  carried  on  merchandising  to  some  extent 
while  in  Dutchess  County.  After  he  came 
West,  about  1852,  he  went  to  Will  County, 
where  he  died.  He  was  a  member  of  the  M. 
E.  Church,  and  was  held  in  high  esteem  by 
all  who  knew  him.  Seven  children  were 
born  to  him,  viz. ,  Hannah  E. ,  Mary  A. ,  Ai- 
ken,  Eletha,  Jacob  R. ,  Elijah  and  William, 
all  of  whom  are  living,  except  Eletha.  Han- 
nah E.  resides  in  Grundy  County,  this  State, 
relict  of  Newall  Dodge.  Mary  A.  resides  in 
St. Charles,  wife  of  B.  H.  Leake.  Aiken  re- 
sides in  W7ill  County,  a  farmer;  Jacob  R. 
and  William,  in  this  township. 

JACOB  RANSOM  GORHAM,  Wayne,  is 
a  native  of  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y. ,  born 
September  26,  1830,  second  son  of  William 
and  Sarah  (Holloway)  Gorham.  William 
Gorham  was  born  in  Stratford,  Conn. ;  was  a 
tanner  and  ciirrier  by  trade,  and,  in  addition 
to  pursuing  his  trade,  carried  on  mercantile 
business  and  the  manufacture  of  boots  and 
shoes;  his  wife,  who  was  a  daughter  of  Jus- 
tice Holloway,  was  born  in  Pawling,  Dutch- 
ess  Co.,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Gorham  learned  the 
trade  of  a  carpenter  and  joiner;  left  home 
when  he  attained  his  majority,  and  arrived  in 
this  township  with  but  §4  in  his  pocket,  and 
engaged  in  farming  with  R.  H.  Lake;  after- 
ward, traded  in  stock,  meeting  with  success. 
After  one  year,  he  dissolved  partnership  with 
Mr.  Lake  and  returned  East,  and,  after  stay- 


ing a  short  time,  returned  to  this  coimty  and 
worked  at  his  trade  and  also  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. In  1855,  he  married  Adelia  Reed,  born 
November  15,  1838,  only  daughter  of  Horace 
Reed;  from  this  union  five  children  were 
born — Almira,  wife  of  Thomas  W.  Lake; 
Gussie  F.,  Edith,  Horace  and  Mamie.  Hor- 
ace Reed,  Mrs.  Gorham's  father,  was  born 
January  26,  1795,  in  Weston,  Mass. :  came 
West  and  settled  on  the  place  now  owned  by 
our  subject,  which  he  improved  and  on  which 
he  remained  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
January  28,  1867.  April  19,  1818,  he  mar- 
ried Almira  Parker,  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts, born  May  5,  1800,  daughter  of  William 
and  Sallie  (Parker)  Parker,  also  natives  of 
Massachusetts.  William  Parker  was  born  in 
Lynn,  Mass.,  and  died  in  1828,  aged  fifty- 
seven  years;  his  wife  born  in  Leicester, 
Mass.,  died  November  3,  1863,  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  ninety-two  years;  they  had  the 
following  children,  who  grew  to  maturity: 
Esther,  Otis  (settled  in  Vermont),  Almira  and 
Louisa  (twins),  Sarah  and  Mary.  Mr.  Parker 
settled  in  Vermont  in  1803,  and  died  in  that 
State;  his  wife  and  daughters  came  to  Illinois 
in  1859.  Horace  Reed  served  in  the  war  of 
1812;  afterward,  joined  a  militia  artillery 
company,  in  which  he  was  promoted  from 
Sergeant  to  Captain;  he  and  his  wife  were 
members  of  the  M.  E.  Church.  After  his 
marriage,  Mr.  Gorham  bought  a  farm  of  sev- 
enty acres,  which,  after  working  six  years,  he 
sold,  and  bought  180  acres  in  the  same  school 
district;  worked  it  five  years,  then  sold  out 
and  bought  his  present  place,  on  which  he 
has  lived  since  1867;  his  farm  consists  of 
337  acres;  he  carries  on  general  farming  and 
dairying.  He  is  a  supporter  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  William  Gorham,  subject's 
father,  had  seven  children,  six  of  whom  are 
living  —  Hannah  E.,  residing  in  Grundy 
County,  relict  of  Newall  Dodge;  Mary  A.,  in 


204 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


St.  Charles,  wife  of  B.  H.  Lake;  Elijah;  Ai- 
ken,  a  farmer  in  Will  County,  111. ;  Jacob  E. 
(siibject)  and  William,  in  this  county;  he 
was  a  Methodist.  The  Gorhams  were  early 
settlers  of  Stratford,  Conn.,  being  there  in 
1777 ;  they  came  out  with  the  Pilgrim  Fathers. 
The  Holloways  were  of  Quaker  descent. 

M.  J.  HAMMOND,  farmer,  P.  O.  Wayne, 
was  born  in  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y. ,  October 
13,  1834,  eldest  son  of  Egbert  and  Phoebe 
(Halloway)  Hammond,  he  a  native  of  New 
York,  born  in  1809,  son  of  Mathew  Ham- 
mond, she  a  daughter  of  Justice  Holloway 
and  Hannah  Parks,  daughter  of  Jacob  Parks, 
all  of  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.  Jacob  was 
one  of  the  first  settlers  of  that  county,  and  a 
Eevolutionary  soldier.  The  Holloways  were 
of  Scotch  descent,  the  Hammonds  from  En- 
gland. Jacob  Parks  died  aged  eighty-eight. 
The  Hammonds  came  WTest  in  1850.  The 
family  consisted  of  parents  and  five  children 
— M.  J. ,  Perry  H. ,  Jacob  C. ,  Sarah  and  Em- 
ma. Perry  H.  died  in  the  army,  a  member 
of  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Illinois  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  Company  F. ;  Jacob  died  at 
home,  aged  twenty-two;  Sarah  and  Emma 
are  at  home.  When  Mr.  Hammond  came  to 
this  township,  he  bought  in  company  with 
A.  H.  Leake ;  stayed  here  one  year,  but  settled 
finally  on  Section  16,  and  lived  there  from 
1861  to  1868.  M.  J.  remained  with  family 
till  he  was  twenty-one.  In  1855,  he  bought 
land.  In  1861,  he  enlisted  in  the  Thirty- 
sixth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  Company  K, 
and  served  until  September,  1862;  was  Sec- 
ond Lieutenant,  and  resigned;  he  re-entered 
the  service  as  private,  but  was  promoted  to 
Fifth  Sergeant,  and  finally  was  commissioned 
as  Second  Lieutenant;  he  was  at  Pea  Eidge 
and  the  siege  of  Corinth.  After  his  return 
home,  he  resumed  farming,  and  has  since 
lived  here.  He  owns  250  acres  here  and  120 
acres  on  Section  16;  has  farmed  and  run 


a  dairy.     Mr.  Hammond  has  served  as  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace  two  terms;  also  for  several 

\  years  as  Assessor  and  Collector.  He  was 
married,  in  February,  1863,  to  Miss.  Marga- 
ret Simpson,  born  in  Ontario  County,  N.  Y. . 
daughter  of  John  and  Alice  (Palmer)  Simp- 
son. Mr.  Simpson  came  to  Cook  County  in 
1835.  Six  children  have  been  born:  Charles 
M. ,  Florence  A. ,  Frank  J.  and  Edward. 

JOSIAH  HAEEIS,  Bartlett,  Cook  County. 
Among  the  early  settlers  in  this  township 
was  the  Harris  family.  Josiah  was  born 
April  26,  1836,  in  London,  England,  the 
second  son  of  Benjamin  and  Amy  (Cook) 
Harris.  The  family  emigrated  to  this  State 
in  1845,  and  bought  eighty  acres  in  this 
township,  Section  2.  The  father  remained 
here  until  his  death,  in  1860,  aged  fifty-seven 
years ;  he  was  a  member  of  the  Protestant  M. 
E.  Church;  he  raised  four  children,  three  oE 
whom  came  here — Josiah,  Amy  and  Hannah. 
Benjamin  remained  in  England.  The  mother 
is  still  living.  Amy  resides  in  Minnesota, 
wife  of  John  H.  Mason;  Hannah  resides  in 
Grinnell,  Iowa.  Josiah  has  since  remained 
in  this  county.  He  was  married,  in  May, 
1867,  to  Jane  Denham,  born  in  this  county, 
daughter  of  Eobert  and  Jane  Denham,  natives 
of  the  Isle  of  Wight,  and  seven  children 
have  been  born  to  them — Hannah  E. ,  Eobert 
B.J  Amy  J.,  Melvin  J.,  William,  Irvin  and 
Nathaniel.  Mr.  Harris  has  125  acres  of  ex- 
cellent land,  and  is  a  Baptist  and  a  Bepubli- 
can. 

ABEAHAM  KEESHAW  is  a  descendant 
of  one  of  the  early  se'ttlers,  and  is  one  of  the 
leading  breeders  of  Short-Horn  cattle  of  this 
county,  born  in  Ehode  Island  July  10,  1822. 
His  father,  for  whom  he  is  named,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Manchester,  England,  and  was  a 
weaver  by  trade;  he  married  Eachel  Butter- 
worth,  who  bore  her  husband  thirteen  chil- 

1  dren,  of  whom  our  subject  is  the  third  son 


WAYNE  TOWNSHIP. 


205 


and  fourth  child;  three  of  the  oldest  were 
born  in  England.  Subject's  father  came  to 
this  country  in  1818;  he  was  a  thorough  silk 
and  cotton  weaver,  and  ran  great  risks  in 
coming  to  America  when  he  did,  as  at  that 
time  England  had  forbidden  her  mechanics 
to  come  to  this  country.  He  first  operated  a 
factory  in  Rhode  Island,  then  went  to  New 
York  State,  and,  in  1838,  came  West,  locat- 
ing in  what  is  now  Wayne  Township.  Du 
Page  County,  111. ;  here  he  died  in  June, 
1850;  his  wife  died  in  1840.  Mr.  Kershaw, 
our  subject,  now  owns  the  homestead,  situ- 
ated in  Section  7.  Of  the  thirteen  children, 
seven  grew  to  maturity,  viz.,  John,  Abraham, 
William,  Mary,  Marsden,  Minerva  and 
Charles;  of  these,  three  are  now  living — 
John,  in  Johnson  County,  .Neb. ;  Marsden, 
in  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  and  Charles,  in  Can- 
ada. Abraham  being  the  only  one  of  the  chil- 
dren in  this  State.  When  our  subject  was  a 
lad  of  seven  years,  he  worked  in  the  factory 
at  Fall  River,  printing  calico,  at  §1  per 
week,  and  boarded  himself;  he  then  worked 
mainly  for  his  father  until  the  latter's  death. 
Mr.  Kershaw  was  married,  in  September, 
1850,  to  Mrs.  Althea  J.  Whipple,  relict  of 
Dr.  Thomas  Whipple,  a  native  of  New  York, 
who  came  WTest  in  an  early  day.  Mrs, 
(Whipple)  Kershaw  died  July  4,  1873.  Mr. 
Kershaw  married  his  second  wife,  Mrs.  Emily 
Lee.  January  24,  1880;  she  was  born  in  Kane 
County,  111. ,  daughter  of  George  Muir.  Mr. 
Kershaw  has,  by  his  second  wife,  two  chil- 
dren— Althea  and  Abraham,  Jr.  Our  sub- 
ject located  on  his  present  farm  in  1852;  he 
traded  a  suit  of  clothes  and  a  gun  for  his  first 
claim;  he  now  owns  320  acres.  Since  1855, 
he  has  been  engaged  in  the  breeding  and 
raising  of  Short-Horn  cattle;  he  has  bred 
some  of  the  finest  cattle  in  the  county,  having 
raised  twin  steers  that  weighed  respectively 
3,350  and  3,400  pounds;  they  were  sold  in 


Chicago,  and  were  on  exhibition  at  Dexter 
Park;  he  raised  a  three-year-old  heifer  that 
weighed  2,200  pounds;  he  also  raises  some 
Berkshire  hogs.  His  farm  is  finely  located, 
and  he  has  the  best  of  farm  implements. 
Politically,  he  is  a  Democrat. 

JOHN  KLINE,  Winfield,  was  born  in  the 
city  of  New  York  December  27,  1828,  sou  of 
Casper  M.  and  Louisa  (Krebell)  Kline. 
Casper  Kline  was  born  in  Germany  August 
28,  1801,  and  came  to  America  when  very 
young;  his  wife,  whose  parents  were  from 
Germany,  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Penn., 
and  died  in  January,  1876;  they  had  the  fol- 

|  lowing  children,  all  living:  Matthias,  in 
Michigan;  John  and  Francis,  on  the  home 
farm  in  Winfield  Township;  Mary  L.,  wife 
of  Thomas  Watson,  of  WTinfield  Township; 
Joseph,  in  Benton  County,  Iowa;  Louisa, 
wife  of  Nathan  Benjamin,  of  Wayne  Town- 
ship. Mr.  Kline  remained  on  the  home  farm 
till  he  had  reached  the  age  of  twenty-four 
years,  and,  November  23,  1852,  married 
Clarissa  M.  Champion,  born  in  Canada, 
daughter  of  Elias  and  Susan  (Ayres)  Cham- 
pion; she  died  January  25,  1858,  leaving 
two  children — Eliza  A. ,  wife  of  Byron  Reid, 
of  Kane  County,  111.,  and  Francis  T.,  in 
Black  Hawk  County,  Iowa.  September  21, 
1859,  Mr.  Kline  married  Caroline  E.  Benja- 
min, born  August  23,  1836,  eldest  daughter 
of  R.  T.  Benjamin,  one  of  the  earliest  settlers 
of  this  township.  Since  his  marriage,  Mr. 
Kline  has  resided  in  this  township,  at  the 
Junction  for  some  time,  and  at  Wheaton  six 
years,  locating  in  the  latter  place  December 
5,  1870.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Sheriff 
three  terms,  being  elected  in  the  fall  of  1870, 
and  since  re- elected  twice;  he  has  also  been 
Road  Commissioner  one  term.  He  moved  to 
his  farm  in  1855,  and  has  since  resided  there, 
with  the  exception  of  the  time  he  resided  at  the 

1  Junction  and  at  Wheaton  whi  le  acting  as  Sher-^ 


206 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


iff;  his  farm  consists  of  102£  acres  of  land.  By 
his  last  marriage,  he  has  four  children — Ade- 
laide C. ,  Cooper  M. ,  John  R.  and  Nathan  J. 

GEORGE  KLINE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Winfield. 
Among  the  prominent  farmers  of  Wayne 
Township  is  the  gentleman  whose  name  heads 
this  sketch.  He  is  a  native  of  Prussia,  born 
December  i,  1822,  son  of  Michael  Kline. 
The  family  came  to  this  State,  bought  eighty 
acres  the  same  year  and  settled  upon  it,  where 
they  lived  and  where  the  father  died  in  1866, 
the  mother  surviving  until  1876.  They  had 
two  sons  and  two  daughters,  the  daughters 
being  dead — Jacob,  in  Kansas,  and  our  subject 
being  the  survivors.  Mr.  Kline  learned  the 
shoemaker's  trade  in  his  native  country,  and 
worked  several  years  at  the  same  in  Naper- 
ville.  He  bought  the  farm  he  now  owns  in 
1853,  and  has  made  all  the  improvements  on 
it.  June  22,  1850,  he  was  married  to  The- 
resa Hentes,  born  in  1832,  daughter  of  Math- 
ew  Hentes,  and  six  children  have  been  born 
to  them — Peter,  Jacob,  Nicholas,  George  M., 
Theresa  and  Maggie.  He  has  194  acres  at 
the  Junction  and  170  acres  here.  Mr.  Kline 
is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Church  and  a 
Democrat. 

ROBERT  H.  LAKE  was  born  in  Dutch- 
ess  County,  N.  Y.,  October  27,  1819,  and  is 
the  eldest  son  of  Thomas  and  Elise  Lake, 
both  natives  of  New  York  and  parents  of 
seven  children,  six  of  whom  grew  to  maturity. 
Mr.  Lake  remained  with  his  father  on  the 
farm  till  he  was  twenty-seven  years  of  age, 
and,  in  June,  1849,  came  West,  to  Illinois, 
and  bought  152  acres  of  land  in  this  town- 
ship at  $12  an  acre;  afterward  increased  his 
farm  to  222  acres,  and  carried  on  farming 
and  dairying;  in  1876,  he  removed  to  St. 
Charles.  He  married  Mary  Ann  Gorham, 
also  a  native  of  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y. ,  and 
daughter  of  William  Gorham;  they  have  two 
children — Thomas  and  Imogene.  He  is  a 


supporter  of  the  Democratic  party.  Thomas 
W.  Lake,  only  son  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  is  one  of  the  enterprising  farmers  of 
this  township.  He  was  born  on  the  farm  on 
which  he  now  lives,  September  25,  1851. 
He  married,  December  15,  1875,  Alniira 
Gorham,  born  May  11,  1855,  eldest  daugh- 
ter of  Jacob  R.  Gorham;  they  have  one  child 
— Jacob  Ransom  Bertie,  born  July  15,  1882. 
Mr.  Lake  has  had  control  of  the  farm  since 
his  marriage. 

THOMAS  MUIR,  farmer,  Wayne  Tp..  was 
born  April  2,  1810,  in  Scotland,  youngest  of 
eleven  children  born  to  Alexander  Muir,  a 
shepherd  and  small  farmer,  who  died  in  Scot- 
land. Our  subject  was  a  shepherd  boy  un- 
der his  father  until  coming  to  Canada,  land- 
ing at  Quebec  in  June,  1832,  after  a  voyage 
of  eight  weeks.  After  working  by  the  month 
in  Canada  for  three  years,  he  came  (just  pre- 
vious to  the  Patriot  war  in  Canada)  to  Buffa- 
lo, N.  Y.  He  worked  in  a  saw-mill  in 
Buffalo  for  a  short  tima  then  on  a  railroad 
running  from  Buffalo  to  Niagara  Falls  (this 
was  one  of  the  first  railroads);  subsequently, 
he  was  engaged  in  a  saw-mill  and  at  the  car- 
penter's trade  on  the  Illinois  River;  then, 
after  recovering  from  a  severe  illness,  he 
worked  in  Chicago  for  two  winters,  then 
bought  and  worked  up  thirteen  acres  of  tim- 
ber on  North  Branch.  Mr.  Muir  next  came 
to  Bloomingdale,  Du  Page  County,  and  bought 
120  acres  for  $800;  he  also  paid  $25  for  a 
claim,  and  entered  the  same.  After  making 
some  improvements  on  his  land,  he  returned 
to  Chicago  and  engaged  in  the  commission 
business  for  two  winters,  then,  after  a  return 
to  his  farm,  he  sold  goods  on  commission  for 
James  F.  Durant,  and  subsequently,  handled 
the  same  line  of  goods  on  his  own  account. 
Mr.  Muir  next  located  on  his  farm,  built  a 
house  and  remained  there  until  April,  1867, 
when  he  bought  178|  acres  in  Wayne  Town- 


WAYNE  TOWNSHIP. 


207 


ship,  where  lie  still  resides.  October  7, 
1857,  Mr.  Muir  married  Esther  J.  Owen, 
born  June  9,  1826,  in  Hastings,  Oswego  Co. , 
N.  Y. ,  daiighterof  Shubel  and  Hannah  (Cook) 
Owen,  natives  of  New  York.  Mrs.  Muir's 
paternal  grandfather  served  during  the  entire 
war  of  the  Revolution.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Muir 
have  buried  three  infants,  and  now  have  four 
children — Alexander  J.,  Albert  O.,  Helen  J. 
and  Thomas  E.  Mr.  Muir  was  raised  in  the 
faith  of  the  church  of  Scotland,  or  Old  School 
Presbyterians;  he  is  now  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  Church.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican, but  cast  his  first  vote  for  Harrison. 

W.  H.  MOFFATT,  farmer,  Wayne  Tp., 
who  was  born  February  24,  1810,  in  Orange 
County,  N.  Y.,  came  to  this  county  in  1845, 
and  purchased  a  part  of  a  claim  from  the 
Government,  upon  which  he  settled  and 
where  he  has  since  remained.  He  was  the  eld- 
est son  of  Thomas  and  Deborah  (Helm)  Moffatt, 
natives  of  New  York  State.  Thomas  was  a 
farmer,  and  raised  a  family  of  eight  children 
— W.  H.,  Mary  A.,  Phebe,  William,  Sylva- 
nus,  Catharine,  Anselm  and  Ruth,  all  of 
whom  are  living  except  William;  Mary  A., 
wife  of  Elmer  Gregory,  lives  in  Elgin;  Phebe 
resides  in  Bartlett,  Cook  County,  relict  of 
Henry  V.  Sayer;  William  died  a  young  man; 
Sylvanus  resides  in  Wheaton,  and  Catharine 
in  the  same  place,  relict  of  Frank  Bordeen; 
Anselm  resides  in  Kansas  near  Clyde,  Cloud 
County;  Ruth,  wife  of  Daniel  L.  Wheelock, 
resides  in  Iowa.  Mr.  Moffatt's  father,  Thom- 
as, died  in  September,  1827;  his  wife  died 
in  May,  1879.  Our  subject  remained  on  the 
home  farm  until  he  became  twenty-three 
years  old,  when  he  began  for  himself.  He 
was  married,  December  31, 1833,  to  Dolly  A. 
Watkins,  born  February  3,  1809,  in  Orange 
County,  N.  Y. ;  she  is  the  youngest  child  of 
Joshua  and  Ann  (Tuthill)  Watkins,  both  of 
Orange  County,  N.  Y. ;  Joshua  was  a  son  of 


Hezekiah  and  Dolly  (Brown)  Watkins.  Ann 
was  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Susan  Tut- 
hill. After  leaving  home,  Mr.  Moffatt  worked 
land  on  shares  until  he  came  West  and  set- 
tled on  his  present  farm  of  203  acres.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Moffatt  have  had  three  children — 
Mary,  Thomas  and  Albert.  Thomas  enlisted 
in  September,  1861,  in  Company  K,  Thirty- 
sixth  Iowa  Volunteer  Infantry,  and,  after 
serving  one  year,  was  killed  in  the  battle  of 
Perryville;  Mary,  wife  of  Jonas  G.  Blank, 
resides  in  this  township;  Albert  resides  on 
the  homestead,  and.  is  married  to  Alice  Wal- 
cott;  they  have  two  children — Charles  and 
Fannie.  Mr.  Moffatt  and  his  family  are 
members  of  the  Congregational  Church.  Mr. 
Moffatt  was  a  Whig,  and  has  been  a  Repub- 
lican since  the  organization  of  that  party. 

ERNST  MEYER,  farmer,  P.  O.  Ontario- 
ville.  Among  the  settlers  of  Bloomingdale 
was  Mr.  Meyer,'  who  was  born  September  1, 
1819,  in  the  Kingdom  of  Hanover.  He  was 
the  eldest  son  of  Christian  and  Margaret 
(Essmann)  Meyer.  Ernst  remained  with  his 
father  till  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age,  when 
he  went  to  clerking  for  some  time,  when  he 
went  into  the  army,  where,  in  consequence  of 
merit,  he  was  appointed  to  a  position  as  serv- 
itor "at  court,  where  he  remained  till  twenty- 
eight  years  of  age.  In  1848,  he  came  to 
America,  and,  coming  to  this  county,  bought 
eighty  acres  of  land  in  Addison  Township, 
where  he  lived  some  time,  and  then  went  to 
Brush  Hill  and  lived.  In  the  fall  of  1850, 
he  married  Louisa  Krausa,  born  in  Prussia, 
daughter  of  John  Krausa;  she  died  August 
26,  1855,  leaving  one  child— Matilda.  Feb- 
ruary 29,  1856,  he  married  Wilhelmina  Hin- 
amann,  a  native  of  Hanover,  born  May  22, 
1826,  daughter  of  George  and  Margarita  (Ro- 
her)  Hinamann.  Six  children  were  born,  five 
of  whom  are  living— Louisa,  George,  Augus- 
ta, Julius,  Mary  (dead)  and  Emm  a.  Louisa 


208 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


lives  in  Chicago,  wife  of  Charles  Schramm. 
Matilda,  first  wife's  child,  married  John  Red- 
eker,  of  Elgin.  Mr.  Meyer  has  lived  here 
since  1856,  and  has  put  all  the  improvements 
on  his  farm.  He  sells  very  little  grain,  feed- 
ing the  same  to  his  stock.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Evangelical  Church  and  a  Eepublican. 
PATRICK  O'BRIEN,  farmer,  P.  O.  Bart- 
lett.  Among  the  self-made  men  of  this  town- 
ship is  Patrick  O'Brien,  who  was  born  in 
June,  1826,  on  the  Emerald  Isle,  County 
W exford,  of  a  family  of  twelve  children 
born  to  Thomas  O'Brien  ^nd  Bridget  Grant. 
Patrick  obtained  a  good  common-school  edu- 
cation, and  was  raised  to  farming  pursuits 
and  was  early  in  life  thrown  upon  his  own 
resources,  and,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  emi- 
grated to  this  country,  and  soon  made  his  way 
to  Chicago,  where  he  worked  for  several 
years,  turning  his  attention  to  any  honest 
labor  that  would  promise  the  best  and  surest 
returns.  Having,  by  diligence  and  economy, 
saved  some  means,  he  entered  160  acres  of 
land  in  Bloomingdale  Township,  located  in 
the  northwestern  part;  this  he  obtained  at 
Government  price.  He  soon  settled  on  the 
same  and  improved  it  and  remained  on  it  un- 
til about  1866,  when  he  sold  out  and  pur- 
chased 200  acres  in  this  township  of  Daniel 
Wheelock  and  has  since  been  a  constant  resi- 
dent of  this  township  and  been  engaged  in 
farming  pursuits,  and,  from  a  poor  and  friend- 
less boy,  has  come  to  be  one  of  thi>  county's 
substantial  farmers.  He  has  been  twice  mar- 
ried— first,  to  Mary  Ackermann,  a  native  of 
Germany,  who  died  in  1866.  Of  ten  chil- 
dren born  of  her,  five  are  living — John,  Mike, 
Henry,  Mary  and  Carrie.  Mary  married 
James  Shields,  and  resides  in  the  township; 
other  children  at  home.  His  last  wife  was 
Mary  Calloway,  a  native  of  Ireland.  Mr. 
O'Brien  is  a  Democrat  and  a  member  of  the 
Catholic  Church. 


CHARLES  PLANE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Tur- 
ner Junction.  Most  of  the  young  people  of 
the  present  generation  are  not  aware  of  the 
difficulties  and  discouraging  circumstances 
that  attended  the  early  settlers  upon  their 
making  a  start  in  life.  The  history  of  many 
of  these  men  should  be  a  valuable  incentive 
to  the  young  men  of  the  present  age.  The 
success  that  has  crowned  their  efforts  is  with- 
in the  reach  of  all  those  that  will  heed  the 
lesson  taught  by  the  experience  of  these  men. 
Among  the  self-made  men  of  Du  Page  County 
who  has  succeeded  under  adverse  and  dis- 
couraging circumstances  is  Charles  Plane. 
He  was  born  March  6,  1820,  in  Norfolk,  En- 
gland, and  emigrated  with  his  father,  Pelan 
Plane,  to  Livingston  Coutny,  N.  Y.,  when 
about  ten  years  of  age.  His  father  hired  him 
out  to  a  hard  master,  with  whom  he  remained 
until  about  fourteen  years  of  age,  when  his 
treatment  and  the  requirements  made  of  him 
became  almost  past  endurance,  and  he  left 
him  and  turned  his  back  upon  the  Empire 
State,  and  came  West,  to  this  State,  and 
hired  out  among  the  farmers  on  Rock  River, 
in  Ogle  County.  By  diligence  and  economy, 
he  succeeded  at  length  in  a  few  years  in  ob- 
taining the '  nucleus  of  a  home.  About  this 
time  his  father  came  West,  and,  as  he  was 
yet  under  age,  Charles  had  to  give  up  his 
hard  earnings,  and  he  struck  out  to  make 
another  beginning.  Went  first  to  Cook 
County,  where  he  worked  some  time  in  a  liv- 
ery stable,  after  which  he  went  to  Boone 
County,  remaining  here  one  year.  After 
this,  he  came  to  Maywood  and  kopt  tavern 
two  years;  then  went  to  Algonquin,  McHenry 
County,  and  carried  on  the  same  business  one 
year.  Subsequently,  came  to  this  county  and 
purchased  160  acres,  where  he  now  resides; 
the  land  cost  him  $9  per  acre.  Since  that 
time,  he  has  been  a  constant  resident  of  the 
township,  and  is  to-day  one  of  the  wealthy 


WAYXE  TOWNSHIP. 


209 


farmers  of  the  county,  having  here  300  acres, 
besides  330  in  Kane  County.  His  improve- 
ments are  among  the  best  in  the  township. 
He  lost  his  former  residence  by  fire,  which 
has  since  been  replaced  by  a  large  and  com- 
modious residence  of  modern  style.  Few, 
if  any,  men  have  worked  harder  than  Mr. 
Plane,  yet,  notwithstanding  all  the  obstacles 
thrown  in  his  way,  he  has  surmounted  them 
all  and  is  now  independent,  having  a  compe- 
tence laid  by  for  his  declining  years.  He  has 
been  twice  married;  his  first  wife  was  Lucy 
Clark,  daughter  of  Daniel  Clark,  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  the  county;  his  wife  died,  leav- 
ing two  sons — Albert  and  George,  now  of  Kane 
County.  His  present  wife  was  Sophia,  born  in 
Allegany  County,  N.  Y. ,  daughter  of  Levi  H. 
Appleby  and  Rebecca  Stoddard,who  came  West 
in  1842;  he  died  in  1852;  she,  June,  1881.  By 
last  wife  he  has  three  children — Edwin, 
Carrie  and  Minnie.  Carrie  resides  in  Kane 
County,  wife  of  Joseph  Higgins.  Mr.  Plane 
iised  to  haul  wheat  from  Rock  River  to  Chi- 
cago, when  the  trip  would  take  eleven  days, 
wheat  45  to  50  cents  per  bushel,  often  getting 
stuck  in  the  road,  and  would  have  to  convey 
the  wheat  on  his  back  to  dry  ground;  this 
would  have  to  be  repeated  several  times  dur- 
ing the  same  trip.  Mr.  Plane  had  eight 
brothers  and  sisters,  who  are  severally  located 
as  follows:  John  resides  in  Bel videre;  Robert 
in  Independence,  Buchanan  Co.,  Iowa;  Sarah 
resides  in  Belvidere,  also,  is  the  wife  of  Ben- 
jamin Gill;  Esther  settled  in  Ogle  County, 
wife  of  Matthew  Riseborough;  Charlotte  lives 
near  Fort  Dodge,  wife  of  Thomas  Gill.  Mr. 
Plane  is  a  Republican. 

PETER  PRATT,  farmer,  Wayne;  was 
born  in  Erie  County,  N.  Y.,  March  1,  1823, 
eldest  son  of  Luther  and  Ruby  (Shippy) 
Pratt,  he  born  in  Massachusetts,  son  of  Peter 
and  Olive  (Short)  Pratt,  natives  of  Massachu- 
setts, she  born  in  Vermont,  daughter  of  Jacob 


Shippy.  The  Pratt  family  are  of  Scotch  de- 
scent. When  twelve  years  of  age,  our  sub- 
ject removed  with  his  parents  to  Cattaraugas 
County,  N.  Y. ,  where  they  remained  seven 
years,  and  then  all  started  in  a  wagon  for  Illi- 
nois. They  located  in  Kane  County,  111. ,  in 
the  fall  of  1842,  and,  two  years  later,  the 
i  father  bought  a  small  piece  of  land  in  Wayno 
'  Township,  where  Wayne  Station  is  now  situ- 
!  ated,  on  the  Chicago  &  North-Western  Rail- 
road. Subject's  father  died  in  1846,  and 
his  mother  in  1864;  they  raised  eight  chil- 
dren— Olive,  now  Mrs.  T.  Evans,  of  Belle - 
j  vue,  111.;  Peter,  our  subject;  Mary,  now  Mrs. 
Albert  Compton,  of  Kendall  County,  111. ; 
Philogus,  deceased  about  1850;  Eleanor,  now 
Mrs.  Charles  Wheeler,  of  Linn  County,  Kan. ; 
Christopher,  a  resident  of  Jackson  County, 
Ore. ;  Rebecca,  now  Mrs.  John  Norton,  of 
Cofiey  County,  Kan. ;  Annetta,  now  Mrs. 
George  Furnell,  of "  Pecatonica,  this  State. 
Our  subject  remained  at  home,  working  on 
the  farm,  till  he  was  twenty-one  years  old, 
when  he  began  for  himself;  worked  as  a  farm 
hand,  at  $12  a  month;  also  chopped  wood 
and  split  rails,  boarding  himself.  Septem- 
ber 26,  1847,  Mr.  Pratt  married  Cordelia 
Dunham,  born  March  11, 1825,  in  Erie  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y. ;  she  is  the  third  daughter  of  Solo- 
mon Dunham,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
this  county.  After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Pratt 
located  on  his  present  farm,  on  Section  17; 
this  place  of  131  acres  he  purchased  in  1846; 
he  owns  some  timber  land  in  Kane  County; 
he  raises  some  horses.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pratt 
have  had  five  children — Mark  D. ,  who  died 
May  20,  1860,  at  the  age  of  eleven;  George, 
now  in  Washington  Territory,  in  tbe  railroad 
business;  Jessie,  wife  of  Thomas  Julian, 
'  residents  of  Plate  Centre,  Kane  Co.,  111., 
Emma  and  Frank,  at  home.  Mr.  Pratt,  al- 
though not  a  member,  is  a  supporter  of  the 
1  Congregational  Church,  of  which  his  wife 


210 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


and  family  are  members.  Mr.  Pratt,  former- 
ly a  Whig,  is  now  a  Republican. 

JAMES  T.  PIERCE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Bart- 
lett,  Cook  Coiinty,  is  a  native  and  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  the  county,  born  in  the 
town  of  Lisle  February  2,  1822,  second 
son  of  Martin  and  Esther  Pierce,  natives 
of  Massachusetts.  Martin  Pierce  came  to 
this  county  in  the  fall  of  1835,  and  settled 
near  Naperville  and  died  in  1865;  his  wife 
survived  him  several  years.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch  remained  at  home  till  1845,  and, 
in  1851,  located  permanently  on  his  present 
place,  consisting  of  212  acres  of  land,  on 
which  he  has  put  all  the  improvements  nec- 
essary to  a  well-regulated  farm.  He  mar- 
ried Sarah,  daughter  of  Mr.  J.  Blank,  and 
from  this  union  eight  children  have  been 
born — Austin,  Eva,  Spencer,  Carrie,  Mate  M., 
Eugene,  Frank  and  Etta.  Austin  is  in  Gen- 
oa, 111.;  Eva  is  the  wife' of  Rev.  John  Bid- 
well,  and  Carrie  resides  in  Marengo,  111., 
wife  of  Marsh  Underwood.  Mr.  Pierce  is  a 
Republican;  is  Road  Commissioner,  and  has 
held  several  other  local  offices;  his  wife  is  a 
member  of  the  Congregational  Church. 

GEORGE  W.  REED.f  ariner,  P.  O.  Turner, 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  township,  was 
born  February  26,  1806,  in  Cambridge  (then 
Franklin)  Coimty,  Vt.  He  is  the  youngest 
son  of  Nathaniel  and  Anna  (Keys)  Reed,  na- 
tives of  Warren,  Mass.  Mr.  Reed  remained 
upon  the  home  farm  until  seventeen  years  of 
age,  when  he  began  clerking  in  a  store  in  St. 
Albans,  Vt. ;  there  he  remained  till  he  was 
twenty- four  years  old,  when  he  engaged  in 
the  mercantile  business  in  Cambridge,  Vt. , 
in  company  with  his  brother  Renssalear;  they 
continued  this  business  until  about  1834. 
January  1,  of  that  year,  Mr.  Reed  married 
Julia  A.  Ellenwood,  born  in  Johnson,  Vt., 
December  28,  1816,  eldest  child  of  Thomas 
and  Alice  Lathrop,  she  bora  in  Connecticut, 


daughter  of  Veranus  Lathrop,  he  born  in 
Vermont,  son  of  Ralph  Ellenwood.  After 
Mr.  Reed's  marriage,  he  removed  to  Cuyahoga 
County,  Ohio,  and  remained  there  about  two 
years.  In  the  fall  of  1837,  came  to  this  place 
and  took  a  claim  where  the  cheese  factory 
now  stands;  he  remained  upon  that  claim  till 
1842,  when  he  sold  out  and  bought  the  claim 
where  he  now  lives,  paying  $100  for  180 
acres.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reed  have  had  eight 
children  —  Rodney  B. ,  born  in  Ohio,  died 
June  4,  1880;  George  B. ,  living  in  Kane 
County;  William  L.,  a  merchant  at  Junction; 
Emily  A.,  wife  of  Robert  Benjamin,  living 
in  this  township;  David  E.,  deceased;  Julia 
A.,  at  home;  Charles  F.,  also  at  home,  and 
Ida  M. ,  wife  of  Charles  P.  Stark,  located  at 
Junction;  the  last  seven  children  were  born 
in  Illinois.  George  B.  was  in  the  late  war, 
serving  in  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and 
Fifth  Regiment,  Twentieth  Corps;  was  with 
Sherman  in  about  all  of  his  battles.  Will- 
iam Thomas  was  out  in  the  100-days'  service. 
Mr.  Reed  has  been  a  member  of  the  M.  E. 
Church  for  about  thirty  years;  in  politics,  he 
is  a  Republican. 

HENRY  VENDUSER  SAYER  (deceased) 
was  born  in  March  15, 1815,  in  Orange  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y.,  eldest  son  of  William  and  Mary 
(Venduser)  Sayer.  William  was  a  native  of 
Orange  County,  N.  Y.,  son  of  Jonathan  Say- 
er. The  Vendusers  were  from  Holland. 
Mary  was  a  daughter  of  Henry  Venduser. 
To  William  and  Mary  Sayer  were  born  six 
children,  five  of  whom  lived  to  matiirity — 
Fannie,  Henry,  Catharine,  Harriet  and  Jo- 
seph, none  of  whom  are  now  living.  Henry 
V.  was  raised  a  farmer  and  was  married, 
April  10,  1838,  to  Phebe  E.  Moffatt, '  born 
December  13, 1813,  in  Orange  County,  N.  Y.r 
third  child  and  second  daughter  of  Thomas 
and  Deborah  (Helm)  Moffatt,  both  natives  of 
Orange  County,  N.  Y.  Thomas  was  a  son  of 


WAYNE  TOWNSHIP. 


211 


William  Moffatt.  In  1837,  Mr.  Sayer  came 
West  to  see  the  country,  and,  in  the  spring 
of  1838,  took  up  a  claim  near  Aurora,  but  fi- 
nally traded  for  a  claim  in  Wayne  and  located 
there  in  1841,  where  he  remained  until  his 
death,  December  5,  1874;  he  was  a  Whig  in 
the  early  times,  but  became  a  Republican. 
Since  the  spring  of  1876,  Mrs.  Sayer  has  re- 
sided in  Bartlett.  To  Mr.  Sayer  were  born 
eight  children  —  William,  Warren,  Alvira, 
Harriet,  Theodore,  Charles,  Emily  and  Mary. 
Alvira  is  the  wife  of  Alex  Thompson,  of 
Wheaton;  Harriet  is  Mrs.  William  Howard, 
Mary ville,  Mo. ;  Theodore  is  on  the  homestead ; 
Charles  is  in  Bartlett,  in  the  cabinet  busi- 
ness; Emily  is  the  wife  of  Ed  Phillips,  of 
Maitland,  Mo. ;  Mary  is  Mrs.  Will  Richard- 
son. Mrs.  Sayer  is  a  member  of  the  Congre- 
gational Church. 

WILLIAM  SAYER,  farmer,  P.  O.  Bart- 
lett, Cook  County,  is  one  of  the  enterprising 
farmers  of  this  county,  and  was  born  in  Kane 
County.  111.,  January  16,  1839;  he  came  to 
this  county  with  his  parents,  and  has  since 
resided  here;  he  received  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schoolo  of  this  county, 
afterward  attending  Elgin  Academy  for  some 
time.  April  8,  1869,  he  married  Emma  F. 
Martin,  a  native  of  Addison  Township,  this 
county,  and  daughter  of  Charles  W.  and 
Nancy  (Pierce)  Martin.  Charles  W.  Martin, 
Mrs.  Sayer's  father,  was  born  in  Potsdam,  N. 
Y.,  January  11,  1816,  and,  Septemper  6, 
1838,  he  married  Nuncy  Pierce,  born  in  Os- 
wego  County,  N.  Y. ,  April  6,  1816,  daughter 
of  John  Pierce;  from  this  union  they  had 
eight  children — George  D.,  killed  in  the  late 
war,  member  of  the  Fifty-first  Illinois  Infant- 
ry, Company  B;  Smith  D.  served  in  the 
Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry,  now  a  farmer  of 
Wright  County,  Iowa;  EmmaF.  (Mrs.  Sayer); 
Milton  E.,  in  Elgin,  111.;  Orel  L.,  wife  of 
Malcomb  McNeil,  of  Chicago;  Alva  D.,  in 


Elgin,  111. ,  and  two  others  who  died  when 
young.  Mr.  Martin  and  family  were  early  set- 
tlers of  Addison  Township,  this  county;  they 
moved  to  this  township  in  1867.  After  his 
marriage,  Mr.  Sayer  moved  to  his  present 
farm,  where  he  has  since  remained.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Sayer  have  been  blessed  with  four  chil- 
dren, two  of  whom  are  deceased  —  George 
Martin,  Dyer  O. ,  Clara  A.  (died,  aged  one 
year  and  eleven  months),  and  a  babe  deceased, 
unnamed.  Mr.  Sayer  has  a  good  farm  and 
keeps  twenty-five  cows.  He  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Congregational  Church;  his 
parents  were  members  of  the  M.  E.  Clrarch. 
In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican. 

WARREN  M.  SAYER,  Wayne,  was  born 
near  Aurora,  111.,  January  5,  1841,  and  is  a 
son  of  H.  B.  Sayer.  When  less  than  a  year 
old,  his  parents  moved  to  this  county,  and 
Warren  M.  remained  at  home  till  he  attained 
his  majority,  when,  July  31,  1862,  he  enlist- 
ed in  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  Fifth 
Illinois  Yolunteer  Infantry,  and  served  till 
the  close  of  the  war,  participating  in  the 
battle  of  Nashville,  Tenn. ,  and  other  engage- 
ments. After  his  return  from  the  war,  he 
remained  at  home  one  year,  and,  in  Decem- 
ber, 1866,  married  Harriet  M.  Brown,  a  na- 
tive of  Madison  County,  N.  Y.,  and  daughter 
of  James  and  Harriet  (Smith)  Brown.  By 
this  union,  they  have  been  blessed  with  three 
sons — James  H.,  Eugene  D.  and  Louis  A. 
In  the  spring  of  1867,  Mr.  Sayer  located  on 
the  farm  which  he  now  ownsj*  consisting  of 
106  acres  of  land,  where  he  has  since  resided, 
with  the  exception  nf  four  years,  which  he 
spent  on  the  homestead  farm.  Mr.  Sayer 
was  elected  Township  Clerk  in  1867,  and  has 
since  served  in  that  office,  and  is  now  serving 
his  third  term  as  Township  Treasurer.  He 
is  a  Republican. 

THEODORE  F.  SAYER,  farmer  and 
dairyman,  P.  O.  Bartlett,  was  born  on  the 


212 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


homestead  farm,  where  he  now  resides,  May 
1,  1848,  son  of  Henry  V.  and  Phebe  (Mofiatt) 
Sayer.  Our  subject  was  raised  on  the  farm 
and  remained  under  the  parental  roof  till  his 
marriage,  which  occurred  February  18,  1875, 
to  Martha  Smith,  born  June  30,  1851,  in 
Steuben  County,  N.  Y. ,  and  daughter  of 
William  and  Jane  (Jones)  Smith,  both  na- 
tives of  New  York,  he  born  January  18,  1 818, 
son  of  David  Smith,  a  native  of  Scotland, 
and  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  in  that 
county,  as  early  as  1810.  Jane  Jones  was 
born  December  18,  1825,  daughter  of  Harley 
and  Lucy  (Sidney)  Jones.  Our  subject  took 
charge  of  the  farm  since  his  marriage,  and 
has  120  acres  from  the  old  homestead.  He 
has  two  children — William  Smith  and  Phebe 
Emily.  Mr.  Sayer  runs  a  dairy  and  fifty 
cows. 

JOHN  SMITH,  P.  O.  Wayne,  was  born  in 
Orange  County,  Vt,  January  29,  1808,  and 
is  the  second  son  of  Asa  and  Lucinda  (Morey) 
Smith,  natives  of  Massachusetts.  Asa  Smith, 
subject's  father,  who  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion, was  a  prominent  man  in  his  locality, 
and  represented  his  county  in  the  Legisla- 
ture, as  did  also  subject's  grandfather  Morey. 
Mr.  Smith's  mother,  Lucinda  Morey,  was  a 
daughter  of  Simeon  Morey,  who  was  born  in 
1739,  and  who  served  in  the  French  and 
Revolutionary  wars;  he  had  five  children — 
Sabra,  Lucinda,  David,  Ephraim,  and  Bertha, 
all  of  whom  grew  to  maturity.  Mr.  Smith's 
grandfather,  Asa  Smith,  was  of  English  de- 
scent, and  served  in  the  Revolutionary  war; 
he  had  eight  Children,  all  of  whom  grew  up 
— Stephen,  Polly,  Asa,  Manasseh,  William, 
Abigail,  Lydia  and  Silas.  Mr.  Smith  re- 
mained on  the  home  •  farm  until  he  attained 
his  majority;  then  staid  with  his  brother 
Manasseh  in  Orange  County,  N.  Y. ,  four 
years,  worked  out  two  years,  then  bought  a 
one-fourth  interest  in  a  blast  furnace  in  St. 


Lawrence  County,  N.  Y.,  but  after  two  years, 
sold  out  his  interest  and  returned  to  Vermont. 
He  came  to  this  county  October  15,  1837, 
and  bought  a  claim  of  land  of  Mark  Fletcher 
for  §200.  On  this  claim  there  were  no  build- 
ings of  any  kind,  and  but  ten  acres  of  land 
broken.  After  living  there  five  years,  he 
moved  to  his  present  place,  where  he  has  ever 
since  resided,  and  where  he  now  has  252 
acres.  Mr.  Smith  was  married  September 
10,  1837,  to  Elizabeth  H.  Banfill,  born  in 
Corinth,  Orange  Co.,  Vt.,  March  6,  1816, 
youngest  daughter  of  John  and  Hannah  (Dear- 
born) Banfill,  both  of  Massachusetts,  he  a 
son  of  John  Banfill,  she  a  daughter  of  Samuel 
Dearborn,  who  served  in  the  Revolutionary 
war:  Mrs.  Smith's  parents  had  twelve  chil- 
dren, ten  of  whom  grew  to  maturity — Sally, 
Samuel,  Mary,  Abigail,  Hannah,  Clymenia, 
Prenella,  John,  Elizabeth  and  David.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Smith  have  been  blessed  with  the 
following  children:  George  Asa,  bora  in 
May,  1839;  Mary  L.,  February,  1842;  Henry 
A.,  November,  1843;  Ellen  E. ,  August,  1845 ; 
Albert  E. ,  August,  1847;  Newton  A.,  August, 
1849;  Sarah  L.,  October,  1852,  and  Florence 
E.,  September,  1856;  and  of  these  three  are 
deceased  —  Sarah  L. ,  November  19,  1856; 
George  A.,  August  15,  1863,  and  Albert  E., 
November  10,  1865.  George  A.,  when  with- 
in a  month  of  his  graduation  from  college,  en- 
listed in  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  Fifth 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  his  death 
afterwards  occurred  from  disease  contracted 
while  in  the  service.  Albert  E.  also  died 
from  the  same  cause;  he  first  enlisted  for  the 
three  months'  service,  and  afterward  re-en- 
listed. Mary  L.  resides  in  this  township, 
wife  of  William  Gorham;  Elizabeth  E.,  wife 
of  William  Lewis,  resides  in  Webster  County, 
Neb. ;  Henry  A.  is  on  the  home  farm ;  Newton 
A.  lives  in  this  township,  and  Florence,  wife 
of  John  D.  Colvin,  in  Wheaton,  this  county. 


AVAYNE  TOWNSHIP. 


213 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  are  members  of  the 
Congregational  Church,  as  was  also  their  son 
George  A. 

THEODORE  SCHRAMER,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Turner,  is  a  native  of  Prussia,  born  March  5, 
1839,  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Stiel)  Schramer. 
John  Schramer,  subject's  father,  emigrated  to 
the  United  States  in  1857,  leaving  Prussia  in 
April,  and  arriving  in  Wheaton.  this  county, 
May  27,  that  year.  He  purchased  100  acres 
of  land  in  Winfield  Township,  this  county, 
paying  $20  per  acre  for  his  farm,  on  which 
he  died  in  1860;  he  had  ten  children — John, 
Peter,  Helen,  Lizzie,  Nicholas,  Kate,  Theo- 
dore (subject),  Martin,  Nick,  Jr.,  and  John. 
Theodore  remained  with  his  father  until  the 
death  of  the  latter,  devoting  his  attention  to 
farming.  He  married,  October  26,  1863, 
Mary  Leas,  also  a  native  of  Prussia,  born 
May  19,  1843,  daughter  of  John  and  Marga- 
ret (Schomer)  Leas,  she  a  daughter  of  Jacob 
Leas.  The  Leas  family  came  to  the  United 
States  and  'located  in  this  county  in  1851. 
Since  his  marriage  Mr.  Schramer  has  resided 
in  this  county,  principally  in  this  township. 
He  began  life  with  but  little  means,  but  by 
the  energy  and  industry  of  himself  and  wife 
they  have  accumulated  386  J  acres  of  land; 
they  settled  on  their  present  farm  in  1871, 
having  previously,  however,  made  several 
purchases  and  changes  of  location.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Sehramer  have  been  blessed  with  six 
children — Mary,  Peter,  John,  Nicholas,  Lizzie 
and  Susan.  They  are  members  of  the  Catho- 
lic Church. 

DANIEL  STEARNS,  farmer,  P.  O.  Wayne; 
one  of  the  old  settlers  of  this  township, 
was  born  October  26,  1816,  in  Benning- 
ton  County,  Vt.  He  was  third  son  and  fourth 
child  born  to  Simeon  and  Irene  (Newcomb) 
Stearns;  he,  born  in  Massachusetts  in  1788, 
was  a  son  of  Capt.  William  and  Joanna 
(Duncan)  Stearns.  Capt.  William  Stearns 


:  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution, 
and  died  in  1834  at  the  age  of  eighty.  Sub- 
ject's father  was  a  farmer  and  inn  keeper, 
and  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-one.  Mr. 

|  Stearns,  our  subject,  was  one  of  a  family 
of  nine  children,  all  of  whom  grew  to  ma- 
turity. When  he  was  twenty-four  years  old, 
he  came  West  to  this  State  and  purchased 
land;  he  now  has  135  acres,  and  carries  on 
farming  and  dairying.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stearns 
have  four  children — William,  who  resides  in 
Franklin  County,  Iowa;  Franklin,  in  De 
Kalb  County,  111. ;  Jennie,  wife  of  Newton 
Smith,  and  Zenas,  at  home.  Mr.  Stearns  is  a 
strong  Republican. 

D.  LOUIS  WHEELER,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Wayne,  came  to  Illinois  in  September,  1845; 
remained  in  Quincy  till  the  following  spring, 
then  went  to  Toulon,  Stark  Co.,  111.,  and 
after  staying  there  six  months,  came  to  this 
county  in  the  fall  of  1846.  His  father, 
Daniel  Wheeler,  came  to  this  county  soon 
after  our  subject  came  here,  and  bought  240 
acres  of  land;  then  returned  East,  and  in  the 
fall  of  1847,  returned  to  this  county  and  settled 
permanently.  Daniel  Wheeler  was  born  in 
Guilford,  Vt.,  in  October,  1797;  his  wife, 
Sadie  D.  Stewart,  born  May  1,  1802,  died 
August  12,  1870;  they  had  ten  children,  eight 
of  whom  grew  to  maturity — D.  Louis  (our  sub- 
ject), Eleanora  J.,  William  S.,  Sylvanus  M., 
Almira  A.,  Franklin  S.,  Lucinda  andPamelia. 
Eleanora  married  Myron  Smith,  of  Elgin, 
111. ;  Lucinda  married  George  D.  Sutton,  of 
New  York  City;  and  Almira  married  L.  Bene- 
dict, of  Chicago.  March  27,  1851,  Mr. 
Wheleer  married  Julia  A.  Pierce,  a  native  of 
Chautauqua  County,  N.  Y.,  born  March  3, 
1830,  eldest  daughter  of  Luther  and  Clarissa 
(Wells)  Pierce,  he  born  in  January,  1800, 
she  born  in  1807.  After  his  marriage,  Mr. 
Wheeler  remained  in  this  township  four 
years;  then  moved  to  Bremer  County,  Iowa, 


214 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


and  after  remaining  there  ten  years,  returned 
to  this  township  in  the  spring  of  1865,  and 
has  since  remained  here  on  his  farm,  con- 
sisting of  104  acres  of  good  land.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wheeler  have  had  three  children,  two 


Daniel.  Mr.  Wheeler  is  a  member  of  the 
Congregational  Church;  his  wife  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Free  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  for  fourteen  years;  his  father,  Dan- 
iel Wheeler,  was  a  supporter  of  the  Demo- 


of   whom   are    living — Walter    P.,    Warren  I  cratic  party. 


BLOOMINGDALE  TOWNSHIP. 


WILLIAM  BATTEN,  farmer,  P.  O.  Mea- 
cham.  Among  the  old  settlers  and  substan- 
tial farmers  in  this  township  is  Mr.  Batten, 
who,  for  thirty-five  years,  has  been  closely 
identified  with  the  interests  of  the  county, 
and  one  of  its  stanch  and  valuable  citizens. 
He  was  born  December  1 2,  1812,  in  Devon- 
shire, England,  son  of  John  and  Mary 
(Moore)  Batten,  who  were  the  parents  of 
three  children — William,  John  and  Elizabeth 
Jane.  John  resides  in  Canada,  and  Eliza- 
beth remains  in  England.  Our  subject  came 
to  America  in  1847,  arriving  in  Chicago  June 
8  of  the  same  year.  From  Chicago  he  came 
to  this  county,  and  went  to  work  among  the 
farmers,  digging  wells,  ditches,  etc.,  and,  in 
fact,  working  at  anything  he  could  get  that 
would  bring  him  money,  continuing  in  this 
way  about  four  years.  He  then  had  saved 
some  money,  and  purchased  eighty  acres  of 
land.  He  afterward  added  forty  acres,  and 
has  resided  here  since.  He  was  married, 
when  twenty-five  years  of  age,  to  Mary  Ann 
Baker,  born  about  1816,  in  Cornwall,  Eng- 
land, daughter  of  James  and  Mariam  (Neal) 
Baker.  Mrs.  Batten  died  about  1872,  having 
borne  eleven  children,  eight  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing— Mary,  Mariam,  John,  James  B.,  Eliza 
Ann,  Jane,  Charles  G.  and  Sarah.  Mary  is 
the  wife  of  James  Pierce;  Mariam  is  the  wife 
of  Charles  Landon;  James  B.  lives  in  Iowa; 
Eliza  A.  is  the  wife  of  James  Lake;  John, 
Charles  and  Sarah  are  at  home.  He  has  been 


a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church  since 
1852,  and  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday- 
school  for  thirty  years,  having  not  missed  five 
Sundays  during  that  time.  He  had  no  school 
advantages;  was  bound  out  when  eight  years 
of  age;  but  has  been  a  School  Director  for 
fifteen  years,  and  owes  no  man  a  penny.  Is 
a  stanch  Republican. 

JOSEPH  BUTLER,  farmer,  P.  O.  Bloom- 
ingdale,  was  born  in  Erie  County,  N.  Y. , 
August  25,  1818,  second  son  of  John  and 
Pattie  (Wilson)  Butler.  John  Butler  was  a 
native  of  Vermont,  born  in  1788,  and  died  in 
New  York  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years. 
He  was  a  Baptist,  and  in  politics  a  Repub- 
lican. He  had  seven  children — John,  Jo- 
seph, Seth,  Harvey,  Sarah  (deceased),  Charles 
(deceased)  and  Ozias.  Joseph  came  West  in 
the  spring  of  1843;  bought  eighty  acres  of 
land,  which  he  afterward  sold  and  bought 
eighty  acres  more;  sold  it,  and,  in  1850, 
came  to  his  present  place,  and  now  owns  313 
acres,  on  which  he  has  put  all  the  substantial 
improvements.  H«  gives  his  attention  to 
stock-raising,  in  addition  to  general  farming. 
In  1843,  he  married  Abigail  West,  born  near 
Sardinia,  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  November, 
1812,  daughter  of  Ashbel  West.  They  have 
had  nine  children,  six  of  whom  are  living — 
Sewall,  farmer  in  De  Kalb  County,  111. ;  Ira, 
at  home;  Ashbel,  farmer  inDe  Kalb  County, 
111. ;  Elbert.  at  home;  Judson  and  Delia. 
Those  deceased  were  Elijah,  died  aged  twen 


BLOOMINGDALE  TOWNSHIP. 


217 


ty-six;  Gilbert,  aged  twenty-five;  and  James, 
who  died  July  6,  1882.  Mr.  Butler  owes  his 
success  to  his  own  thrift  and  energy.  He  is  a 
Republican. 

GEORGE  W.  BARNES,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Bloomingdale,  is  a  native  of  Clinton  County, 
N.  Y.,  born  June  4,  1831,  and  is  the  third 
son  born  to  Jonathan  and  Mary  (Gorham) 
Barnes.  Jonathan  Barnes,  the  youngest  soa 
of  Jeremiah  Barnes,  was  born  in  Massachu- 
setts March  24,  1793,  and  was  a  carpenter 
and  joiner  by  trade;  came  West  in  the  fall  of 
1838;  bought  a  claim  of  about  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  land,  where  he  died 
March  25,  1874.  He  was  a  Congregational- 
ist;  in  politics,  a  Whig.  His  wife  is  still 
living.  They  had  the  following  children: 
Eliza,  wife  of  John  M.  Howe,  of  Milwaukee, 
Wis. ;  Phoebe,  wife  of  Philip  Farnsworth, 
never  came  West;  Noah,  in  Chicago;  Thomas 
H.,  died  in  California;  Mary,  deceased,  wife 
of  Franklin  Talmadge,  Wayne  Township; 
George;  Marie,  wife  of  M.  Pendleton,  of 
Wayne  Township.  Our  subject  has  always 
remained  on  the  homestead  farm,  which  con- 
sists of  240  acres,  and  devotes  his  attention 
to  general  farming  and  stork-raising.  De- 
cember 22,  1858,  he  married  Susan  S.  Dud- 
ley, born  in  Oswego  County.  N.  Y. ,  in  1833, 
daughter  of  Asa  and  (Miss  Alcott)  Dudley. 
From  this  union  nine  children  have  been 
born — Jesse,  Millie,  Harry,  Mabel,  Newton, 
Maude,  Robert,  Ella  and  Alson.  The  Dud- 
ley family  came  to  this  county  in  the  fall  of 
1839.  Mr.  Barnes  is  a  Republican. 

JACOB  E.  BENDER,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Bloomingdale,  was  born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt, 
Germany,  April  2,  1843,  fifth  son  and  sixth 
child  of  Michael  and  Elizabeth  (Neuhardt) 
Bender.  Michael,  who  was  the  son  of  Philip 
Bender,  was  born  July  21,  1802;  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation;  emigrated  with  his 
family  to  America  in  May,  1858;  came  to 


Bloomingdale  Township  and  bought  165 
acres  of  land  at  $30  an  acre,  and  has  since 
resided  here.  His  wife,  daughter  of  Michael 
Neuhardt,  was  born  in  1802.  They  had  the 
following  children:  John,  Philip,  Henry, 
Conrad,  Mary,  Jacob  E.  and  Emma.  Our 
subject  took  charge  of  the  homestead  farm  in 
1870,  and  has  since  managed  it.  The  farm 
comprises  120  acres  of  land.  Mr.  Bender- 
was  married,  December  26,  1870,  to  Wilhel- 
mina  Iser,  a  native  of  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Ger- 
many, born  in  April,  1837,  daughter  of  John 
and  Helen  (Bender)  Iser.  She  came  to  this 
county  in  1868.  By  this  union  they  have 
been  blessed  with  six  children — Emma,  So- 
phia, Mina,  John,  Lucy  and  Katie.  Mr. 
Bender  assessed  the  township  in  1882;  has 
been  Collector  and  School  Director;  is  a 
member  of  the  Evangelical  Church;  in  poli- 
tics, a  Democrat. 

JACOB  CLAPSADDLE,  Wheaton,  was 
born  on  the  German  Flats,  Herkimer  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  May  20,  1808,  eldest  son  of  George  A. 
and  Nancy  (Bellinger)  Clapsaddle.  George 
A.  Clapsaddle  was  born  in  Herkimer  County. 
N.  Y. ;  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  died 
in  December,  1862,  aged  seventy-eight  years. 
His  wife  was  a  daughter  of  Peter  F.  Bellin- 
ger, a  Revolutionary  soldier,  who  was  wound- 
ed in  the  shoulder  in  an  engagement  in  that 
war.  They  had  eight  children — Elizabeth. 
Jacob,  Mary,  Peter  G. ,  George  H. ,  Andrew, 
Frederick  and  Nancy.  The  Clapsaddles  are 
of  German  descent.  Our  subject's  grand- 
father, Andrew  Clapsaddle,  served  all  through 
the  Revolutionary  war.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  left  home  at  the  age  of  twenty- four 
years.  He  was  married,  July  14,  1831,  to 
Sally  E.  Terbening,  a  native  of  Herkimer 
Couuty,  N.  Y. ,  born  October  3,  1814,  daugh- 
ter of  Peter  I.  and  Elizabeth  (Brown)  Ter- 
bening, he  a  son  of  Lucas  Terbening,  she  a 

daughter   of   Valentine    Brown.     After   his 

M 


218 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


marriage,  Mr.  Clapsaddle  moved  to  Herkimer 
County,  N.  Y. ,  and  worked  on  land  there  for 
one  season.  The  following  year,  he  went  to 
Onondaga  County,  N.  Y. ,  where  he  bought 
fifty  acres  of  land,  of  which  he  cleared  forty 
acres  during  the  five  years  he  lived  on  it.  In 
May,  1844,  he  came  to  this  county,  bought 
240  acres  of  Government  land,  on  which  he 
has  since  resided,  his  farm  now  consisting  of 
190  acres.  By  their  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Clapsaddle  have  been  blessed  with  eight  chil- 
dren— Kelburn  and  Jerome,  in  Kankakee 
County,  111. ;  Harriet,  wife  of  Hiram  Kelsey, 
of  Iowa;  Sophia,  in  Travis  County,  Texas; 
Jacob  P. ,  at  home ;  George  A. ,  in  Ida  County, 
Iowa;  Mary  E. ,  wife  of  Horace  Richardson, 
of  Wheaton,  111. ;  and  Elvie,  wife  of  James 
Steven,  Kossuth  County,  Iowa.  On  the  fif- 
tieth anniversary  of  the  same,  Mr.  Clapsaddle 
celebrated  his  golden  wedding.  He  has  eight 
children,  twenty-nine  grandchildren  and 
three  great-grandchildren.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Congregational  Church.  In  politics, 
a  stanch  Republican. 

GEORGE  F.  DEIBERT,  retired,  Bloom- 
ingdale.  Among  the  self-made  men  of  this 
township  is  Mr.  Deibert,  who  began  in  life 
with  nothing  except  his  hands  and  a  resolu- 
tion to  make  for  himself  a  home  and  a  com- 
petence for  his  old  age.  His  father  died 
when  he  was  but  about  three  years  of  age, 
and  from  that  time  forward  he  was  upon  his 
own  individual  resources.  He  was  born  Jan- 
uary 4,  1821,  in  Schuylkill  County,  Penn., 
son  of  George  Deibert  and  Maria  Faust,  both 
of  whom  were  natives  of  Schuylkill  County. 
In  September,  1844,  Mr.  Deibert  came  West, 
and  made  his  location  at  Naperville,  where 
he  immediately  began  work,  turning  his  at- 
tention to  any  honorable  employment  that 
promised  a  reasonable  compensation.  He 
made  it  a  rule,  if  he  could  not  get  his  own 
price  for  his  labor,  he  accepted  the  best  terms 


offered,  and  never  ate  the  bread  of  idleness. 
In  one  year,  $2.50  was  all  the  money  he 
spent.  He  was  elected  Constable  while  here 
at  Naperville,  and  served  until  April,  1850, 
when  he  took  a  trip  across  the  plains  to  Cali- 
fornia, where  he  engaged  in  mining,  remain- 
ing here  until  the  spring  of  1854,  when  he 
returned  to  the  county  and  came  to  Blooru- 
ingdale  and  engaged  in  business  with  his 
brother,  D.  F.,  under  the  firm  name  of  Def- 
bert  &  Brother,  and  carried  on  a  general  store. 
This  association  lasted  until  1861,  when  he 
sold  out  to  his  brother,  and,  for  one  year, 
was  out  of  active  business.  He  then  asso- 
ciated with  J.  R.  Dunning  in  the  mercantile 
business;  firm  name  was  Dunning  &  Deibert, 
which  copartnership  lasted  until  August  9, 
1879,  when  he  sold  out  to  his"  partner,  and 
since  has  been  retired,  and  resides  in  the  town 
in  the  peaceful  enjoyment  of  life's  savings, 
having  secured  what  he  set  out  to  accomplish 
when  he  came  to  the  State.  He  has  been 
twice  married — first  time,  in  August,  1844,  to 
Susan  Dewald,  a  native  of  Schuylkill  County, 
Penn.,  daughter  of  John  Dewald.  She  died 
in  1849,  leaving  no  children.  In  October, 
1853,  he  married  Sarah,  the  sister  of  his  first 
wife.  By  her  he  had  four  children,  three 
living — Milton  G. ,  Ida  M.  and  Mary.  Ida 
M.  resides  in  Greene  County,  Iowa,  wife  of 
Sherman  E.  Kinney.  Stanch  Republican. 

J.  R.  DUNNING,  merchant,  Blooming- 
dale,  born  March  14,  1822,  in  Hamilton 
County,  N.  Y. ,  son  of  Justice  Dunning  and 
Lorinda  Rich,  both  natives  of  New  York  State. 
The  paternal  grandfather  of  Jonathan  Rich 
Dunning  was  Amos,  who  served  in  the  war 
of  the  Revolution.  Our  subject  was  raised 
in  the  county  where  he  was  born,  and,  upon 
coming  to  maturity,  he  engaged  in  mercantile 
pursuits,  starting  a  store  in  Rome,  where  he 
continued  in  business  until  he  came  to  this 
place,  arriving  in  the  town  of  Bloomingdale, 


BLOOMIKGDALE  TOWNSHIP. 


219 


July,  1860,  where  he  subsequently  purchased 
the  interest  of  Dr.  Sedgewick,  and  has  since 
been  engaged  in  merchandising,  and  been 
Postmaster  since  1869.  January  18,  1844, 
he  married  Harriet  Pendleton,  who  was  born 
December  25,  1825,  daughter  of  Benjamin  C. 
Pendleton,  who  was  born  November  11,  1794, 
in  Westerly,  R.  I.,  and  was  present  at  the 
bombardment  of  Stonington.  October  29, 
1818,  he  married  Asenath,  who  was  born  July 
28,  1798,  in  Hopkinton,  E.  I.  She  was  the 
youngest  daughter  of  Saunders  Langworthy, 
to  whom  thirteen  children  were  born.  The 
Pendleton  family  came  to  this  county  and 
settled  in  Bloomingdale  Township  in  1847. 
His  death  occurred  March  12,  1877;  his  wife 
died  May  13,  1871.  They  raised  six  chil- 
dren— Benjamin  F.,  Mercy  L.,  Etherlinda 
D. ,  Harriet  E. ,  Mason  M.  and  Mary  J.  Mr. 
Dunning  has  four  children — Calvin  L. ,  Al- 
bert D. ,  Francis  H.  and  Estelle;  Calvin  L., 
in  Chicago;  Estelle,  of  South  Park,  wife  of 
George  H.  Berger;  FrancisH.  and  Albert  D., 
at  home.  A.  D.  has  one  of  the  best  selected 
libraries  in  the  county. 

JOSIAH  FRENCH,  Ontarioville,  Cook 
County,  was  born  March  1,  1813,  in  East 
Salisbury,  Mass.,  son  of  Josiah  and  Hannah 
(French)  French,  she  having  same  name,  but 
being  of  a  different  family.  They  had  nine 
children,  seven  of  whom  are  living.  Our  sub- 
ject left  Boston  April  21,  1831,  and  arrived  at 
Carrollton  May  25,  coming  by  canal,  steamboat 
and  wagon.  In  the  fall  of  1833,  he  moved 
to  Jersey  County,  and  lived  there  until  1856, 
when  he  came  here.  He  lived  also  eighteen 
months  in  Galena.  He  came  from  his  native 
State  with  a  man  with  whom  he  learned  the 
trade  of  carpenter.  He  first  bought  160 
acres  of  land  in  Jersey  County,  and  then  620 
acres  unimproved.  He  now  owns  over  three 
hundred  acres  of  good  land.  April  20,  1838, 
he  married  Dollie  Adams,  born  January  26, 


1818,  in  Ohio,  daughter  of  N.  B.  and  Sallie 
(Bliss)  Adams,  both  natives  of  Vermont. 
The  Adams  family  came  West  in  the  spring 
of  1833,  to  the  sovithern  part  of  the  State, 
and  were  among  the  first  settlers  of  Jersey 
County.  Mr.  French,  by  this  marriage,  has 
four  children — Joseph  G.,  Josiah  N. ,  Han- 
nah M.  and  Orville  A.  Joseph  G.  is  in 
Nuckolls  County,  Neb. ;  Josiah  is  in  Iowa,  a 
farmer  in  Delaware  County;  Hannah  M., 
wife  of  G.  W.  Moss,  Chicago;  and  Orville 
A.,  in  Iowa,  near  Iowa  Falls.  Mr.  French 
was  raised  a  Congregationalist,  and  is  a  Re- 

;  publican.  He  began  a  poor  man,  and  has 
built  up  his  own  fortune. 

R.  W.  GATES,  mechanic,  Bloomingdale, 
ex-soldier  and  one  of  the  inventors  of  Du 
Page,  was  born  October  15,  1835,  in  Tornp- 

:  kins  County,  N.  Y. ,  son  of  Levi  Gates,  a  na- 
tive of  Worcester  County,  Mass.,  where  he 
was  born  in  1806,  and  subsequently  removed 
to  Tompkins  County  and  married  Nancy 
Gould,  a  native  of  North  Adams.  She  bore 
him  seven  children,  all  of  whom  are  now  liv- 
ing. The  eldest  is  Elmira,  wife  of  Henry 
Haddock,  of  Elgin.  Skillman,  the  eldest  son, 
resides  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.  Next  in  order 
comes  Robert  W.  Sarah  resides  in  Chicago, 
wife  of  John  Morrison.  Helen  resides  in 
Madison  County,  Neb. ,  wife  of  M.  J.  Davis. 
Charles  resides  in  Elgin.  Charlotte,  the 
youngest,  resides  in  Batavia,  this  State,  wife 
of  John  Hugitt.  Robert  W.  is  the  only 
member  of  the  family  residing  in  Du  Page, 
and  was  nineteen  years  of  age  when  he  came  to 
this  county  with  his  parents.  His  father  was  a 
carpenter,  with  whom  he  worked,  and  learned 
the  trade  under  his  instruction.  After  at- 
taining his  majority,  he  began  business  on 
his  own  account.  In  September,  1861,  he 
enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  D,  Eighth 
Illinois  Cavalry,  and  served  iintil  after  the 
close  of  the  war,  receiving  his  discharge  July, 


220 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


1865.  Six  months  after  his  enlistment,  he 
was  promoted  to  Quartermaster  Sergeant  of 
the  regiment,  and,  in  the  winter  of  1863,  he 
was  promoted  to  First  Lieutenant,  and  had 
charge  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department  of 
his  regiment.  His  term  of  service  was  filled 
in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  where  he  was 
assigned.  After  his  return  from  the  service, 
he  built  and  ran  a  cheese  factory  for  three 
years  at  Itasca.  Since  that  time,  he  has  been 
a  resident  of  Bloomingdale,  and  engaged  in 
wagon- making  and  blacksmi thing  combina- 
tion shops,  and  has  since  conducted  the  same. 
In  1869,  he  invented  the  potato-digger,  which 
has  had  an  extensive  sale,  it  being  the  most 
sucessful  machine  of  the  kind  ever  invented. 
In  1874,  he  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
and  has  since  been  re-elected.  In  August, 
1865,  he  married  Laura  Landon,  who  was 
born  in  this  township,  daughter  of  Lewis  E. 
Landon  and  Maria  Farnum.  He  has  four 
children — Nellie,  Allen,  Harry  and  Eugene. 
Mr.  Gates  has,  since  his  majority,  been  affil- 
iated with  the  Republican  party,  and  a  strong 
advocate  of  the  temperance  cause. 

HENRY  HOLSTEIN,  miller,  Blooming- 
dale,  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  Decem- 
ber 22,  1821,  eldest  son  of  John  H.  and 
Maria  (Boss)  Holstein.  John  H.  was  a 
farmer,  and  died  in  his  native  land  in  1862, 
aged  sixty-five  years.  He  had  two  sons  and 
five  daughters — Louisa,  Fred  and  our  subject. 
Louisa  is  the  wife  of  Louis  Homeir,  of  Ad- 
dison  Township,  and  Fred  resides  with  her. 
Henry  was  raised  a  farmer,  and  remained 
with  his  parents  until  fourteen  years  of  age, 
when  he  went  to  learn  the  miller's  trade.  In 
the  spring  of  1849,  he  came  to  America,  ar- 
riving in  Baltimore  in  the  latter  part  of  May. 
The  next  month,  he  came  to  Addison  Town- 
ship, where  he  worked  at  farming,  and  after- 
ward went  to  Cook  County.  The  next  year, 
returned  to  Addison  and  rented  land  from 


Deitrich  Stuckmann,  where  he  continued 
thirteen  years.  He  then  came  to  Blooming- 
dale  and  bought  114  acres  of  land,  costing 
12.600;  lived  there  about  twelve  years,  and 
then  came  to  where  he  now  is,  one-fourth 
mile  south  of  the  village  of  Bloomingdale, 
where  he  bought  the  old  mill  owned  by  Col- 
bury,  and  ran  the  same  until  1872,  when  he 
built  a  new  mill,  and  has  since  run  the  same. 
In  1879,  he  built  the  steam  mill  at  Eoselle, 
and  has  three  run  of  buhrs.  He  is  also 
(1882)  putting  in  machinery  to  manufacture 
the  "  patent  process  "  flour.  April  15,  1845. 
he  was  married  to  Louisa  Foltmer,  born  May 
4,  1821,  and  who  died  May  16,  1880,  having 
borne  nine  children,  only  three  of  whom  are 
living — Frank,  Matilda  and  Caroline.  Ma- 
tilda is  the  wife  of  Fred  Boner,  and  Frank 
runs  the  mill  at  Eoselle.  Mr.  Holstein  is  a 
self-made  man.  He  began  poor,  and  has  ac- 
quired all  he  has  by  his  own  industry. 

H.  O.  HILLS,  Bloomingdale,  was  born 
June  26,  1818,  in  Vernon,  Oneida  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  son  of  Allen  and  Almeda  (Collins)  Hills. 
Allen  Hills  was  born  in  Connecticut  April  26, 
1791,  and  died  in  April,  1862.  His  wife  was 
born  December  28,  1794,  died  February  28, 
1863.  They  had  five  children— Erasmus  O. , 
in  Hyde  Park,  111. ;  H.  O.,  our  subject;  Nu- 
bria  C. ,  at  Hyde  Park;  Almeda  P.,  married 
R.  Stevens,  of  Wheaton,  111.,  always  lived  in 
this  county;  and  Huet  B. ,  lived  in  this 
county  until  his  death,  in  August,  1881. 
Allen  Hills  was  a  son  of  Huet  Hills,  who  had 
twelve  children,  six  sons  and  six  daughters. 
Our  subject  lived  on  the  home  farm  till  he  was 
twenty-four  years  of  age,  and,  in  June,  1842, 
came  West  to  Illinois;  worked  that  summer 
on  a  farm  his  father  had  bought  in  Bloom- 
ingdale Township,  and,  in  the  fall  of  the 
same  year,  began  driving  a  stage  from  Chi- 
cago to  Peru,  which  occupation  he  followed 
for  two  years.  He  has  since  given  his  atten- 


-  BLOOMINGDALE    TOWNSHIP. 


221 


tion  to  farming,  and  has  a  farm  of  180  acres. 
He  clerked  six  years  for  Deibert  &  Bros. 
December  7,  1842,  he  married  Lorena  May- 
nard,  born  in  Potsdam,  N.  Y.,  December  31, 
1818,  daughter  of  Elias  and  Lorena  May- 
nard.  Elias  Maynard  and  family  came  to 
Illinois  about  the  year  1837,  and  settled  in 
this  township.  He  had  five  children — Kuth, 
wife  of  Orin  Lilley;  Lorena,  Mrs.  H.  O. 
Hills;  George,  deceased;  Hiram,  residing  in 
Austin,  111. :  and  Esther,  wife  of  H.  Brun- 
son  Hills,  of  Wheaton.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H. 
O.  Hills  are  the  parents  of  nine  children — 
Sabrina  E.,  wife  of  O.  A.  Verbeck;  Helen 
J.,  wife  of  Harrison  Muzzy;  Allen  E. ,  Huet 
B.,  Charles  H.,  Dewitt  C. ;  Lorena  M.,  wife 
of  Thomas  Lake;  Edwin  O.  and  Fannie  B., 
all  living  in  this  county.  Mr.  Hills  was 
formerly  a  Whig,  now  a  Republican.  His 
parents  were  members  of  the  Congregational 
Church.  His  father  was  formerly  a  Demo- 
crat, afterward  a  Republican,  and  served  as 
Justice  of  the  Peace  several  terms. 

MOSES  K.  HOYT,  Bloomingdale,  was 
bom  in  Plattsburg,  N.  Y.,  April  12,  1817, 
fifth  son  and  sixth  child  of  Moses  and  Sallie 
(Piper)  Hoyt,  natives  of  New  Hampshire. 
Moses  Hoyt  was  a  'lumberman,  and  shipped 
lumber  to  Quebec.  He  came  with  his  fam- 
ily to  this  county  in  the  fall  of  1837,  locat- 
ed on  160  acres  of  land,  where  he  resided 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1860.  He 
was  a  Whig.  His  wife  died  several  years 
previous.  They  had  seven  children — George 
W.,  who  settled  at  Dundee  ;  Hiram  and 
Charles  H. ,  who  located  in  Addison  Town- 
ship; Sallie,  who  married  Thomas  H.  Thomp- 
son, of  Dundee;  Louis  L.,  who  resided  in 
Plattsburg,  N.  Y. ;  Moses  K. ;  and  Fannie 
M. ,  wife  of  Alfred  Rich,  of  Dakota.  All  are 
deceased  save  Moses  K.  and  Fannie  M.  Our 
subject  has  followed  farming  since  he  came 
to  this  county.  His  farm  consists  of  200 


acres  of  land.  In  the  fall  of  1843,  he  mar- 
ried Sarah  Butler,  born  in  Erie  County,  N, 
Y.,  daughter  of  John  and  Pattie  (Wilson) 
Butler.  Mrs.  Hoyt  died  in  1856.  The  chil- 
dren by  this  marriage  were  Martha,  wife  of 
Jerome  Lester,  of  Cook  County,  111. ;  Ellen, 
wife  of  George  Wilson,  died  in  Iowa  leaving 
one  son,  Charles;  and  Walter,  died  aged 
seventeen.  Mr.  Hoyt  married,  June  29, 
1857,  Nancy  Hopkins,  a  native  of  Windham, 
Vt.,  born  in  1820,  daughter  of  David  and 
Hannah  (Cobb)  Hopkins,  natives  of  New 
Hampshire,  who  moved  to  New  York  State 
when  Mrs.  Hoyt  was  seven  years  of  age.  By 
this  union  they  have  been  blessed  with  three 
children — Llewellyn,  married  and  settled  in 
Franklin  County,  Iowa  :  C.  G.  and  Moses 
K. ;  one  deceased.  Mr.  Hoyt  is  a  Republican. 
JOHN  H.  HARMENING,  Bloomingdale, 
was  born  in  Hesse  Cassel,  Germany,  Decem- 
ber 31,  1826,  son  of  John  Henry  and  Sophia 
(Pfingsten)  Harmening.  John  Henry  Har- 
mening,  son  of  Fred  Harmening,  came  with 
his  family  to  America  in- the  spring  of  1865, 
and  came  West  to  Chicago.  He  died  in  Sep- 
tember, 1871.  His  wife,  who  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  Pfingsten,  died  in  Germany. 
They  had  five  children — Christian,  who  died 
in  1859;  Mena  and  Charlotte,  in  Germany; 
Hannah,  who  died  in  Germany;  and  John  H. 
Our  subject,  after  coming  to  this  country, 
worked  in  a  brickyard,  drove  a  team,  farmed, 
and  kept  a  hotel  at  112  West  Lake  street, 
Chicago,  for  some  time.  He  then  came  to 
this  township  and  bought  3 10  acres  of  land, 
on  which  he  has  put  all  the  improvements, 
set  out  trees,  hedges,  etc.  He  married,  April 
2,  1859,  Dorothea  Thies,  a  native  of  Han- 
over,  Germany,  born  February  11,  184 J, 
daughter  of  John  and  Charlotte  (Prinne) 
Thies.  By  this  marriage  they  have  been 
blessed  with  four  children  -  Henry,  Sophia, 
Matilda  and  William. 


222 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


IRVING  EDWARD  INGRAHAM,  farmer, 
P.  O.  Bloomingdale,  was  born  in  Essex,  Chit- 
tenden  Co.,  Vt.,  November  22,  1850,  eldest 
son  of  ArtemuB  A.  and  Lucinda  (Goodhue) 
Ingraharn.  Artemus  A.  Ingraham  came  with 
his  family  to  this  county  in  the  spring  of 
1869,  bought  380  acres  of  land,  on  which  he 
lived  till  the  fall  of  1881,  when  he  moved  to 
Wheaton.  Our  subject  received  a  good  com- 
mon-school education,  and  afterward  attended 
Wheaton  College  for  two  years.  January  1, 
1873,  he  married  Francelia  Deibert,  a  native 
of  this  county,  and  adopted  daughter  of 
Daniel  F.  Deibert,  one  of  the  prominent  men 
of  this  township.  Mr.  Ingraham  has  taken 
charge  of  the  farm  since  the  fall  of  1881. 
He  runs  the  largest  dairy  in  the  township. 
He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Baptist 
Church.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Tem- 
perance Union. 

CHAS.  B.  KELLEY,  farmer  and  stock- 
raiser,  P.  O.  Wheaton,  was  born  in  Milton 
Township  March  6,  1853,  .on  the  homestead 
farm,  second  son  living  of  Daniel  Kelley. 
He  was  reared  on  the  farm,  and  received  good 
school  advantages.  April  14,  1879,  'he 
formed  a  matrimonial  alliance  with  Maggie 
Pottage.  In  1877,  he  purchased  the  farm  he 
now  owns,  consisting  of  160  acres,  which  lies 
in  the  southern  part  of  the  township,  and 
since  his  marriage  he  has  been  a  resident  of 
,the  township,  and  been  identified  with  its 
interests  as  a  farmer  and  breeder  of  thorough- 
bred Merino  sheep.  Is  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  Church,  and  a  Republican.  No  chil- 
dren. 

FREDERICK  LANGHORST,  Roselle. 
Among  the  principal  business  men  of  Ro- 
sell  is  Mr.  Langhorst.  He  was  born  Febru- 
ary 7,  1840,  in  Germany,  the  third  son  and 
fourth  child  born  to  Christopher  and  Doro- 
thea (Turner)  Langhorst,  he  born  in  1801, 
she  born  in  the  kingdom  of  Hanover,  daugh- 


ter of  Henry  Turner.  Our  subject  was  reared 
on  a  farm,  and  came  to  this  country  in  1858, 
when  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  to  Cook 
County  shortly  afterward,  where  he  worked 
among  the  farmers  for  about  three  years.  In 
1863,  he  went  to  Chicago  and  learned  the 
baker's  trade,  but  subsequently  returned  to 
Cook  County  and  purchased  a  thrashing  ma- 
chine, and  for  eight  years  engaged  in  the 
business  of  thrashing  grain.  About  1866. 
he  purchased  300  acres  of  land  in  Palatine 
Township,  and  engaged  in  farming,  also 
doing  business  in  Chicago  for  a  seed  firm. 

!  In  1873,  he  removed  to  Chicago,  and  re- 
mained there  about  one  year,  in  the  grocery, 
flour  and  feed  business,  at  the  same  time  car- 
rying on  his  farm.  In  1875,  he  located  at 

!  Roselle  and  engaged  in  the  grain  business. 
He  has  built  several  houses,  and  done  much 
toward  improvement.  Since  he  came  here, 
he  has  been  engaged  in  the  grain,  flour,  coal 
and  feed  business,  and  in  buying  and  selling 
stock.  He  has  also  an  elevator  at  Harper. 
November  6,  1864,  he  married  Hannah  Mey- 
ers, born  on  the  ocean  October  22,  1847, 
daughter  of  Charles  and  Corlene  (Hartmann) 
Meyers,  both  natives  of  Hanover,  and  six 

'  children    have   been   born   to   them — Mary, 

'•  March  28,  1867;  William,  May  22,  1869; 
Freddie,  October  3,  1871;  Sophia,  August 
17,  1873;  Henry,  December  3,  1875;  and 
Annie,  October  24,  1878;  the  last  two  being 
born  in  Roselle.  In  1872,  Mr.  Langhorst 
made  a  trip  to  the  old  country  and  brought 
over  his  parents,  but  the  father  died  August 
21,  1875,  and  the  mother  November  26,  1876. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Church. 
CHARLES  LAWRENCE,  retired  farmer, 
Meacham,  was  born  November  11,  1804,  in 
Cornwall,  England,  son  of  John  and  Mary 
(Shaplin)  Lawrence.  He  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica in  1844,  and  located  in  Schaumberg,  Cook 
County,  and  purchased  land  and  engaged  in 


BLOOMINGDALE  TOWNSHIP. 


223 


farming,  where  he  continued  for  many  years, 
when  he  finally  located  in  this  township,  and 
has  since  been  retired.  He  married  Grace 
Tinnemore,  who  was  born  in  1806,  in  En- 
gland, daughter  of  Hugh  Tinnemore.  She 
died  in  1868,  having  borne  him  five  children 
— Charles,  who  resides  in  Iowa;  Ann,  mar- 
ried Joseph  Baker,  deceased;  Mary,  Henry 
F..  and  James,  who  is  farming  in  this  town- 
ship. Ho  was  born  in  Schaumberg,  Cook 
County,  April  15,  1850,  where  he  remained 
on  the  farm  until  he  came  to  this  county. 
He  engaged  in  business  for  himself  after  he 
became  of  age.  In  1881,  he  purchased  the 
Col.  Meacham  farm,  consisting  of  250  acres, 
and  is  engaged  in  farming  and  dairying. 

JAMES  PIERCE,  Postmaster,  merchant, 
and  depot  agent,  Meacham,  is  a  native  of 
England,  born  February  24,  1841,  eldest 
son  of  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (Sandercock) 
Pierce.  Thomas  Pierce  was  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  this  township;  came  here  in  the 
summer  of  1842;  bought  200  acres  of  Gov- 
ernment land,  on  which  he  lived  till  the  time 
of  his  death,  having  increased  the  farm  to 
400  acres,  which  he  divided  among  his 
children.  He  had  five  children — James, 
Maria  J.,  Henry,  John  T.  and  Charles. 
James  S.  remained  on  the  homestead  farm 
until  he  attained  his  majority,  then  worked 
out  for  some  time.  February  1,  1863,  he 
married  Mary,  daughter  of  William  Batten. 
They  have  two  children — Horace  Elmer  and 
Ella  Maria.  After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Pierce 
rented  the  homestead  farm  for  five  years, 
then  boiight  a  farm  on  Section  11,  where  he 
lived  for  ten  years.  In  the  winter  of  1878, 
he  came  to  Meacham  Station,  opened  up  a 
store,  and  has  since  been  Postmaster  and  de- 
pot agent  there.  He  owns  170  acres  of  land 
in  Sections  10  and  11,  and  100  acres  on  Sec- 
tion 2.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church;  in  politics,  a  Republican. 


HENRY  PIERCE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Mea- 
cham, was  born  in  this  township  October  14, 
1845,  the  second  son  and  third  child  born  to 
Thomas  and  Elizabeth  Pierce,  whe  came  to 
Du  Page  about  the  year  1840.  Thomas 
Pierce  first  lived  about  one  year  south  of 
Bloomingdale;  afterward  bought  land  in  the 
northeast  part  of  the  township,  now  owned  by 
Charles  Pierce.  Here  he  died  July  11, 1880. 
His  wife  is  still  living.  They  raised  five 
children —  James,  Maria,  Henry,  Thomas  and 
Charles.  Maria  died  in  1875,  wife  of  Charles 
\V.  Geary.  All  the  others  are  young. 
Henry,  the  second  son,  was  raised  on  the 
farm,  and  was  married,  January  6,  1869,  to 
Emma  Rathburn,  born  in  this  township,  the 
second  daughter  of  Rowland  and  Eliza  (Mose- 
ly)  Rathburn.  After  marriage,  he  remained 
on  the  homestead  two  years,  and  then  built 
where  he  now  lives,  the  land  having  belonged 
to  his  father.  He  has  ]  00  acres,  and  has  put 
all  the  improvements  on  the  farm.  He  has 
four  sons  and  one  daughter — Arthur  R. ,  Al- 
bert T. ,  Nellie  M. ,  Henry  Clyde  and  Chester 
G.  Mrs.  Pierce  is  a  member  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church  and  he  is  identified  with 
the  temperance  movement.  Is  now  serving 
his  sixth  year  as  Commissioner  of  Highways, 
and  is  a  Republican. 

FRANK  W.  PIERCE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Mea- 
cham, was  born  in  Addison  Township,  this 
county,  July  27,  1846,  on  the  land  first  set- 
tled by  his  father.  He  is  the  eldest  child  of 
Charles  and  Margaret  Pierce.  Charles 
Pierce  was  born  in  Cornwall,  England,  in  1810; 
emigrated  to  America  and  came  to  this  county 
in  1843;  bought  eighty  acres  of  land,  on 
which  he  remained  some  time,  then  bought 
100  acres  of  land  where  Itasca  now  stands, 
and,  in  1869,  came  to  this  township,  and 
lived  here  till  the  spring  of  1882,  when  he 
removed  to  Elgin,  111.  He  had  two  chil- 
dren, Charles  "\V.  and  Susan,  Mrs.  Samuel 


224 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


Samuels,  of  Elgin.  Frank  W.  was  married, 
December  1,  1867,  to  Mary  Ericson,  born  in 
Wisconsin  July  6,  1849,  who  has  borne  him 
two  children — Jennie  and  Nelson.  Since  his 
marriage,  Mr.  Pierce  has  had  charge  of  the 
farm,  which  contains  130  acres  of  land.  He 
-is  a  Republican,  and  a  supporter  of  the  tem- 
perance cause. 

JOHN  T.  PIERCE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Mea- 
charn,  was  born  May  8,  1850,  third  son  and 
fourth  child  of  Thomas  Pierce.  He  was 
raised  on  the  farm,  and,  on  attaining  his  ma- 
jority, rented  land  of  his  father  in  this  town- 
ship. He  married,  January  22,  1874,  Hattie 
A.  Baxter,  born  in  Winfield  Township,  this 
county,  March  1,  1854,  second  daughter  of 
John  and  Sarah  (Sharp)  Baxter,  residents  of 
this  county,  who  came  here  from  England 
about  the  year  1848.  After  his  marriage,  he 
located  on  his  father's  farm,  known  as  the 
Daniel  McGraw  place,  where  he  remained 
until  March  25,  1881,  locating  on  the  George 
Meacham  farm,  containing  now  193  acres, 
160  acres  of  the  Meacham  farm,  the  remain- 
ing thirty- three  acres  of  the  Trewin  farm,  on 
which  he  has  good  improvements.  He  car- 
ries on  a  dairy  in  ad  'ition  to  farming.  By 
their  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pierce  have 
been  blessed  with  two  children — Eddie  Til- 
ton,  born  June  30,  1876;  and  Clarence  Ray- 
mond, born  April  11,  1880.  Mr.  Pierce  is  a 
Republican. 

CHARLES  PIERCE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Mea- 
cham, was  born  in  this  township  February 
24,  1857,  and  has  always  resided  here.  He 
is  the  youngest  child  and  son  of  Thomas 
Pierce.  Thomas  Pierce  was  born  in  1807; 
came  with  his  family  to  this  county  in  July, 
1841,  and  bought  land  of  the  Government. 
He  died  July  11,  1880.  His  wife,  a  native 
of  Cornwall,  England,  was  born  February 
20,  1818,  daughter  of  John  Sandercock.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch,  when  he  attained  his 


majority,  rented  the  homestead  for  one  year, 
aad  his  father  gave  him  eighty  acres  of  land. 
In  April,  1881,  Mr.  Pierce  married  Jennie 
Batten,  a  native  of  Devonshire,  England, 
born  October  10,  1862,  daughter  of  John  and 
Tamzer  (Rundle).  From  this  union  they 
have  one  son,  born  August  17,  1882.  Mr. 
Pierce  has  a  farm  of  170  acres  of  land. 

W.  KIRK  PATRICK,  deceased,  was  born 
February  16,  1824,  inTruxton,  Corfcland  Co. , 
N.  Y. ,  son  of  Nathaniel  and  Penelope  (Pot- 
ter) Patrick,  he  born  February  10,  1785,  in 
Stillwater,  Saratoga  Co.,  N.  Y. ;  she  born  in 
1793,  daughter  of  Nathaniel  Potter.  To 
Nathaniel  and  Penelope  Patrick  were  born 
fourteen  children,  twelve  of  whom  grew  to 
maturity — Stephen,  Elias,  Fannie  E.,  H.  B., 
Albert,  Charles,  William  K. ,  Lydia,  Mary, 
Rachel,  Alfred,  Elizabeth.  Stephen  resides 
in  Cortland  County,  N.  Y. ,  and  has  repre- 
sented his  county  in  the  Legislature  of  his 
State:  Lydia  married  Alanson  P.  Benson,  of 
Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.  Those  who  settled 
in  this  county  were  William  K.,  H.  B. ,  Fan- 
nie (Mrs.  J.  B.  Hull);  Elizabeth,  wife  of 
Robert  Patrick ;  Charles,  Richard,  Alfred 
and  Eliza  settled  in  McHenry  County;  Alfred 
is  a  farmer;  Mary  married  Charles  Angle, 
and  removed  to  Topeka,  Kan.  W.  K.  Pat- 
rick came  West  in  1850.  He  was  raised  on 
a  farm,  and  his  father  died  in  1844.  Our 
subject,  being  the  eldest  son  at  home,  took 
charge  of  the  farm  until  he  came  West  in 
1850.  The  paternal  ancestors  of  Mr.  Patrick 
emigrated  from  Scotland  to  the  North  of  Ire- 
land during  the  reign  of  James  I,  and  the 
Patricks  landed  in  New  York  in  1763.  Our 
subject  married,  February  16,  1847,  Mary  L. 
Knowles,  born  in  Chenango  County,  N.  Y. , 
June  17,  1827,  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Lo- 
vina  (Reynolds)  Knowles,  he  born  in  1785,  in 
Rhode  Island,  she  born  in  1797,  daughter  of 
Benjamin  and  Sarah  (Briggs)  Reynolds,  who 


BLOOMINGDALE    TOWNSHIP. 


235 


removed  to  Chenango  County  about  1802. 
To  Benjamin  and  wife  were  born  nine  chil- 
dren, who  grew  up.  Daniel  Reynolds  and 
wife  removed  to  Cortland  County  in  3837, 
and  died  there.  To  Daniel  and  wife  were 
born  three  children — Mary,  Darius  D.  and 
Sarah,  the  last  two  deceased.  Prior  to  Mr. 
Patrick's  coming  West,  he  bought  160  acres 
of  land,  and  afterward  added  more,  and  made 
several  changes,  but  finally  settled  where  he 
lived  until  his  death,  May  8,  1882.  He  was 
a  Republican;  served  as  Assessor  and  Super- 
visor several  terms.  About  1858,  he  engaged 
in  sheep-raising,  and,  later,  was  a  large 
breeder  of  the  same.  He  was  a  liberal  sup- 
porter of  the  Gospel,  although  not  a  member 
of  any  church,  and  always  a  helper  of  the 
poor  and  needy.  To  Mr.  Patrick  and  wife 
were  born  nine  children.  Those  who  grew 
to  maturity  were  Delia,  wife  of  0.  B.  Field, 
of  Freeport,  111. ;  Ellen,  wife  of  A.  E.  Hills, 
of  Lombard  ;  Florence,  Wilbur  K.,  Jr., 
Frances,  Charles,  Abraham  L.  and  Jesse. 
Mrs.  Patrick  is  a  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church. 

ALFRED  S.  PATRICK,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Wheaton,  was  born  on  the  homestead  farm, 
where  he  now  lives,  September  8,  1841,  and 
is  the  third  and  youngest  child  of  H.  B.  and 
Clarissa  (Frisby)  Patrick.  Mr.  Patrick  was 
raised  on  the  farm,  and  has  always  followed 
farming.  He  also  devotes  his  attention  to 
feeding  cattle.  January  1,  1875,  he  married 
Ida  W.  McClester,  born  in  Long  Meadow, 
Mass. ,  February  13, 1849,  youngest  daughter 
of  Robert  and  Mary  (Field)  McClester,  he  a 
native  of  Massachusetts,  of  Irish  descent,  she 
a  relative  of  Cyrus  W.  Field.  The  McClester 
family  came  West  to  Plainfield,  Will  Co., 
111.,  in  1853.  Robert  McClester,  who  was  a 
master  mechanic  in  Government  employ,  died 
in  Chattanooga,  Tenn. ,  in  the  second  year  of 
the  late  war.  His  widow  is  still  living. 


Mrs.  Patrick  has  one  brother  and  one  sister, 
George  and  Elizabeth  (Mrs.  Charles  Hoag,  of 
Plainfield).  Her~parents  were  members  of 
the  Congregational  Church. 

ROWLAND  RATHBURN,  Prospect  Park, 
was  born  near  Rome,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y. ,  Au- 
gust 18,  1817,  and  is  a  son  of  Acors  and 
Sarah  (Peckham)  Rathburn,  natives  of  Rhode 
Island.  Acors  Rathburn  was  one  of  a  fam- 
ily of  six,  born  to  Burden  Rathburn,  of  Rhode 
Island.  Acors  Rathburn  learned  the  hatter's 
trade,  and,  after  his  marriage  to  Sarah  Peck- 
Lam,  daughter  of  Judge  W.  Peckham,  be  re- 
moved to  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
was  one  of  the  early  settlers.  He  followed 
farming  there  till  his  death.  He  had  a  fam- 
ily of  twelve  children,  all  of  whom  grew  to 
maturity — William,  Solomon;  Sarah,  resid- 
ing at  Oak  Park,  111.,  wife  of  Daniel  Mory; 
Wells,  Joshua,  Peckham  and  Mercy,  all  three 
in  New  York;  Dorcas,  wife  of  Henry  Thomas, 
of  Lone  Rock,  Wis. ;  Perry,  in  Atlantic, 
Iowa;  Benjamin,  also  in  Iowa;  May  A.,  Row- 
land and 'James.  The  latter  went  to  Califor- 
nia, and  has  not  been  heard  from  for  several 
years.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained 
with  his  parents  on  the  farm  till  he  was 
twenty-two  years  of  age.  In  the  spring  of 
1844,  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  in  September 
of  that  year,  purchased,  at  $1.50  an  acre,  a 
claim  of  eighty  acres  of  unimproved  land, 
where  be  still  resides,  having  now,  however, 
160  acres  of  well-improved  land.  He  has 
been  thrice  married.  In  January,  1840,  he 
married  Elisa  Mosely,  a  native  of  Rensselaer 
County,  N.  Y.,  daughter  of  Charles  Mosely. 
She  died  leaving  four  children — Joshua,  Cor- 
nelia, Emma  and  George.  His  second  wife, 
Harriet  Mosely,  sister  of  his  first  wife,  died 
leaving  one  child,  Eliza.  His  third  wife  was 
Josephine  Smith,  a  native  of  Vermont,  and 
daughter  of  Alvin  Smith,  one  of  the  early 
settlers  in  this  county.  By  this  last  marriage 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


he  has  six  childlen — Acors,  Sarah,  Carrie, 
John,  Richard  and  Warren.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Society  of  Friends.  Of  his  chil- 
dren, Joshua  served  four  years  during  the 
late  war,  in  the  Thirty-sixth  Illinois  Cavalry, 
and  died  after  leaving  the  service;  Cornelia 
resides  in  Chicago,  wife  of  George  Meacham, 
lumber  merchant;  Emma  is  the  wife  of  Henry 
Pierce,  of  this  township;  George  is  a  farmer 
in  Ellsworth  County,  Kan. ;  and  the  remain- 
der of  the  family  are  at  home. 

WILLIAM  RATHJE,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Bloomingdale,  has  been  a  resident  of  this 
county  since  October  23,  1846,  and  of  this 
township  since  the  spring  of  1847.  He  was 
born  October  13,  1833,  in  Kodenwald,  Amt 
Nuestadt,  in  province  of  Hanover.  His  par- 
ents were  Frederick  Rathje  and  Sophia  Frol- 
ich.  His  father  was  born  December  26,  1799, 
and  had  eight  children  born  to  him,  whose 
names,  in  order  of  their  birth,  are  Louisa, 
Frederick,  Henry,  Mary,  William,  Louis, 
Henry  and  Sophia.  Henry  died  in  the  old 
country ;  Mary  resides  in  Addison  Townsh  ip, 
wife  of  Henry  Buchholz;  Louisa  married 
Fred  Wakenhauer,  of  same  township;  Fred- 
erick resides  in  Peotone,  Will  County,  this 
State;  Sophia  resides  in  Corvallis,  Benton 
Co. ,  Ore. ,  wife  of  Fred  H.  Fisher.  William, 
when  he  came  to  this  county,  resided  the  first 
year  with  his  sister,  Mrs.  Wakenhauer,  in 
Addison  Township.  The  following  year,  he 
came  to  this  township.  He  hired  out  for  six 
months  to  Horace  Benjamin,  at  $3  per  month. 
The  year  following  (in  1848),  his  father  came, 
and  bought  120  acres  of  land,  which 
William  now  owns,  which  was  obtained  of 
Cyrus  Kellogg,  at  a  cost  of  $10  per  acre, 
there  being  but  little  improvements  on  the 
place  at  the  time.  Since  that  time,  Mr. 
Rathje  has  been  a  constant  resident  at  the 
place.  His  mother  died  in  1843.  His  fa- 
ther resides  with  him  on  the  farm.  William 


has  given  his  attention  to  farming  pursuits. 
In  1856,  he  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his 
right  arm  while  working  with  a  threshing 
machine.  He  has  always  been  a  stanch  and 
reliable  Republican;  has  served  as  Justice  of 
the  Peace  for  twelve  years,  and,  since  1873, 
has  been  Supervisor  of  the  township,  except 
1877,  and  in  all  his  official  relations  he  has 
maintained  the  dignity  and  uprightness  which 
characterize  the  true  man.  He  has  258  acres 
of  land  in  the  township,  and  480  acres  in 
Kossuth  County,  Iowa.  March  20,  1863,  he 
married  Louisa  Ehlers,  who  was  born  in  the 
same  place  as  himself,  February,  1841, 
daughter  of  Fred  Ehlers  and  Maria  Meyer; 
has  eight  children — three  sons  and  five  daugh- 
ters— Emma,  Mena,  Bertha,  Annie,  Sophia, 
Fred,  Louis  and  Willie.  Member  of  the 
Evangelical  Church. 

JOSIAH  STEVENS,  Bloomingdale,  is  now 
the  oldest  living  male  resident  of  Blooming- 
dale  Township,  having  come  here  with  his 
parents  in  the  spring  of  1835.  He  was  born 
July  10,  1832,  in  Lenox,  Madison  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  third  son  and  seventh  child  of  Noah  and 
Lois  (Walker)  Stevens.  The  Stevens  family 
came  originally  from  England,  four  brothers 
of  the  family  coming  out  in  the  Mayflower. 
Noah  Stevens,  a  farmer  by  occupation,  son  of 
Thomas  Stevens,  was  born  in  Sangerfield. 
OneidaCo.,  N.  Y.,  November  16,  1797;  was 
married,  November  9,  1818,  to  Lois  Walker, 
a  native  of  Hinesburg,  Vt.,  born  Jan.  21, 
1801,  daughter  of  Asa  Walker.  By  this 
union  were  born  the  following  children: 

|  Sibylla,  born  February,  11,  1820,  wife  of  D. 
D.  Noble,  of  Nebraska;  Thomas  R.,  born 
March  25,  1822,  a  farmer,  died  at  Wheaton, 
111.,  in  March,  1882;  Leonora,  born  April 
3,  1824,  married  0.  W.  Kellogg,  of  this 
township,  and  died  September  24,  1875;  Lois, 
born  May  19,  1826,  wife  of  Henry  Hatch,  of 

'  Iowa;  Lavina,  born  June   20.   1828,  wife  of 


ADDISON  TOWNSHIP. 


227 


E.  A.  Herrick.  of  Winnebago.  111. ;  Ethel  H., 
born  March  25,  1831;  Josiah;  Alvira  L., 
born  December  31,  1835,  lives  with  Josiah; 
Adeline  D.,  born  June  28,  1838,  wife  of  Ed- 
ward Herrick,  of  Iowa;  and  Mary  A.,  born 
November  25,  1840,  wife  of  Asa  \V.  Farr,  of 
Iowa.  All  grew  to  maturity  save  Ethel  H. 
Noah  Stevens  came  West  with  his  family  and 
settled  on  a  claim  of  175  acres,  on  which  Jo- 
siah now  resides,  and  remained  there  till  his 
death,  which  occurred  September  5,  1862. 
He  was  a  Deacon  in  the  Baptist  Church,  and 
one  of  the  organizers  of  that  church  here, 
their  meetings  being  held  in  his  house,  which 
was  the  home  of  the  ministers.  In  politics, 
he  was  a  Whig,  and  later  a  Republican.  His 
wife  died  February  4,  1863.  Our  subject 
married,  March  5,  1855,  Caroline  E.  Barber, 
born  in  Castleton,  Rutland  Co.,  Vt,  October 
5.  1829,  daughter  of  Simeon  and  Lorain  H. 
(King)  Barber,  natives  of  Benson,  "Vt.,  he  a 


son  of  Levi  and  Rebecca  (Hinman)  Barber. 
The  Barber  family  came  West  in  1853  and 
settled  in  Bloomingdale  Township,  this 
county.  Simeon  Barber  now  lives  with  his 
son  Henry;  his  wife  died  in  July,  1875. 
They  had  three  children — Caroline  E.,  Mrs. 
Stevens;  Henry  F..  residing  in  Wayne  Town- 
ship, this  county ;  and  Mary  L.,  wife  of  I.  B. 
Kinney,  of  Henry  County.  Mo.  Mr.  Stevens 
has  had  charge  of  the  farm  since  1853.  He 
now  rents  the  place.  Since  1867,  he  has  kept 
a  public  house,  the  Farmers'  Home,  and, 
since  the  spring  of  1875,  he  has  been  en- 
gaged in  the  construction  of  tubular  wells, 
keeping  four  teams  constantly  on  the  road. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stevens  have  been  blessed  with 
three  children — Hattie  L. ,  Addie  L.  (wife  of 
E.  W.  Lester,  of  Addison  Township)  and 
Myrta  A.  Mr.  Stevens  has  been  Constable 
since  1865,  and  has  served  for  nine  or  ten 
years  as  Township  Trustee. 


ADDISON  TOWNSHIP. 


WILLIAM  ASCHE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Elm- 
hurst,  is  one  of  the  young  settlers  of  Addison 
Township;  his  father,  William  Asche,  was  a 
native  of  Hanover,  where  he  was  born  Febru- 
ary 26,  1809,  and  emigrated  to  America  short- 
ly after  the  Fischer  family  came.  He  worked 
on  the  canal  in  Chicago  for  some  time,  finally 
locating  in  Addison  Township,  where  his  son 
William  now.  resides,  making  his  purchase 
July  10,  1844.  May  12,  1842,  he  married 
Meiia  Fischer,  a  native  of  Hanover,  born  Oc- 
tober 7, 1823,  daughter  of  H.  F.  Fischer,  who 
for  several  years  operated  the  wind-mill  in  the 
southeast  part  qf  the  township.  William 
Asche,  Sr.,  died  March  18,  1876;  his  wife  in 
November,  1858;  six  children  were  born  to 
them,  five  coming  to  the  years  of  maturity, 
Dora,  Fred,  Emma  and  William  are  now  liv- 


ing. Dora  resides  in  Chicago,  wife  of  Fred 
Wassaman;  Fred  resides  at  Lemont,  this 
State;  Emma  is  the  wife  of  Henry  Kay,  and 
resides  at  Blue  Island  near  Chicago.  Will- 
iam, our  subject,  who  now  resides  on  the 
homestead  farm,  was  born  January  7,  1854, 
and,  being  <he  youngest,  he  has  always  been 
!  on  the  home  farm.  April  16,  1874,  he  mar- 
ried Louisa,  eldest  daughter  of  August  Graue; 
He  has  five  children — August,  Edward,  Ma- 
tilda, Albert  and  Ada. 

WILLIAM  HENRY  BOSKE,  farmer,  P. 
O.  Bensenville,  resides  at  Kaler's  Grove, 
which  took  its  name  from  Barney  Kaler,  who 
married  Mrs.  Boske,  the  mother  of  William 
Henry;  her  maiden  name  was  Mary  Ulhorn, 
whose  first  husband  was  Henry  Boske,  and 
by  him  had  two  children — Sophia  and  Will- 


223 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


iam  Henry,  who  was  born  January  4,  1823, 
in  Ehrenburg,  in  the  Kingdom  of  Hanover; 
his  father  died  in  1827.  William  Henry 
emigrated  to  this  State  with  his  mother  and 
stepfather  in  1834.  William  Henry  left 
home  after  his  stepfather's  settlement  here, 
and  went  to  Chicago,  remaining  there  until 
he  was  about  eighteen  years  of  age,  when  he 
returned  to  this  township,  where  he  has  since 
remained.  June  2,  1848,  he  married  Mary 
Charlotte  Schmidt,  who  was  born  February 
19,  1829,  in  Londesbergen,  in  the  Kingdom 
of  Hanover,  daughter  of  Henry  Schmidt. 
Nine  children  have  been  born  to  him, 'eight 
of  whom  are  living.  Sophia  was  born  August 
16, 1849,  and  resides  in  Bloomingdale  Town- 
ship, wife  of  Marquardt;  Louisa  W. ,  born 
November  20,  1851,  and  resides  in  this  town- 
ship, wife  of  Fred  Bucholz;  Anne  L.  E.,  born 
January  12,  1854,  wife  of  William  Stuenkel, 
of  Lombard;  Maria  D.  R.,  born  January  19. 
1859,  wife  of  George  C.  Johnson,  of  Chicago; 
Henrietta  L.  E.,  born  May  24,  1861,  wife  of 
August  Webber,  of  this  township;  Elsie  L. 
M,  Fred  H.  and  William  W.,  at  home.  Mr. 
Boske  has  over  300  acres  with  excellent  im- 
provements thereon.  Is  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  Church. 

WILLIAM  BARUTH,  general  store, 
Itasca;  located  in  this  town  in  the  spring  of 
1882.  He  purchased  the  interests  and  store 
of  L.  F.  Magers,  and  keeps  a  general  store, 
dry  goods,  groceries,  boots  and  shoes,  hard- 
ware and  notions ;  he  also  keeps  a  saloon  and 
sample  room  adjoining.  He  was  born  Au- 
gust 3,  1839,  in  Amt  Otterndorf,  in  the  Prov- 
ince of  Hanover,  son  of  William  and  Rebecca 
Baruth.  Mr.  Baruth  came  to  America  in  1856, 
and  lived  in  New  York  about  two  years,  work- 
ing for  what  he  could  get.  In  March,  1858, 
he  came  to  Long  Grove,  in  Cook  County,  111., 
where  he  hired  out  among  the  farmers.  In 
June,  ]  862,  he  enlisted  in  Company  C,  One 


Hundred  and  Thirteenth  Regiment,  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  served  until  the 
close  of  the  war,  and  was  never  absent  from 
his  command  except  when  home  on  furlough 
one  month,  by  reason  of  a  wound  received  at 
Gun  town;  At  the  close  of  the  war,  he  went 
to  Chicago  and  engaged  as  clerk  in  the  gro- 
cery store  of  J.  H.  Haake,  remaining  in  his 
employ  until  May,  1868,  when  he  purchased 
his  employer's  interest  and  run  the  store  until 
the  great  fire,  in  1871.  Two  weeks  later,  he 
set  up  in  business  on  Milwaukee  avenue,  near 
Noble,  where  he  remained  about  ten  months; 
then  sold  out  and  opened  a  flour  and  feed 
store,  and  continued  in  that  business  until 
1880.  In  May,  1808,  he  married  Mary  Hu- 
ell,  born  in  Cook  County,  111.,  daughter  of 
John  Huell;  they  have  three  children — Will- 
iam, Carrie  and  Emma.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity. 

FREDERICK  H.  BATES,  M.  D.,  Ben- 
senville,  was  born  in  the  village  of  Elmhurst, 
111.,  October  8, 1856;  he  was  the  son  of  Gerry 
and  Georgia  Bates  (a  sketch  of  whom  will  be 
found  elsewhere  in  this  work).  After  receiv- 
ing a  liberal  education,  he  commenced  the 
study  of  medicine,  in  1875,  and  on  the  26th 
day  of  February,  1878,  he  graduated  with 
honors  at  the  Rush  Medical  College  of  Chi- 
cago. After  the  death  of  his  father,  Gerry 
Bates,  which  occurred  July  29,  1878,  he  was 
appointed  Postmaster  at  Elmhurst,  an  office 
which  his  father  had  held  for  thirty  years 
previous  to  his  death.  He  continued  to  act 
as  Postmaster  and  in  the  practice  of  medicine 
at  Elmhurst  until  1881,  when  he  resigned 
both  and  entered  into  a  partnership  in  the 
practice  of  medicine  with  Dr.  John  Zahn,  at 
Elgin,  111.  In  January,  1882,  this  partner- 
ship was  dissolved,  and  Dr.  Bates  has  since 
been  practicing  his  prof  ession  at  Bensenville, 
in  this  county,  where,  owing  to  his  profi- 
ciency as  a  physician  and  his  extended  knowl- 


ADDISON   TOWNSHIP. 


229 


edge  of  the  German  language,  lie  has  a  large 
practice.  The  Doctor  has  for  some  time  been 
a  member  in  good  standing  of  the  Ancient 
Order  of  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  Harlem 
Lodge,  No.  540. 

WILLIAM  BUCHHOLZ,  fanner,  P.  O. 
Addison;  is  a  native  of  Hanover,  Germany, 
born  February  8,  1826,  son  of  Henry  and 
Mary  (Knage)  Buchholz.  Henry  Buchholz 
came  with  his  family  to  Illinois,  in  Novem- 
ber, 1844,  and  located  in  this  township,  where 
he  lived  until  his  death,  which  occurred  July 
12,  1853;  his  wife  died  two  years  later;  they 
had  five  children  —  Mary,  Louisa,  Henry, 
William  and  Fred.  Our  subject  was  about 
eighteen  years  of  age  when  he  came  to  this 
county;  when  a  little  over  twenty-three  years 
of  age,  he  began  the  business  of  life  on  his 
own  account.  He  married,  May  4,  1859,  So- 
phia Fiene,  also  a  native  of  Hanover,  born  in 
September,  1829,  daughter  of  David  Fiene. 
By  this  union,  they  have  been  blessed  with 
eleven  children,  six  of  whom  are  living — 
August,  Fred,  Sophia,  Louis,  Anna,  Louisa, 
William  (died  May  6,  1877,  aged  seventeen) ; 
Emma,  wife  of  Henry  Deirson,  died  August 
9,  1877;  Bertie  died  March  11,  1877,  aged 
five  years;  Henry  died  March  19,  1877,  aged 
two  years;  Matilda,  the  eldest  child,  died 
November  11,  1861.  After  his  marriage,  Mr. 
Buchholz  located  on  his  present  place,  where 
he  has  since  resided;  his  son  August  lives  on 
the  adjoining  farm;  he  has  253  acres  of  good 
land  and  a  good  farm-house,  erected  in  1874. 
They  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

CHRISTIAN  BATJCKE,  mechanic,  Ben- 
senville,  is  the  leading  mechanic  in  his  line 
in  Addison  Township;  he  is  a  native  of  the 
"Fatherland,"  Province  of  Hanover,  where 
he  was  born  April  3,  1847;  his  father  was 
Christian  Baucke,  a  farmer,  who  died  when 
his  son -was  eighteen  years  of  age.  His 
mother's  maiden  name  was  Dorathy  Fogt. 


Christian  came  to  America  in  the  spring  of 
1867;  he  spent  one  year  in  Chicago,  and 
came  here  the  following  year,  and  has  since 
been  engaged  at  his  trade,  being  both  stone 
and  brick  mason  and  plasterer,  and  an  excel- 
lent workman  withal.  He  was  married, 
March  3,  1872,  to  Lesetta,  daughter  of  John 
Brettmann,  one  of  the  old  settlers  in  the  town- 
ship; he  has  three  children — Herman,  Julius 
and  Malinda.  He  has,  by  honest  labor  and 
attention  to  his  business,  obtained  a  home 
here  in  Bensenville  and  valuable  property. 

GEORGE  COGSWELL,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Bensenville,  was  born  December  15,  1847,  in 
Bensenville,  eldest  son  living  of  William  F. 
Cogswell,  a  native  o"f  Concord,  N.  H.,  who 
came  to  this  township  in  1842,  and  purchased 
a  claim  on  Section  13,  of  M.  L.  Dunlap,  and 
here  the  family  have  since  lived.  August  26, 
1843,  he  married  Annie  A.  Franzen,  who  was 
born  August  30, 1826,  in  Prussia;  her  parents 
were  Garrett  Franzen  and  Anna  Krimpleman, 
who  came  here  in  1843.  The  father  died 
June  23,  1869,  having  been  for  twenty  years 
j  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Church.  Ten 
1  children  were  born  to  him.  Of  this  number, 
!  William,  George,  Caroline,  Henry,  Louis  and 
Clara  grew  up.  George  has  now  the  posses- 
:  sion  of  the  homestead,  where  he  grew  up. 
In  November,  1870,  he  married  Maggie  Brust, 
who  was  born  in  Ohio,  near  Chillicothe, 
daughter  of  "Adam  and  Barbara  Brust.  He 
located  after  his  marriage  in  Cook  County, 
where  he  lived  seven  years.  Since  that  time, 
he  has  been  an  occupant  of  the  homestead. 
He  has  four  children,  viz.,  William  F.,  Ar- 
thur, Nellie  and  Alice.  Is  a  member  of  the 
Evangelical  Church. 

HENRY  A.  COGSWELL,  retired,  Bensen- 
ville, was  born  on  the  homestead  farm  in  this 
township  March  21,  1852;  was  the  fourth  son 
and  fifth  child  of  William  F.  and  Anna  (Fran- 
zen) Cogswell,  who  came  to  Du  Page  County 


230 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


soon  after  its  organization.  Henry  A.  was 
educated  at  the  common  schools;  afterward, 
attended  the  commercial  school  of  Bryant  & 
Stratton,  at  Chicago,  completing  his  studies 
at  Plainfield  College.  At  the  age  of  seven- 
teen, he  engaged  in  selling  farm  machinery, 
and  canvassed  the  greater  part  of  the  county 
and  was  a  very  successful  salesman;  he  subse- 
quently built  a  large  storeroom  and  engaged  in 
the  hardware  trade,  but  continued  in  the  ma- 
chine business.  He  was  the  first  one  who 
carried  on  the  business  in  the  town ;  he  con- 
tinued in  the  trade  for  thirteen  years.  He 
sold  out,  in  the  fall  of  1881,  to  H.  H.  Kort- 
hauer,  who  has  since  succeeded  him.  De- 
cember 2,  1874,  he  married  Matilda  Graue, 
who  was  born  in  this  township,  and  who  has 
borne  him  two  children — Ada  M..  living,  and 
Walter  F.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two  years. 
A.  G.  CHESSMAN,  farmer  and  general 
business,  Itasea,  one  of  the  leading  business 
men  of  Itasea,  was  born  March  4,  1832,  in 
Cumberland  County,  N.  J.,  son  of  William 
W.  and  Lydia  (Griffith)  Chessman,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Abel  Griffith,  a  Revolutionary  soldier 
and  participated  in  the  war  of  1812.  At  the 
age  of  seventeen,  Abel  G.  began  learning  the 
carpenter's  trade,  and  came  to  Chicago  when 
twenty  years  of  age.  About  the  year  1858, 
he  purchased  land  in  this  township,  and  lo- 
cated on  the  same,  and  from  that  time  he  has 
been  closely  allied  to  the  interests  of  the 
township  and  Du  Page  County.  He  has  in 
the  meantime  been  engaged  in  building  and 
contracting  to  some  extent,  and,  since  the 
existence  of  Itasea,  has  been  prominently  as- 
sociated with  it  as  a  business  man.  He  was 
the  first  Postmaster  in  Itasea,  receiving  his 
appointment  under  Abraham  Lincoln,  in 
1863.  He  was  for  some  time  engaged  in 
buying  and  shipping  grain.  After  abandon- 
ing the  grain  trade,  he  put  up  a  mill,  and  is 
now  doing  effective  work  for  the  farmers.  In 


1878,  he  built  an  addition  to  his  mill,  and 
has  since  been  engaged  in  manufacturing 
cheese  boxes,  wooden  ware,  fruit  crates,  etc. , 
which  gives  employment  to  several  men.  In 
December,  1857,  he  married  Eliza  Brooklyn, 
of  Ogdensburg,  N.  Y. ,  by  whom  he  has  eleven 
children  —  Carrie,  William,  Annie,  Grant, 
Leonard,  Philo,  Joseph,  Walter,  Eliza,  Abel 
and  Robert.  His  farm  of  114  acres  is  situ- 
ated about  one  mile  and  a  half  from  Itasea, 
where  he  resides,  and  carries  on  his  business 
in  Itasea  at  the  same  time. 

DANIEL  CLARK  (deceased)  was  born  in 
Connecticut  August  15,  1820,  and  came  West 
with  his  father,  Daniel  Clark,  when  Chicago 
was  a  mere  town.  Daniel,  Sr. ,  was  for  many 
years  engaged  in  the  hotel  business,  in  Cook 
County,  HI.,  just  outside  of  what  is  now  the 
limits  of  the  city,  and  he  was  widely  known 
by  the  people  at  that  time,  far  and  near,  as 
"  Uncle  Dan."  He  subsequently  located  in 
Bloomingdale  Township,  and  there  carried 
on  the  same  business  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death.  His  son  who  bore  his  name  located 
in  this  township,  on  Section  8,  in  the  year 
1851,  purchasing  his  land  at  $10  per  acre. 
March  23,  1852,  he  married  Mary  Jane  Fos- 
ter, a  native  of  Upper  Canada,  born  April  1, 
1832,  daughter  of  Asher  and  Hannah  (Rose) 
Foster,  who  came  here  prior  to  1840.  Mr. 
Clark  engaged  actively  in  farming,  and,  for 
several  years  in  his  early  life,  ran  a  threshing 
machine,  working  excessively  hard  several 
months  each  year  for  many  years,  and  while 
in  this  business  doubtless  sowed  the  seeds  of 
consumption,  which  caused  his  death,  January 
5,  1877.  He  was  a  generous-hearted  man,  a 
kind  husband  and  indulgent  father,  and,  with- 
al, an  excellent  neighbor.  His  wife  and  three 
sons — -James,  Burlon  and  Allen — survive  him 
and  reside  on  the  homestead.  James,  who 
was  born  December  18,  1856,  has  charge  of 
the  farm,  assisted  by  his  brothers.  July  14, 


ADDISON   TOWN.SH1P. 


231 


1878,  he  married  Maggie  Hamilton,  born  in 
Glasgow,  Scotland,  daughter  of  David  and 
Jane  (Morrison)  Hamilton,  to  whom  were 
born  three  daughters  and  one  son.  James 
Clark  has  two  children — Adelbert  and  daugh- 
ter (unnamed). 

LOUIS  DIERKS,  farmer,  P.  0.  Bensen- 
ville,  was  born  July  30,  1835,  in  Neustadt 
Amt  Eodewald,  in  the  Province  of  Hanover, 
only  son  of  John  Henry  and  Dorathy  (Preus- 
sner)  Dierks.  In  1841,  Louis  came  to  Amer- 
ica with  his  parents,  and,  in  November  of  the 
same  year,  his  father  located  on  Section  13. 
There  was  a  log  house  and  but  little  improve- 
ments. His  father  is  now  well  up  to  ninety 
years  of  age;  he  resides  with  his  daughter 
Caroline,  wife  of  Henry  Miller,  in  Cook 
County.  Louis,  being  raised  on  the  farm, 
became  attached  to  that  life,  and  decided  to 
make  it  his  business.  July  4,  1855,  he  was 
married,  in  Chicago,  to  Margaretha  Lauing, 
born  September  16,  1833,  in  Amt  Hoya, 
Province  of  Hanover;  her  parents  were  De- 
trick  and  Rebecca  Breuning,  he  born  in  1803, 
his  wife  in  1815,  and  he  came  to  America  in 
1861.  She  died  in  the  old  country  in  1855; 
he  'in  1865.  in  this  county.  Since  Mr. 
Dierks'  marriage,  he  has  been  located  on  the 
homestead,  consisting  of  155  acres;  he  has 
one  of  the  best  houses  in  the  township,  built 
of  brick  and  furnished  in  first  class  style;  his 
farm  adjoins  the  town  of  Bensenville.  Twelve 
children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  Dierks,  nine 
of  whom  are  living — Sophia,  born  April  29, 
1856;  Ernst,  February  11,  1859;  Louis,  June 
26,1861;  Martha,  October  20, 1863;  William, 
October  19, 1865;  Emma,  February  10, 1868; 
Albert,  July  26, 1870;  Henry,  August  3, 1872; 
Ida,  April  1,  1874.  Mr.  Dierks  is  a  member 
of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

EDWARD  EHLERS,  farmer  and  miller, 
P.  O.  Elmhurst,  is  the  owner  and  proprietor 
of  the  wind-mill  in  the  east  part  of  Addison 


Township;  he  was  born  in  this  township 
March  8,  1856,  second  son  of  Frederick  Eh- 
lers,  a  native  of  Hanover,  who  came  to  this 
State  in  1850;  he  married  Maria  Meyers  and 
subsequently  located  in  Cook  County,  where 
he  died  in  1869;  his  widow  yet  lives  on  the 
homestead.  Edward  remained  at  home  until 
his  marriage,  which  occurred  May  23,  1877, 
with  Caroline  Korthauer,  daughter  of  Esquire 
Korthauer,  of  this  township.  Since  his  mar- 
riage, he  located  where  he  now  resides,  and 
has  been  engaged  in  farming  and  running 
the  Addison  Mill.  Having  a  steam  engine  of 
twenty-five  horse-power,  he  is  never  compelled 
to  cease  running  his  mill,  when  the  wind  is 
not  sufficient  to  propel  the  machinery.  He 
has  two  children — Mary  Christina  and  Ber- 
tie E. 

FREDERICK  FISCHER,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Elmhurst.  Henry  D. ,  the  eldest  brother  of 
Frederick,  emigrated  to  this  country  in  1833; 
came  first  to  Chicago,  and  shortly  after,  took 
a  claim  on  Section  27,  in  Addison  Township. 
The  remainder  of  the  family  came  in  the  fall 
of  1836,  and  have  since  been  identified  with 
the  interests  of  Du  Page  County.  Frederick 
was  born  March  17,  1823,  in  Hanover.  His 
father  was  Conrad  Fischer,  who  married  Lou- 
isa Reinking,  and  the  f raits  of  this  marriage 
were  three  sons  and  three  daughters — Henry 
D. ,  Louisa,  Frederick.  Augustus.  Caroline 
and  Wilhelmenia;  the  latter  was  accidentally 
drowned  while  coming  to  this  country.  Lou- 
isa married  Henry  Bielfeld,  now  of  Milwau- 
kee; Caroline,  wife  of  Louis  Rathje.  Con- 
rad Fischer  and  his  family  settled  where 
George  Fisher  now  lives,  in  this  township, 
where  he  remained  until  his  death,  having 
attained  to  the  age  of  over  fourscore  years; 
he  was  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Church,  and  was  a  man  of  substantial  char- 
acter and  highly  respected.  Frederick  has 
been  a  constant  resident  of  this  township,  and 


232 


BIOGRAPHICAL : 


has  been  successful  as  a  farmer,  having  630  | 
acres  of  choice  land.  He  has  been  twice 
married — first,  in  1847,  to  Henrietta  Mesen- 
brink,  who  died  in  1880,  leaving  three  chil- 
dren— Louisa,  Caroline  and  Albert.  Louisa 
is  the  wife  of  Fred  Koch,  United  States  Gau- 
ger;  Caroline  married  Fred  Buchold,  and 
Albert  lives  in  Chicago.  His  present  wife 
was  Mrs.  "Dorothe  Poehlsen,  daughter  of  Lud- 
wig  and  Charlotte  (Bube)  Kluto.  Mr.  Fisher 
moved  to  his  present  location  in  1845. 

AUGUST  FISCHER,  farmer  and  stock- 
raiser,  P.  O.  Elmhurst,  was  born  February 
26,  1826  at  Estorf,  in  the  Kingdom  of  Han- 
over, and  is  the  third  son  born  to  Conrad  and 
Louisa  (Beinking)  Fischer.  August  was  but 
ten  years  of  age  when  his  parents  located  in  this 
township.  He  married,  May  27,  1849,  Eliza 
Hackrott,  who  was  born  December  25,  1828, 
near  the  city  of  Hanover.  Her  parents  were 
August  and  Mary  (Krueger)  Hackrott,  who 
emigrated  from  the  old  country  and  settled 
in  this  township  in  1842,  on  land  adjacent 
to  the  Fischer  estate.  August  Hackrott 
was  born  in  the  summer  of  1800;  his  wife 
Mary  on  February  27,  the  same  year.  To 
them  eleven  children  were  born,  seven  of 
whom  lived  to  be  grown,  Mrs.  Fischer  being  i 
the  only  one  of  the  family  remaining  in  Du 
Page  County.  Her  father  died  in  1852,  her  [ 
mother  in  1849;  they  were  members  of  the 
Evangelical  Church.  After  Mr.  Fischer's 
marriage,  he  located  on  the  farm  he  now  oc- 
cupies, where  he  had  then  but  200  acres  of  ; 
land;  he  has  now  over  1,500  acres  in  all,  400 
in  Iowa,  the  remainder  in  this  and  the  ad- 
joining county.  Farming  has  been  his  busi- 
ness since  he  began  life  for  himself ;  he  keeps 
a  dairy  of  over  fifty  cows  and  is  a  very  suc- 
cessful farmer.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fischer  are 
parents  of  five  children,  four  living — Otto, 
Amelia,  Gustavo  and  Charles.  Amelia  re- 
sides in  Elmhurst,  wife  of  Adam  S.  Glos; 


Otto,  a  farmer  in  this  township;  Gustave  and 
Charles,  at  home. 

GEORGE  A.  FISCHER,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Addison,  was  born  on  the  farm  he  now  owns, 
January  30,  1851,  the  seventh  son  born  to 
Henry  Dietrich  Fischer,  born  in  1815  in  the 
village  of  Esdorf,  in  the  Kingdom  of  Hano- 
ver; he  learned  the  harness-maker's  trade, 
and,  in  1834,  embarked  for  America.  In 
1836,  his  parents,  two  brothers  and  two  sis- 
ters came  to  this  section  from  the  old 
country,  and  determined  to  engage  in  farm- 
ing. In  1837,  Henry  D.  married  Ann  Maria 
Franzen,  daughter  of  Bernhard,  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  this  township.  Mr.  Fischer 
was  a  representative  man  of  his  time;  he 
held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  from 
1854  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  July  1, 
1868.  In  1855,  he  was  elected  Supervisor, 
and  was  re-elected  annually  until  1859,  and 
again  in  1866.  He  was  a  stanch  Republican. 
His  children  were  as  follows:  Henry  D.,  born 
May  21,  1838;  Charles  C.,  March  1,  1840, 
died  1855;  Frederick  I.,  July  30,  1842;  Au- 
gustus H.,  October  1,  1844,  was  killed  at  At- 
lanta, Ga.,  August  13,  1864;  Herman  A., 
September  6,  1846;  William  H.,  December 
18,  1848,  died  June  9,  1865;  George  A., 
June  30,  1851;  Eliza  C.,  June  25, 1853;  Will- 
iam H.,  August  17,  1855;  A.  Henriette,  No- 
vember 27,  1857,  died  in  1859.  George  A. 
has  succeeded  his  father  on  the  homestead; 
he  received  good  common-school  advantages; 
also  attended  several  terms  at  Wheaton  Col- 
lege. He  took  charge  of  the  farm  in  1876. 
January  30,  the  same  year,  he  married  Mary 
C.,  daughter  of  B.  H.  Franzen  and  Charlotte 
Buchholz.  Mary  C.  was  born  May  29,  1856, 
in  Prussia;  she  has  one  brother,  Augustus 
H.,  and  two  sisters — Louisa  and  Caroline. 
Mi-.  Fischer  has  237  acres  and  the  best  of 
farm  improvements.  He  has  two  children 
living — Edgar  B.  H.  and  Henry  F.  A. ;  Flora 


ADDISON  TOWNSHIP. 


235 


died  November  15,  1878,  born  December  27, 
1876. 

OTTO  A.  FISCHEE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Elm- 
hurst,  is  the  oldest  son  of  August  Fisher,  one 
of  the  prominent  farmers  and  early  settlers  of 
the  township.  He  was  born  March  16, 1850, 
and  has  been  a  resident  of  the  township 
since.  His  school  advantages  were  such  as 
were  obtained  in  the  neighborhood  at  the 
common  district  school,  which  he  completed 
by  attending  Dyrenfurth  Commercial  Col- 
lege, at  Chicago;  returning  home,  he  contin- 
ued work  on  the  farm.  July  16,  1874,  he 
wedded  Mary  "Weinrebe,  daughter  of  August 
and  Christina  (Marges)  Weinrebe.  After  his 
marriage,  he  located  where  he  now  resides, 
and  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising. 
He  has  195  acres  in  this,  and  78  in  Cook 
County.  Has  three  children — Alfonso  A., 
Eleanora  E.  and  Alonzo  G. 

J.  H.  FEANZEN,  farmer,  P.  O.  Bensen- 
ville,  was  born  in  October,  1813,  in  Prussia, 
the  eldest  son  and  second  child  born  to  Bar- 
ney H.  Franzen  and  Fenne  Adelherd  Elfring; 
he  was  born  October  4,  1782,  and  married  in 
1808;  his  wife  Fenne  was  born  March  18, 
1781.  To  them  were  born  Anna  Catharine, 
John  Henry,  Annie  Gesina,  John  Barney  and 
Gerhard  Henry.  The  family  emigrated  to 
the  United  States  in  1834;  the  father  died 
January  5,  1844;  the  mother  April  3,  1835. 
July  1,  1838,  he  married  Anne  E.  Dieckhoff, 
who  was  born  in  Hanover  September  13, 
1816,  and  died  July  25,  1844,  leaving  four 
children,  but  two  of  whom  are  living — Mary 
and  Sophia.  Mary  is  the  wife  of  Henry 
Kirchhof;  Sophia  married  Henry  Fruchli. 
Herman  was  struck  by  lightning  July  13, 
1859.  He  was  married  in  October,  1844,  to 
Anna  Catharine  Deters,  who  was  born  Sep- 
tember 14,  1824,  and  by  her  ten  children 
were  born,  seven  living — Barney,  born  Octo 
ber  2,  1845;  Caroline,  born  August  11,  1847; 


Emma  C.,  born  April  6,  1849;  Carl  August, 
born  September  28,  1852;  John  Henry,  born 
February  27,  1855,  died  March  7,  1880; 
Dorothy,  born  January  25,  1857;  .Fred 
W.,  born  March  18,  1861;  Herman  H., 
born  September  3,  1868.  Mr.  Franzen 
has  thirty-eight  grandchildren.  For  sev- 
eral years  after  his  coming  here  -he  was 
engaged  in  running  an  oil-mill;  aside 
from  this,  he  has  given  attention  to  farming. 
He  has  about  250  acres  here  and  600  in  Min- 
nesota. He  has  now  retired  from  active  life 
and  is  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  labor  in 
quiet  and  contentment. 

HENEY  FEANZEN,  farmer,  P.  O.  Ben- 
senville,  is  a  son  of  John  Franzen,  a  native 
of  Prussia,  who  came  to  Du  Page  County  in 
1837,  and  was  identified  with  the  county  un- 
til his  death.  He  first  settled  on  the  farm 
now  owned  by  George  Eiterman,  and  followed 
farming.  Henry  was  born  June  20,  1836, 
and  has  given  his  time  and  attention  to  farm- 
ing. July  16,  1858,  he  was  married  to  Lou- 
isa Eiterman,  born  in  August,  1842,  daugh- 
ter of  John  George  Eiterman,  who  came  here 
in  1842.  Since  his  marriage,  Mr.  Franzen 
has  been  located  on  the  farm  he  now  owns. 
He  has  had  nine  children,  seven  of  whom  are 
living — Sophia,  the  eldest,  residing  in  Elk 
Grove  Township,  Cook  County,  wife  of  Fred 
Everding;  Elvena,  Matilda,  Julius,  Emil, 
Lizzie  and  Hulda;t  Henry,  who  died  in  his 
sixth  year,  and  a  babe  who  died  young.  Mr. 
Franzen  has  106  acres  here,  upon  which  are 
nice  farm  buildings  and  a  residence  large 
and  commodious.  He  has  also  120  acres  lo- 
cated in  Cook  County.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Evangelical  Church. 

C.  A.  FEANZEN,  lumber  and  warehouse 
Bensenville,  was  born  in  this  township  Sep- 
tember 28,  1852,  second  son  of  John  H. 
Franzen;  he  received  a  good  common-school 
education,  and  afterward  graduated  at  Bryant 

N 


236 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


&  Stratton's  Commercial  College  at  Chicago, 
after  which  he  returned  home,  where  he  re- 
mained one  summer;  then  went  to  Bensen- 
ville  and  took  charge  of  the  warehouse  and 
managed  the  business  for  his  father.  Since 
that  time,  the  business  has  been  turned  over 
to  him,  and  he  has  been  conducting  the  same 
upon  his  own  account.  He  has  the  control 
of  the  lumber,  grain,  coal  and  feed  trade  at 
this  place,  and  has  a  good  patronage.  March 
14,  1875,  he  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Fred 
Heuer,  of  this  township;  three  children  have 
blessed  this  union— George,  Ida  and  Eosa. 

DR.  JOHN  G.  FEANKE,  physician,  Ad- 
dison,  was  born  in  Fuerstenthum,  Schwartz- 
burg,  Eudoestadt,  Germany,  son  of  Christian 
Franke  and  Augusta  Eegen.  Christian  came 
to  Jefferson  County,  Penn.,  in  1854,  and  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  in  the  lumber  trade. 
The  Doctor  remained  in  Germany  until  1858, 
attending  school;  he  went  to  Pennsylvania, 
and  there  began  the  study  of  medicine,  under 
a  German  physician;  in  1861,  he  went  to  Ann 
Arbor,  Mich. ;  afterward  attended  the  best 
schools  in  Cincinnati  and  received  the  benefits 
of  Rush  Medical  College  and  began  practice 
in  1865,  at  Brush  Hill,  in  this  county,  where 
he  continued  until  the  fall  of  1876,  when  he 
removed  to  Addison  and  has  since  been  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and 
is  doing  well;  his  thorough  knowledge  of  his 
profession  is  being  recognized.  In  the  fall 
of  1866,  he  married  Olive,  daughter  of  David 
Thurston,  one  of  the  early  settlers  in  York 
Township.  He  has  four  children — Ada, 
Amelia,  Freddie  and  Ella  L.  Member  of 
the  Lutheran  Church. 

FEED  FEDDEECKE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Ben- 
senville,  was  born  in  Neustadt,  in  Hanover, 
August  5,  1838,  only  son  of  Diedrich  and 
Sophia  Feddercke.  The  family  came  to 
Du  Page  County  in  the  year  1840,  where 
his  father  purchased  seventy-four  acres  on 


Section    2,  at    $2.50  per  acre,    there  being 
i  no  improvements  on  the  same.      There  were 
but  two  children  born  to  Diedrich  and  Sophia 
Feddercke — Fred  and  Sophia;  the  latter  re- 
sides in  Cook  County,  wife  of  Henry  Heuer. 
Fred  came  to  this  county  four  years  after  his 
I  father,  and  has  always  remained  on  the  farm. 
In  his  twenty-second   year,   October  15,  he 
married  Sophia  Oelerking,  born  in  Hanover, 
daughter  of  John  Oelerking.     Mr.  Feddercke 
I  has  132  acres  of  land.     Is  a  member  of  the 
i  Lutheran  Church.     He  has  seven  children — 
Beteni,  Sophia,  Eegina,  Martha,  Clara.  Ber- 
tha and  August. 

JOHN  GODFEEY,   farmer,  P.  O.  Itasca, 
I  was  born  in   County  Kerry,  Ireland,   about 
the  year  1817,   eldest  son  of  William   and 
:  Elizabeth  (McCarty)  Godfrey.     Mr.  Godfrey 
j  shipped  from  Liverpool  in  April,  1851,  and 
j  landed  at  New  York  May  20  following;  he 
first  went  down  to  Cape  May,  where  he  worked 
a  short  time;  afterward  worked  at  Altoona, 
I  Penn.,  and  finally  came  to  Illinois,  in  No- 
vember, the  same  year,  having  nothing  but 
i  his  hands  to  assist  him,  but  he  was  willing 
j  and  ready  to  work,  and  hired  out,  getting  at 
first  but  $8  per  month;  afterward,  he  hired 
j  out  at  the  rate  of  $100  per  year,  and  he  con- 
;  tinued  on  in  this  way  about  three  years.     In 
1854,  he  purchased  sixty-seven  and  a  half 
acres  on  Section  5,  which  cost  him  $10  per 
i  acre,  borrowing  the  money  to  pay  for  it,  and 
i  in  due  time  paid  off  every  dollar.     In  1868, 
he  added  another  portion  of  about  sixty-seven 
acres,  which  cost  him  $66  per  acre,  and  has 
since  been  a  resident  of  Addison  Township; 
he  has  also  240  acres  in  Iowa.     In  1853,  he 
married  Hannah  Griffin,  a  native  of  County 
I  Kerry,  Ireland,  daughter  of  Thomas  Griffin, 
and  by  her  has  four  children- — William,  John, 
Mary  and  Eliza,  all  at  home. 

FEED  HEUER,  farmer,  P.  O.  Salt  Creek, 
was  born  October  21,  1831,  near  the  city  of 


ADDISON    TOWNSHIP. 


237 


Hanover,  Germany,  second  son  of  a  family 
of  three  children.  His  father's  name  was 
Henry  Heuer,  who  married  a  Miss  Kulman, 
who  bore  him  three  children — Henry,  Fred- 
erick and  Lena.  The  family  left  the  old 
country  ia  1844,  and  came  to  this  State  and 
located  in  Cook  County;  here  Henry  Heuer, 
the  father,  died;  his  son  Henry  resides  there 
still;  Lena  resides  in  Chicago,  wife  of  Henry 
Oehlerking;  Frederick  came  here  in  1854, 
having  purchased  land  the  year  previous; 
since  his  location  here  has  been  a  constant 
resident.  He  has  240  acres  of  land.  Since 
1865,  he  has  been  County  Commissioner,  and 
tilled  some  minor  positions  in  the  township, 
as  Trustee  and  School  Director.  He  was 
lirst  married,  in  January,  1852,  to  Christina 
Oehlerking,  who  died  in  1858,  leaving  two 
children — Emma  and  Mary.  Emma  is  the 
wife  of  Herman  H.  Korthauer,  of  Bensen- 
ville.  Mary  married  August  Franzen,  also 
in  Bensenville.  His  second  wife  was  Mena 
Reker,  who  died  in  1860,  leaving  one 
child — Edie,  who  resides  en  the  farm  ad- 
joining. His  present  wife  was  Amelia,  sister 
to  his  last  wife;  by  her  he  has  three  children 
— Mena,  wife  of  William  Kussack,  of  Frank- 
lin County,  Iowa;  George  and  Amanda,  at 
home. 

HENRY  HEIDORN,  farmer,  P.  O.  Salt 
Creek,  born  February  1 0,  1849,  in  Ami  Neu- 
stadt,  Province  of  Hanover;  his  father,  Henry 
Heidorn,  born  June,  1800,  in  the  same  prov- 
ince, married  Mary  Biermann,  who  bore  him 
seven  children,  two  of  whom  came  to  the 
years  of  maturity.  Subject's  parents  died  in 
the  old  country,  and  none  of  the  family  ever 
came  to  America  but  Henry.  He  was  raised 
on  the  farm  at  home,  and,  in  the  spring  of 
1867,  emigrated  to  this  country,  arriving  at 
New  York  on  February  15,  and  soon  after 
came  to  this  State.  He  spent  about  three 
years  in  Cook  County  at  work  on  a  farm, 


where,  in  the  fall  of  1869,  he  purchased  sixty 

acres  of  land  and  kept  it  until  1870,  when  he 

came  to  this  county,  locating  where  he  now 

resides.     His  farm  is  situated  on  Section  3, 

in  this  township,  and  is  known  as  the  Lueh- 

I  ers  farm;  he  has  160  acres,   eighty  in  this 

I  township  and  the  remainder  in  Cook  County, 

I  adjoining.      November  4,    1870,  he  married 

j  Adelheid  Luehers,  daughter  of  one  of  the  old 

settlers  in  this  township,  now  deceased.     He 

has  four  children — Herman,  Fred,  Ernest  and 

Henry.     He  is  a  member  of  the   Lutheran 

Church  of  this  township. 

HENRY  KORTHAUER,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Bensenville.  The  great-grandfather  of  our 
subject  was  John  Henry  Korthauer;  he  mar- 
ried Anne  Sophia  Stuken,  who  bore  him  two 
sons  and  two  daughters  —  Daniel,  Henry, 
Maria  and  Anna  Catharine.  In  direct  line 
conies  Daniel,  who,  in  1785,  married  Catharine 
Margarita  Doebbcken,  of  Engebostel ;  she  bore 
him  three  children,  but  one  of  the  number  lived 
to  be  grown,  viz. ,  John  Henry  Korthauer,  who 
was  born  July  17,  1789.  December  11,  1812, 
he  married  Catharine  Dotendorf,  whose  par- 
:  ents  were  George  Ernest  Dotendorf  and 
Doratha  Gravemeier.  To  John  Henry  and 
Doratha  were  born  nine  children,  six  of  whom 
grew  up;  five  of  the  number  are  yet  living, 
of  whom  Henry,  the  subject  of  these  lines,  is 
one;  he  was  born  October  27,  1822,  in  the 
town  of  Bisendorf,  in  the  Kingdom  of  Hano- 
ver; he  emigrated  to  America  with  his  parents 
in  the  fall  of  1840,  arriving  at  New  York; 
navigation  being  closed,  they  were  detained 
there  until  the  spring  of  the  following  year, 
when  they  came  to  this  county,  locating  on 
I  the  section  of  land  where  Henry  now  resides. 
He  had  loaned  money  to  the  man  owning  the 
[  land,  who  failed  to  return  it  as  agreed,  and 
;  Mr.  Korthauer  took  the  land  in  lieu  of  the 
money,  and  improved  it  and  remained  on  the 
same  until  he  died,  1876;  his  wife  in  1865. 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


Of  the  five  children  living,  they  are  located 
as  follows:  Louisa  resides  in  Peabody,  Ma- 
rion Co.,  Kan.,  wife  of  Frederick  Seybold; 
Henrietta  is  the  wife  of  Fred  Graue,  of  York 
Township,  this  county;  Caroline  resides  in 
Elmhurst,  relict  of  Diedrich  Struckman; 
George  resides  in  Oregon ;  Henry  has  always 
been  a  resident  of  the  township  since  he 
came.  His  father,  being  of  mechanical  turn 
of  mind,  taught  his  son  Henry  the  carpenter's 
trade,  at  which  he  worked  while  young;  soon 
after  coming  to  his  majority,  he  gave  his  at 
tention  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  has 
been  twice  married — first,  Novmber  18, 1852, 
to  Mary  Kirchhoff,  who  was  born  in  Hanover, 
daughter  of  Henry  and  Christina  (Ofingsten) 
Kerchhoff;  she  died  May  1,  1874,  having 
borne  him  three  children,  viz.,  Herman, 
Caroline  and  William.  May  28,  1876,  he 
married  Mrs.  Mary  Stueve,  who  was  born  in 
Hanover  October  10,  1827;  she  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Henry  Hoppensteat  and  Doratha  Bier- 
mann,  who  came  to  this  country  in  1842. 
Mr.  Korthauer  has  195  acres  of  land;  he  for 
several  years  was  giving  some  attention  to 
the  nursery  business,  but  farming  has  been 
his  principal  interest.  He  was  elected  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace  in  1870,  and  has  since  been 
re-elected;  was  six  years  Supervisor,  and  has 
always  been  a  stanch  Republican  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Evangelical  Church. 

F.  L.  KBAGE,  retired  farmer,  P.  O.  Ad- 
dison.  Of  the  old-time  settlers  living  who 
came  here  in  1837,  Mr.  Krage  is  one  of  the 
few  remaining.  Frederick  Louis  Krage  was 
born  April  28,  1827,  near  the  village  of  La- 
derholz,  in  the  Kingdom  of  Hanover.  He 
was  the  only  son  and  eldest  child  of  Freder- 
ick William  Krage,  who  was  born  March  17, 
1800,  in  Rodenwaldt,  a  farmer  and  carpenter 
by  trade;  his  wife  was  Anna  Mary  Doratha 
Stuenkel,  born  January  4,  1802,  daughter  of 
Louis  Stuenkel.  The  family  came  here  in 


1837,  purchasing  a  claim  on  Section  34,  of 
Richard  Kingston;  upon  this  the  father  set- 
tled with  his  family,  and  remained  here  until 
his  death,  August  18, 1872;  his  wife  died  the 
year  after  their  arrival  here,  July  18,  1838. 
The  children  born  to  them  were  Fred  L., 
Louisa,  who  married  Henry  Graue;  Mary, 
wife  of  Peter  Meville,  of  Chicago,  and  Caro- 
line, who  was  the  wife  of  August  Graue,  now 
deceased.  Fred  L.  has  always  remained  on 
the  homestead,  being  the  only  son.  He  has 
been  thrice  married — first,  Jiily  24,  1851,  to 
Wilhelmina  Graue,  daughter  of  Fred  Graue: 
she  died  November  20,  1862;  but  one  child 
now  living  by  her — Augusta,  wife  of  Fred 
Stuenkel,  now  of  Arlington  Heights.  His 
second  marriage  was,  April  24, 1863,  to  Mary 
Weber,  daughter  of  Henry  Weber;  she  died 
November  10,  1866;  by  her  two  children  were 
born — Caroline  and  Mary.  Caroline  is  the 
wife  of  Otto  Feine.  April  5,  1867,  he  mar- 
ried Caroline  Graue,  daughter  of  Fred  Graue, 
of  York  Township;  by  her  five  children  were 
born,  viz.,  Louis,  Emily,  Fred,  Paulina  and 
August.  Mr.  Krage  has  over  500  acres  of 
land;  is  a  successful  farmer  and  a  Lutheran. 
HENRY  F.  KOLZE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Ben- 
senville,  was  born  in  Cook  County,  111.,  in 
the  Kolze  settlement  June  6,  1856.  He  is 
the  eldest  son  and  child  of  Henry  and  Mary 
(Resto)  Kolze,  both  natives  of  Hanover,  who, 
upon  their  arrival  in  this  country,  located  in 
Cook  County,  where  they  raised  a  family — 
two  sons  and  four  daughters.  Next  in  order 
of  birth  to  Henry  is  Louisa,  who  is  the  wife 
of  Fred  Arbecker,  residing  in  Cook  County. 
Elvena  resides  in  Addison  Township,  wife  of 
George  Basenburg.  Lillie  is  also  a  resident 
of  this  township;  she  is  the  wife  of  William 
Franzen.  Amelia  resides  with  her  parents 
in  Cook  County.  Henry  Fred  remained  on 
his  father's  farm  in  Cook  County  until  his 
marriage,  which  occurred  May  12,  1876, 


ADDISON  TOWNSHIP. 


239 


when  he  married  Minnie  Steve,  who  was  born 
September  18,  1858,  on  the  farm  where  she 
now  lives,  upon  which  Mr.  Kolze  settled  after 
his  marriage.  The  homestead  consists  of 
100  acres;  he  also  owns  136  acres  in  Cook 
County,  111. ;  he  has  four  children — Lizzie, 
Lillie,  Clara  and  Tillie. 

FRED  E.  LESTEE,  merchant,  Postmas- 
ter, farmer  and  proprietor  of  the  cheese  fact- 
ory, P.  O.  Salt  Creek,  was  born  in  Clinton, 
N.  Y.,  July  3,  1828,  and  is  the  youngest  child 
of  Edward  and  Hannah  (Newton)  Lester. 
Edward  Lester,  subject's  father,  was  of  En- 
glish descent  and  was  born  on  Long  Island; 
he  was  a  farmer  of  mechanical  turn  of  mind, 
and  served  during  the  war  of  1812;  he  came 
to  Illinois  in  the  fall  of  1835;  lived  for  a 
short  time  on  Section  16,  in  this  township, 
then  located  permanently  on  Section  9.  where 
he  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years;  his 
wife  died  in  August,  1846;  they  had  seven 
children,  five  of  whom  are  living — Lewis, 
died  August  7,  1879;  Marshall;  John,  died 
in  Minnesota;  Julia,  residing  in  Racine, 
Wis.,  wife  of  Edgar  Waite;  Daniel,  in 
Wayne  Township,  this  county;  Acentha,  re- 
siding in  Elgin,  111. ,  wife  of  F.  W.  Wright, 
and  Fred  E.  Mr.  Lester  was  married,  May 
31,  1854,  to  Julia  A.  Duncklee,  the  first  child 
born  in  this  township,  born  in  Section  10 
January  8,  1835,  daughter  of  Ebenezer  and 
Amy  (Higley)  Duncklee.  Ebenezer  Dunck- 
lee was  born  in  Hillsboro,  N.  H.,  March  22, 
1797 ;  he  was  a  member  of  the  Congregation- 
al Church,  a  Whig  and  the  first  Abolitionist 
in  this  township;  he  died  July  22,  1863,  aged 
sixty- six  years;  his  wife,  born  in  Shoreham, 
7t.,  November  22,  1799,  was  killed  by  a  cy- 
clone blowing  down  the  house,  in  which  there 
were  nineteen  persons  at  the  time,  March  13, 
1852.  They  had  seven  children  —Elizabeth 
A.,  wife  of  James  A.  Hawks,  of  Nebraska; 
Abbey  T.,  wife  of  Lorenzo  D.  Newton,  of 


Wtiteside  County,  111. ;  Alonzo,  residing 
near  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa;  Julia  A.  (Mrs. 
Lester);  Emily,  married  H.  P.  Goodrich,  of 
Chicago,  and  died  in  that  city;  Ellen,  inar- 

i  ried  Hiram  Amick,  of  Chicago,  and  Alma  M. , 
married  Reuben  Bunnell,  of  Chicago.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Lester  have  been  blessed  with  eight 
children,  four  of  whom  are  living — Edward 

i  W. ,  living  on  the  Lester  homestead,  married, 

I  in  1880,  to  Addie  L.  Stevens,  and  has  one 
child — Carrie  C. ;  Newton  M. ,  Lottie  M. , 
Mabel  J. ;  Hattie,  died  aged  eight  years; 
Charles,  six  years;  Alma,  eight  months,  and 

!  Birdie,  eighteen  months.  Mr.  Lester  located 
on  his  present  place,  which  consists  of  212 
acres,  May  31,  1854,  and  lived  for  some  time 
in  a  log  cabin  on  the  farm;  the  place  was  at 
that  time  $2,500  in  debt.  Mr.  Lester,  when 
eighteen  years  old,  lost  a  limb  in  an  accident 
while  working  on  a  threshing  machine.  He 
was  elected  Postmaster  in  1874,  and  has  since 
held  that  office;  opened  up  his  cheese  factory 
in  1873,  and,  in  February,  1878,  engaged  in 
mercantile  business.  He  is  a  Republican; 
his  father  was  a  stanch  Democrat. 

WILLIAM  LEESEBERG,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Addison,  was  born  November  13,  1818,  in 
Amt  Neustadt,  Province  of  Hanover,  eldest 
son  and  third  child  of  the  family.  His  fa- 
ther, George  F.,  was  born  in  the  same  lo- 
cality; his  wife's  maiden  name  was  Mary 
Scheele.  William  landed  in  New  Orleans  in 
1838,  and,  in  March  the  following  year,  came 
to  St.  Louis  and  thence  to  this  county,  in 
August  the  same  year,  but  soon  returned  to 
St.  Louis,  where  he  worked  two  years.  He 
purchased  eighty  acres  where  he  now  resides, 
paying  for  it  with  his  own  earnings.  He  has, 
since  his  location  here,  been  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. He  has  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace 
several  terms,  and  is  now  the  incumbent  of 
that  office;  he  has  also  held  other  offices  in 
the  township  and  important  positions  in  the 


240 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


college  here  as  an  official,  and  in  the  church 
he  has  borne  a  prominent  part.  August  23, 
1844,  he  married  Rebecca  A.  Brettmann,  born 
February  1,  1819,  in  Hanover,  daughter  of 
John  Henry  and  Anna  (Alfken)  Brettmann; 
her  father  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  the 
township,  coming  in  1842;  he  had  six  chil- 
dren— Mrs.  L.  being  the  youngest  of  the 
number.  Mr.  Leeseberg  has  eight  children; 
the  eldest  was  Frederick,  who  died  in  March, 
1863,  in  Gallatin,  Tenn. ,  and  was  a  soldier 
in  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Regi- 
ment, Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry;  Louisa 
married  and  resides  in  Elgin,  this  State; 
Sophia  resides  at  Oak  Park,  wife  of  John  W. 
Senne;  Mary  died  January  27,  1881,  in  Chi- 
cago, wife  of  August  Ganske;  Emma  lives  in 
Fond  du  Lac,  Wis.,  wife  of  Rudolph  Fretz- 
ke;  Adolph  died,  aged  eight  years:  Louis 
and  William,  the  latter  a  teacher  in  St. 
Louis. 

BARNEY  H.  LANDMEIER,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Bensenville,  born  April  21,  1838,  in  Prussia, 
eldest  son  and  second  child  of  Barney  and 
Elsebine  (Oesterfink)  Landmeier,  who  emigrat- 
ed ix>  this  country  ia  1848,  and  located  on 
Section  2,  the  land  costing  $4  per  acre,  with 
out  improvements.  This  land  Barney  H.  now 
owns,  on  which  he  has  built  a  handsome 
brick  residence;  has  rebuilt  the  barn  and  has 
the  farm  in  good  shape.  His  father  is  yet 
living;  his  mother  died  in  November,  1881; 
members  of  the  new  church  (Lutheran) ;  they 
raised  a  family  of  three  children — Ellen,  the 
eldest,  resides  at  Elk  Grove,  in  Cook  County, 
wife  of  Henry  Scheringhausen ;  Barney  H. 
and  Henry,  the  latter  residing  in  Cook  Coun- 
ty. Barney  has  been  twice  married — first,  Oc- 
tober 4,  1861,  to  Ellen  Schoppe.  who  was  born 
in  this  county,  daughter  of  .Barney  Schoppe, 
she  died  October  22.  1864;  no  children  living. 
May  25,  1865,  he  married  Mary  Schoppe,  sis- 
ter of  his  first  wife,  and  by  her  has  had  eight 


children,  six  living — Henry,  Alvena,   Bertie, 
Clara,  Leda  and  Barney. 

HENRY  LANDMEIER,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Bensenville.  Henry  Landmeier  is  the  eldest 
and  only  living  son  of  George  Landmeier  and 
Mary  Hilka,  both  natives  of  Prussia,  where 
Henry  was  born  June  11,  1834,  and  emigrated 
to  this  State  with  his  pareuts,  who  settled  in 
Addison  Township,  in  1838,  his  father  pur- 
chasing a  claim  consisting  of  eighty  acres. 

;  The  family  have  since  lived  here  and  been 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  There  were 
four  children  born  to  his  parents,  but  only 
two  came  to  maturity — Henry,  our  subject, 
and  Louisa,  who  now  resides  in  the  State  of 

\  Alabama,  wife  of  Christopher  Wolf.     Henry 

1  has  always  remained  upon  the  farm  and  as- 
sisted his  father,  and  since  his  retirement  has 
been  in  possession  of  the  homestead,  his  par- 

1  ents  residing  with  him.  In  July,  1856,  he 
married  Henrietta  Everding,  born  in  Ger- 
many, daughter  of  Henry  Everling;  he  has 

;  six  children  living — Herman,  Frederick,  Al- 
vena, Louis,  Martha  and  Eddie;  two  died  in 
infancy.  He  has  about  180  acres  of  land, 
with  good  buildings  thereon,  and  is  a  suc- 
cessful farmer.  His  parents  and  his  family 
are  members  of  the  Evangelical  Church. 

HENRY  B.  MARSHALL,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Salt  Creek,  was  born  in  Leyden,  Cook 
County,  September  11,  1855;  his  father  was 
Barney  Marshall,  who  was  born  in  Prussia. 
His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Annie  Law. 
The  family  emigrated  to  this  country  in  the 
early  part  of  1853,  coming  first  to  Cook 
County,  where  subject's  father  rented  land 
several  years;  afterward,  came  to  this  town- 
ship, and,  for  seven  years,  rented  laud  on  Sec- 
tion 2,  where  Barney  Franzen  now  lives;  sub- 
sequently, he  purchased  the  farm  now  occu- 
pied by  Henry  B.,  which  consists  of  125  acres. 
The  house  is  new  and  situated  on  a  pleasing 
eminence,  with  a  grove  surrounding  it,  mak- 


ADDISON  TOWNSHIP. 


241 


ing  it  a  desirable  and  pretty  place.  There 
were  nine  children  born  to  Barney  and  Annie 
Marshall;  those  living  are  Barney,  Annie, 
wife  of  Henry  Melhap,  in  Cook  County; 
Emily,  living  in  Chicago,  wife  of  August 
Schack;  Mary,  wife  of  Henry  Magers,  of 
Cook  County;  Henry  B. ,  Louisa  and  Herman; 
the  latter  is  in  Chicago.  Henry  B.  was  mar- 
ried, October  18,  1880,  to  Mary  Khle,  who 
was  born  in  Cook  County,  daughter  of  Henry 
and  Louisa  (Hoffman)  Khle,  both  of  the 
Province  of  Hanover.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mar- 
shall have  one  child — Malinda.  Since  his 
marriage,  Mr.  Marshall  has  had  charge  of  the 
farm. 

LOUIS  J.  MAECKMANN,  saloon,  Ben- 
senville,  was  born  September  16,  1833,  in 
Ehlanfeldt  Mecklenburg  Strelitz,  son  of 
Christian  Marckmann  and  Augusta  Radckee; 
he  was  born  April  30,  1794,  a  shoemaker  by 
trade.  Louis  was  left  fatherless  at  the  age 
of  seven,  his  father  being  killed  by  accident 
August  26,  1841,  and,  at  the  age  of  fourteen, 
he  went  to  learn  the  tailor's  trade,  at  which 
he  worked  until  twenty-two  years  of  age,  when 
he  entered  the  army.  In  September,  1859, 
he  came  to  Chicago  and  engaged  at  his  trade; 
then  in  the  grocery  business  for  five  years, 
after  which  he  run  an  orchestrian  hall;  he 
then  returned  to  his  trade  again,  which  he 
carried  on  until  he  came  to  Bensenville,  June, 
1877.  He  has  been  thrice  married — first 
time,  in  October,  1859,  to  Joanna  Henrich; 
she  died,  leaving  one  daughter — Augusta 
now  living;  his  second  wife  was  Wilhemina 
Foss,  a  daughter  of  J.  Henry  Foss;  she 
died,  leaving  no  issue.  His  present  wife  was 
Mrs.  Caroline  Hafer,  daughter  of  Henry  Kline. 

L.  F.  MA  GEES,  lumber  and  grain,  Itasca. 
The  grain,  lumber  and  coal  interests  of  Itasca 
are  ably  represented  by  L.  F.  Magers,  who  has 
recently  established  himself  in  this  line;  he 
has  erected  an  elevator,  with  side-track  and 


switch,  coal  shed,  etc.,  and  is  ready  for  busi- 
ness. He  is  a  native  of  this  State,  born  April 
28,  1855,  in  Elk  Grove,  Cook  County.  He 
is  a  son  of  Conrad  and  Mary  (Wischsteadt) 
Magers,  both  natives  of  Germany,  who  came 
to  this  State  about  the  year  1850  and  settled 
in  Cook  County.  The  subject  of  these  lines 
left  home  when  ten  years  of  age,  and  early  in 
life  learned  to  care  for  himself;  he  had  but 
limited  education,  having  to  provide  for  his 
own  maintenance  while  other  boys  of  his  age 
were  attending  school.  At  the  age  of  seven- 
teen, he  began  learning  the  carpenter's  trade; 
he  subsequently  engaged  as  clerk  in  a  whole- 
sale establishment  in  Chicago,  two  years,  and 
afterward,  carried  on  a  saloon  one  year.  In 
the  fall  of  1876,  he  came  to  Itasca,  and  start- 
ed a  general  store,  which  he  run  successfully 
nearly  six  years;  then  sold  out  to  William 
Baruth,  the  present  proprietor.  In  the  spring 
of  1882,  he  set  about  building  an  elevator, 
and  built  a  switch  and  side-track,  which  he  has 
completed.  From  his  acquaintance  with  the 
people,  and  his  known  business  qualifications, 
he  will  be  a  valuable  component  to  the  town 
and  an  assistance  to  the  farmers.  November, 
1876,  he  married  Emma,  daughter  of  William 
Scharringhousen  and  Mary  Klunder. 

CHAELES  MAETIN,  blacksmith,  Bensen- 
ville, is  a  native  of  this  township,  born  July 
5,  1859,  the  eldest  son  of  Charles  Martin,  a 
native  of  Mecklenburg;  his  mother's  maiden 
name  was  Doratha  Colso.  The  family  emi- 
grated to  this  country  about  the  year  1857; 
his  father  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  at 
which  he  worked  in  this  township,  where  he 
lived  until  his  demise,  in  September,  1866; 
his  widow  is  yet  living.  The  subject  of 
these  lines  left  home  at  the  age  of  seventeen, 
and  began  learning  the  trade  of  his  father's 
choice.  He  worked  with  Louis  Schroeder 
for  four  years,  and,  in  the  fall  of  1880, 
came  to  Bensenville  and  purchased  the  shop 


242 


BIOGRAPHICAL : 


and  good  will  of  William  Oelrich,  and  set  up 
in  business  for  himself,  and  has  since  been 
doing  a  thriving  business.  October  10, 1880, 
he  married  Emily  Eickhoff,  a  native  of  this 
township,  daughter  of  Fred  and  Charlotte 
(Krage)  Eickhoff.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  Church. 

FKANK  OUT,  harness-maker,  Bensenville, 
came  here  and  set  up  in  business  in  October, 
1878,  and  has  since  carried  on  harness-making. 
He  was  born  October  17,  1857,  in  Proviso, 
Cook  Co.,  111.,  and  is  the  youngest  of  four 
children,  two  sons  and  two  daughters.  His 
father,  Paul  Ort,  was  a  native  of  Hesse 
Darmstadt,  and  a  farmer  by  occupation; 
when  he  came  to  Chicago,  he  had  but  25 
cents  in  money;  he,  however,  finally  pur- 
chased land  of  his  own.  He  met  with  a 
tragic  death,  in  February,  1877  ;  his  wife 
survives  him.  The  children  born  them  are 
Eva,  wife  of  George  Glock;  Sebastian,  and 
Agnes,  wife  of  James  Pollock,  all  of  Chicago, 
and  Frank,  Frank  remained  at  home  until 
fourteen  years  of  age,  when  he  hired  out  as 
clerk  and  worked  in  stores  until  he  was  nine 
teen,  when  he  went  to  Chicago  to  learn  the 
harness -maker's  trade,  remaining  there  until 
he  completed  the  same.  When  he  came  to 
Bensenville,  he  purchased  Mr.  Snyder's  in- 
terest, and  began  in  business  one  door  north 
of  his  present  place  of  business.  When  he 
got  his  building  finished,  all  he  had  left  was 
$75,  with  which  to  buy  stock.  However,  he 
made  a  commencement,  and,  by  diligence  and 
attention  to  business,  he  has  built  up  a  fair 
trade,  which  he  hopes  to  yet  enlarge.  He 
has  a  new  building  in  which  he  lives  and  has 
a  commodious  place.  December  19, 1880,  he 
married  Dorathy  Franzen,  born  January  25, 
1857,  in  this  township,  daughter  of  John  H. 
Franzen,  a  well-known  resident  of  the  town- 
ship. They  have  one  child — Rosa,  born  Jan- 
uary 28,  1882. 


HENRY  PLAGGE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Addi- 
son;  is  now  living  on  the  farm  where  he  was 
born,  which  event  took  place  January  22, 
1848;  his  father,  William  Plagge,  was  born 
March  7,  1800,  in  the  Kingdom  of  Hanover, 
and  came  to  this  county  about  the  year  1 838, 
and  purchased  a  claim  of  160  acres,  upon 
which  there  were  only  limited  improvements 
— a  log  cabin,  etc. — for  which  he  paid  $100. 
Here  he  settled  on  Section  36,  and  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  days,  his  death  occurring 
July  2,  1870;  he  was  a  good  man  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Lutheran  Church;  his  widow  yet 
survives  him  and  yet  resides  on  the  home- 
stead with  her  son  Henry.  There  were  three 
children  —  Frederick,  Henry  and  Charles. 
Henry  has  always  remained  on  the  farm. 
June,  1871,  he  married  Louisa,  daughter  of 
William  Heuer,  of  this  township;  by  her  he 
has  had  four  children,  three  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing— Herman,  Charles  and  Anne.  William 
died  in  his  fifth  year.  Mr.  Plagge  has  a 
snug  farm,  with  good  improvements  thereon. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

WILLIAM  RICHARDSON,  farmer,  P.  O. 
Itasca,  is  a  native  of  the  Green  Mountains, 
born  May  9,  1821,  in  Topshaw,  Orange  Co., 
Vt.,  fifth  son  and  eighth  child  of  Thomas 
Richardson,  a  native  of  Connecticut  of  Scotch 
descent,  who  married  Dorathy  Templeton, 
who  bore  him  the  following  children:  Thom- 
as, Sarah,  Matthew,  Dorathy,  Moses,  Polly, 
Mark,  William,  Robert,  who  grew  to  man 
and  womanhood.  Subject's  parents  died  in 
Vermont.  William,  on  attaining  his  ma- 
jority, hired  out  by  the  month,  working  for 
$10  and  $12  per  month,  and  continued  on  in 
this  way  until  the  year  1847.  About  this 
time  he  married,  on  May  2,  Susan  Martin, 
who  was  born  in  Bradford,  Vt.,  June  27, 
1827,  daughter  of  Nathaniel  and  Betsey 
(Sawyer)  Bradford,  he  a  native  of  Vermont, 
she  of  Canada.  After  Mr.  Richardson's  mar- 


ADDISON  TOWNSHIP. 


243 


riage,  he  and  wife  came  West,  locating  here 
in  Addison  Township,  and,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  eight  years  spent  in  Wheaton,  to  edu- 
cate their  children,  they  have  been  constant 
residents  of  the  township.  He  purchased 
240  acres,  at  $4.50  per  acre.  He  has  five 
children  living — Mark,  Horace,  Jeannette, 
William  and  Maria.  Jeannette  resides  in 
Wayne  Township,  wife  of  Allen  J.  Spitzer; 
William  is  traveling  for  a  drug  house;  Maria 
resides  in  Stanton,  Neb.,  wife  of  Charles 
Howard;  Horace  resides  in  Milton  Township, 
and  Mark  is  at  home  on  the  farm.  Mr.  Rich- 
ardson's farm  now  consists  of  193  acres, 
which  is  situated  near  Itasca,  and  is  well 
adapted  to  farming  and  dairying  purposes. 
He  and  wife  are  members  of  the  M.  E. 
Church. 

FREDERICK  ROTERMUND,  Bensen- 
ville,  is  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  and 
among  the  early  arrivals  of  this  township. 
He  was  born  June  18,  1812,  in  the  Kingdom 
of  Hanover,  and  emigrated  to  this  country 
with  the  Brettmann  family  in  1842.  He  lo- 
cated near  the  place  he  now  owns,  on  the 
border  of  Cook  County;  the  land  he  since 
sold  to  Esquire  Korthauer.  After  his  arrival 
here,  he  married  Wilhemena  Schmidt,  daugh- 
ter of  Henry  Schmidt.  Ten  children  were 
the  fruits  of  this  marriage — Henry  B.  and 
Frederick,  reside  in  Cook  County;  William 
M.,.in  Bloomingdale;  Augiist  Q. ;  Bertha, 
resides  at  Half  Day,  wife  of  Henry  Struck- 
man;  Louis  M.,  in  Lombard;  Herman,  at 
home;  August  G.,  resides  on  the  home  farm; 
he  was  born  July  18,  1851,  and  raised  to 
farming  pursuits.  In  September,  1874,  he 
married  Louisa,  born  in  Cook  County,  daughter 
of  Deitrich  Meyer  and  Dora  Dierking.  Au- 
gust removed  to  Bloomingdale  Township 
after  his  marriage,  where  he  purchased  land, 
and  lived  two  years,  and,  on  account  of  his 
father's  advanced  age  and  consequent  retire- 


ment, he  returned  to  the  homestead  farm, 
where  he  now  resides  and  carries  on  the 
homestead,  giving  his  attention  to  farming 
and  dairying.  Has  three  children — Emania, 
Edie  and  Laura. 

ELIJAH  SMITH,  retired  physician,  Itas- 
ca, the  founder  of  the  town,  was  born  May  8, 
1815,  in  Morristown,  N.  J. ;  his  father  was 
Abner  Smith,  son  of  Elijah,  who  was  an  offi- 
cer in  the  Revolutionary  war.  Abner  Smith 
was  born  June  5,  1786,  and,  March  9,  1809, 
he  married  Sarah  Sutton,  who  was  born  Au- 
gust 7,  1784.  To  Abner  and  Sarah  Smith 
were  born  seven  children.  Elijah  died  in 
Chicago,  in  September,  1847.  The  Doc- 
tor had  two  sons  by  his  second  wife — -Allen 
and  Frank  Amasa;  Allen  was  born  in  1852 
and  died  in  1863;  Frank  A.  is  at  home  with 
his  father.  November  16, 1875,  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Mrs.  Jeanette  Allen  Smith,  relict  of 
Samuel  Smith;  she  was  a  sister  of  his  second 
wife.  Mrs.  Smith's  husband  died  in  Austin, 
Texas,  January  29, 1873.  Our  subject  at  the 
age  of  nineteen  began  reading  medicine  with 
his  brother,  Dr.  John  Smith,  and  afterward 
attended  lectures  in  New  York  City,  at  the 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  and 
subsequently  received  his  diploma,  June  25, 
1838.  He  came  to  this  State  in  May,  1841, 
and  settled  where  he  now  lives,  in  June, 
same  year;  he  first  bought  eighty  acres  of 
land  and  began  the  practice  of  his  profession; 
he  added  to  his  first  purchase  at  different 
times  until  he  owned  over  400  acres.  He 
has  been  farming  and  practicing  medicine 
until  within  a  few  years  past;  he  has  sold  off 
the  greater  portion  of  his  land,  having  now 
140  acres.  He  still  attends  to  some  calls 
from  his  friends,  but  only  in  urgent  cases. 
In  1873,  he  laid  off  eighty  acres  of  land  and 
platted  the  town  of  Itasca,  gave  the  right  of 
way  to  the  Chicago  &  Pacific  Railroad,  and 
has  done  much  to  encourage  the  building  of 


244 


BIOGRAPHICAL: 


the  town.  He  cast  his  first  vote  for  Henry 
Clay.  He  has  been  thrice  married — first, 
February  10,  1841,  to  Jane  C.,  daughter  of 
Richard  Smith,  of  Herkimer  County,  N.  Y. ; 
she  died  May  31,  1846,  leaving  no  issue. 
May  23,  1850,  he  married  Mary,  daughter  of 
Deacon  Elijah  and  Anna  (Hotchkins)  Allen, 
of  Stockbridge,  Vt. 

D.  SCHMIDT,  farmer,  P.  O.  Bensenville. 
Of  the  substantial  families  of  Addison  Town- 
sliip,  the  Schmidt  family  stand  among  the 
first.  Deitrich  Schmidt  was  born  April  9, 
1826,  near  Stulznau,  in  Landesbergen,  in  the 
Kingdom  of  Hanover,  and  is  the  youngest  of 
a  family  of  twelve  children  born  to  John 
Henry  Schmidt,  who  moved  here  with  his 
family  in  1835,  arriving  in  June  and  pur- 
chasing a  claim;  he  located  on  it,  and  about 
him  afterward  settled  his  sons.  Deitrich  was 
first  married  to  Sophia  Steager,  who  was 
born  in  Hesse  Darmstadt;  she  was  killed  by 
lightning  in  1852;  his  second  wife,  Louisa, 
daughter  of  Yost  Turner,  who  was  an  early 
settler  in  the  county.  Mr.  Schmidt  has  seven 
children,  six  sons  and  one  daughter—Au- 
gust, George,  Alexander  Deitrich,  Edwin, 
Herman;  his  daughter  Sophia  married  Bar- 
ney Franzen.  He  has  several  hundred  acres 
here  and  305  in  Iowa.  He  is  a  successful 
farmer  and  substantial  citizen  of  the  com- 
munity. 

LOUIS  SCHMIDT,  farmer,  P.  O.  Ben- 
senville, was  born  January  15,  1840,  on  the 
farm  he  now  owns,  which  his  father  located 
in  1839;  his  father  was  Louis,  bora  in  the 
Kingdom  of  Hanover  in  1808,  who  came  to 
this  county  in  1835,  with  his  brothers  and 
father,  all  of  whom  settled  in  this  immediate 
neighborhood,  the  land  being  yet  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  family.  The  mother  of  our 
subject  was  Louisa  Fischer,  who  bore  her 
husband  three  children — Louis,  Louisa  and 
Caroline;  both  of  the  sisters  are  now  de- 


ceased. The  father  died  in  1876,  the  mother 
in  1854.  August  15.  1862,  he  volunteered  in 
Company  I,  One  Hundred  and  Fifth  Regi- 
ment of  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  and 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  retiring 
from  the  service  with  the  rank  of  Sergeant. 
He  participated  in  all  the  battles  of  the  war 
in  which  his  company  was  engaged.  He 
was  with  Sherman  on  his  march  to  the  sea, 
and  it  may  be  said  of  Louis  Schmidt  that  as 
a  soldier  and  comrade  he  'knew  his  duty  and 
performed  the  same  with  fidelity  and  zeal. 
In  the  fall  of  1867,  he  was  first  married,  his 
wife  being  Hannah  Ahrbecker,  who  died, 
leaving  him  four  children — Ida  C. ,  Herman 
A.,  Emma  and  Louisa.  August  29,  1880,  he 
married  his  present  wife,  Mrs.  Frederica 
Schutte,  by  whom  he  has  had  four  children, 
three  living — Ida,  Emma  find  Annie.  Mrs. 
Schmidt's  maiden  name  was  Franzen,  daugh- 
ter of  Gerhart  and  Catharina  (Hartbeck) 
Franzen.  Mr.  Schmidt  has  an  excellent  farm 
of  213  acres,  with  stone  house  and  the  best  of 
barns  and  farm  implements.  In  politics, 
Mr.  Schmidt  has  always  been  a  stanch  Re- 
publican, and  is  generally  selected  by  his 
party  to  represent  them  in  caucuses  and  con- 
ventions. 

ERNST  C.  SCHROEDER,  blacksmith, 
Itasca;  is  one  of  the  oldest  smiths  in  Addison 
Township,  having  been  here  since  1856;  he 
learned  his  trade  with  his  father  in  Germany, 
where  he  was  born  in  April,  1833,  and  came 
to  America  in  1854,  making  Chicago  his  home 
for  two  years  prior  to  his  coming  here.  His 
father,  Charles  Frederick  Schroeder,  was 
born  in  Mechlenburg  October  24,  1801,  and, 
April  25,  he  married  Hannah  Maria  Steuve. 
Ernest  worked  at  his  trade  while  in  Chicago 
the  first  year  for  Peter  Schutler;  the  remain- 
der of  the  time  for  Pierce,  Tucker  &  Hicks. 
After  he  came  to  this  township,  he  worked 
first  for  Fred  Seibold.  Afterward,  he  and 


ADDISON    TOWNSHIP. 


245 


his  father  started  a  shop  of  their  own,  and 
worked  together  until  I860;  he  also  carried 
on  business  at  Sagone  until  1873,  and  since 
then  has  been  a  resident  of  Itasca.  He  has 
valuable  property  in  Itasca,  besides  about  130 
acres  of  land  in  the  township.  He  does  a 
thriving  business  at  his  trade,  and  has  given 
much  time  and  spent  a  deal  of  money  in  in- 
venting and  perfecting  mechanical  appli- 
ances; une  of  them  he  has  brought  to  comple- 
tion, called  the  revolving  coupling  for  bob- 
sleds, which  is  a  success,  and  he  has  a  patent 
therefor.  His  second  machine  is  a  combina- 
tion machine,  potato-planter  and  cultivator. 
January  27,  1863,  he  married  Christina  Beck, 
born  in  January,  1845,  near  Detroit,  Mich., 
daughter  of  Barney  and  Margaret  (Leser) 
Beck,  she  a  native  of  France,  he  of  Baden 
Baden,  and  came  to  this  country  about  the 
year  1833.  Mr.  Schroeder  has  four  children 
— Josephine,  William,  Cecelia  and  Victor. 
Caroline  and  Joanna  died  young. 

LOUIS  SCHROEDER,  blacksmith,  Ben- 
senville,  was  born  June  28,  1839,  in  Giewitz, 
Mecklenberg.  second  son  and  sixth  child  born 
to  Charles  Frederick  and  Maria  (Stiieve) 
Schroeder.  Louis  came  to  America  with  his 
parents  in  1854,  landing  in  New  York  Sep- 
tember 6,  and  coming  to  Chicago,  where  they 
remained  about  one  year  and  a  half.  In  the 
spring  of  1856,  he  came  to  Du  Page  County. 
His  father  was  a  blacksmith,  of  whom  he 
learned  his  trade,  and  worked  with  him  until 
thirty  years  of  age.  In  1877,  Louis  came  to 
Bensenville  and  built  the  shop  he  now  owns; 
he  carries  on  wagon- making  also.  July  2, 
1869,  he  married  Doris  Biermann,  born  in 
August,  1852,  in  Province  of  Hanover;  her 
parents  were  Rudolph  and  Margareta  (Goel- 
ner)  Biermann,  who  came  to  Cook  County  in 
1862;  her  father  died  in  1867 ;  mother  living. 
They  had  five  children,  three  now  living — 
Mrs.  Scbroeder,  Henry  and  Lizzie,  wife  of 


Henry  Dresster,  of  Leyden.  Her  father  was 
a  cabinet-maker  in  the  old  country,  but  fol- 
lowed the  carpenter's  trade  after  coming 
here  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schroeder  have  three 
children — Louis,  Alexander  and  Annie.  Is 
a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Church. 

LOUIS  STUENKEL,  cheese  factory,  Addi- 
son,  was  born  October  6,  1838,  in  this  town- 
ship, youngest  son  of  Frederick  and  Doratha 
Stuenkel.  Frederick  Stuenkel  was  a  native 
of  the  Kingdom  of  Hanover;  emigrated  to 
this  locality  in  the  fall  of  1836,  and  pur- 
chased a  claim  of  240  acres  for  $300.  He 
died  August  7,  1850;  his  wife  also  died  in 
August,  four  years  later;  to  them  were  born 
six  children,  four  of  whom  lived  to  be  grown 
— Henry,  Fred,  William  and  Louis.  Their 
father  was  a  Lutheran  and  a  Democrat. 
Louis  at  an  early  age  worked  industriously 
at  whatever  promised  the  quickest  and  surest 
returns.  In  1861,  he  began  merchandising 
at  Addison,  and  continued  in  business  there 
about  eleven  years,  when  he  sold  out  to  his 
brother  Fred  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  butter  and  cheese  at  this  place.  He  has 
been  twice  married — first,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-four,  to  Lena  Blacke,  a  native  of  this 
township,  daughter  of  Lewis  B.  and  Mena 
(Flagge)  Blacke,  who  came  to  this  township 
in  1843;  she  died  in  August,  1871,  leaving 
three  children — Julius,  Ella  and  Emma.  His 
last  wife  was  Mary  Rotermund,  also  a  native 
of  this  township,  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Doratha  (Fiene)  Rotermund,  who  came  here 
in  1841.  By  his  last  marriage,  seven  chil- 
dren were  born,  six  living — Adolph,  Leopold, 
Caroline,  Doratha,  Lucy  and  Melinda.  Mr. 
Stuenkel  is  a  Lutheran. 

HENRY  FRED  STUENKEL,  Addison, 
only  son  of  Henry  Stuenkel,  of  this  township; 
he  was  born  on  the  farm  he  now  owns  June 
28,  1847,  and  has  since  been  a  resident  of  the 
township.  He  took  charge  of  the  farm  in 


246 


BIOGRAPHICAL : 


1877.  June  12,  1875,  he  married  Louisa 
Turner,  who  was  born  in  Elk  Township,  in 
Cook  County,  daughter  of  Fred  and  Louisa 
Turner.  Has  one  child — Louisa,  born  Octo- 
ber 4,  1880;  one  child  deceased,  named  Hen- 
ry, aged  two  years  and  four  months.  Has 
150  acres;  is  a  Lutheran. 

JOHN  H.  SCHOPPE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Ben- 
senville,  who  was  born  June  28, 1850,  on  the 
northeast  quarter  of  Section  1,  in  Addison 
Township.  His  father,  Barney  Schoppe,  lo- 
cated there  about  1847;  he  was  born  October 
15,  1819,  in  Schale  Chreis  Techlenberg, 
Prussia,  a  son  of  John  Schoppe,  whose  wife's 
family  name  was  Stueve,  both  of  whom  are  yet 
living,  though  very  old,  having  outlived 
their  eon  Barney,  who  came  with  them 
from  the  old  country;  he  died  January  20, 
1880,  his  wife  January  30,  1878.  They  had 
six  children,  three  living — Mary,  John  H. 
and  Barney.  Mary  resides  in  this  township, 
wife  of  Barney  Landmeier;  Barney  resides 
on  farm  adjoining  the  homestead,  which  is 
located  in  Cook  County.  Barney,  the  father 
of  John  H.,  was  a  member  of  the^Evangelical 
Church,  and  soon  after  coming  here  identified 
himself  with  the  Republican  party,  and  re- 
mained a  supporter  of  that  party  until  his 
death.  John  H.  now  owns  the  homestead, 
consisting  of  160  acres,  which  cost  at  the 
time  of  purchase  $10  per  acre,  and  of  which 
he  took  charge  in  1876.  He  was  married, 
March  22,  1877,  to  Amelia  Kruger,  born 
March  22,  1857,  in  Cook  County,  daughter 
of  Charles  and  Wilhelmina  (Beisner)  Kruger, 
who  settled  in  Du  Page  County  in  1854,  he 
a  native  of  Prussia,  she  of  Hesse  Darmstadt. 
Mr.  Schoppe  has  three  children — Clara,  John 
and  Lillie. 

BARNEY  SCHOPPE,  farmer,  P.  O.  Ben 
senville,  resides  in  Leyden  Township,  Cook 
County,    on   the    line    adjoining    Du   Page 
County.     He  was  born  February  28,  1854,  on 


the  homestead  farm,  in  Addison  Township, 
this  county,  which  place  is  located  just  across 
the  road  and  adjoining  his  premises,  where 
he  was  raised  to  maturity.  He  is  the  second 
son  of.  Barney  Schoppe.  On  December  23, 
J878,  he  married  Mary  "Wiemerslage,  who 
was  born  March  15,  1861,  in  Cook  County, 
eldest  daughter  of  Fred  and  Mary  (Midden- 
dish)  "Wiemerslage,  who  had  but  two  children 
— Mrs.  Schoppe  and  one  son,  August.  After 
Mr.  Schoppe  married,  he  located  on  the  farm 
he  now  owns,  which  his  father  gave  him;  he 
has  160  acres;  he  has  two  children — Rosa 
and  Laura. 

AUGUST  SCHWERDTFEGER,  farmer, 
P.  O.  Bensenville,  was  born  on  the  farm  he 
now  owns,'  August  '15,  1845.  Charles 
Schwerdtfeger,  August's  father,  was  born  in 
the  Province  of  Hanover  February  13,  1813, 
and  came  to  America  with  his  parents  in  1833, 
nettling  first  in  Dearborn  County, Ind.,  where 
they  remained  until  about  1840,  then  removed 
to  this  county  and  settled  in  Addison  Town- 
ship, on  the  farm  now  owned  by  August;  he 
(Charles)  was  married,  in  1835,  to  Catharine 
Franzen,  a  native  of  Prussia,  born  August 
10,  1810,  daughter  of  Barnard  Franzen,  and 
from  this  union  seven  children  were  born;  he 
died  J?ugust  7,  1878.  August  has  always 
lived  on  the  farm,  which  his  father  settled 
and  improved.  He  was  married,  April  14, 
1872,  to  Alvena  Krueger,  born  in  Cook 
County,  111.,  in  1854,  who  has  borne  him  two 
children — Emil,  born  January  13,  1873,  and 
Martha,  born  August  4, 1874.  Mrs.  Schwerdt- 
feger is  a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Wilhel- 
mina (Beisner)  Krueger.  Mr.  Schwerdtfeger 
owns  125  acres  of  prairie  and  sixteen  of  tim- 
ber land. 

WILLIAM  STRUCKMEYER,  Bensen- 
ville, is  the  founder  of  the  cheese  and  butter 
factory  of  this  place;  he  was  born  September 
16,  1856,  son  of  Louis  Struckmeyer,  who  was 


ADDISON  TOWNSHIP. 


247 


a  stone-cutter  by  trade  and  died  in  the  land 
of  his  birth  in  1860.  William  emigrated  to 
this  State  with  his  mother  in  1867,  landing  at 
Chicago,  where  they  remained  a  short  time 
prior  to  their  coming  to  this  county.  He 
worked  until  nineteen  years  of  age  among  the 
farmers,  and  made  the  best  of  bis  time  and  op- 
portunities. He  then  commenced  learning 
butter  and  cheese  making  in  Bloomingdale 
Township,  with  Fred  Stuenkel,  remaining 
there  until  July,  1878,  when  he  came  to  Ben- 
senville  and  established  the  factory  he  now 
runs,  and  has  since  been  a  valuable  and  nec- 
essary component  to  the  town,  as  well  as  to 
the  farmers  in  this  portion  of  the  county. 
July,  1878,  he  married  Carrie,  daughter  of 
Fred  Stuenkel,  and  by  her  has  two  children — 
Jennie  and  William. 

P.  T.  TIEDEMANN,  merchant,  Bensen- 
ville,  is  one  of  the  thriving  and  prosperous 
business  men  of  this  township;  he  was  born 
on  the  Island  of  Fehmarn,  District  of  Schles- 
wig,  now  a  part  of  Prussia,  Oetober  26, 1832, 
and  is  the  fourth  son  and  sixth  child  of  Jacob 
and  Anna  D.  (Haltermann)  Tiedemann;  he  a 
sea  captain,  who  had  been  a  sailor  all  his  life, 
died  in  New  Orleans,  La.;  she  died  in  her  na- 
tive country.  M.  Tiedemann  emigated  to 
America,  landed  in  New  Orleans,  and  thence 
came  to  Chicago,  in  1854,  having  but  $2.50 
in  his  pocket  when  he  arrived  in  the  latter 
place.  He  secured  a  situation  as  clerk  in  the 
store  of  A.  Bigelow,  of  Chicago,  with  whom 
he  remained  nine  years,  and,  in  1864,  having 
saved  considerable  money,  began  business  on 


his  own  account  on  Milwaukee  avenue,  Chi- 
cago, where  he  remained  until  the  fall  of 
1877 ;  he  then  moved  to  Bensenville,  where 
he  has  since  conducted  a  general  store,  doing 
a  good  trade.  October  25,  1860,  he  married 
Anna  M.  Fortmann,  a  native  of  Oldenberg 
District,  now  part  of  Prussia,  daughter  of 
John  and  Mary  (Wielage)  Fortmann.  Mrs. 
Tiedemann's  parents,  who  came  to  Chicago 
in  1844,  are  both  deceased,  her  father  dying 
in  1857,  her  mother  in  1855;  they  had  three 
children — Mena,  Mrs.  Tiedemann  and  George, 
tho  former  and  the  latter  both  of  Chicago. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tiedemann  are  the  parents  of 
the  following  children:  Jacob  T.,  Thomas  EL, 
Dora  Anna,  Emma,  Amanda,  Frederick,  Will- 
iam, Louisa,  Minnie.  Mr.  Tiedemann  has  a 
brother  Thomas  in  Chicago;  William  in  Utah; 
Christian,  Anna  and  Froderica  in  New  Or- 
leans, La. 

WILLIAM  WINKELMAN  (deceased)  was 
born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  in  September, 
1824;  emigrated  to  America,  bought  land  in 
this  county  and  settled  on  it  about  the  year 
1855.  He  married  Mary  Bargman,  a  native 
of  Germany,  born  in  1827,  who  bore  him  the 
following  children:  Henry,  residing  in  Cook 
County,  111. ;  William,  on  the  homestead; 
Sophia,  wife  of  Lewis  Heina,  Elgin,  111. ; 
Fred,  farmer,  in  Cook  County,  111. ;  Barry, 
Herman,  Emma,  Edie  and  Martha.  Mr. 
Winkelman  moved  on  to  his  farm  in  1860, 
where  he  resided  until  his  death,  which,  oc- 
curred November  19,  1877.  The  farm  con- 
sists of  160  acres  of  good  land. 


i 


HECKMAN 

BINDERY  INC. 

IHI^Hi^^^H^^^^^H 

MAY  95 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


HISTORY  OF  DU  PAGE  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS   CHG